Encompassing the Carpenter, Joiner, Cabinetmaker and Furniture craftsman, these are the trades most often familiar to us when we think of the woodworker. For the purposes of this section, I have grouped these trades together due to often thin line between them. It was not uncommon for a woodworker to ply his or her hand at one or more of these trades during the course a job.
Postcard, Real Photo "DO YOU SEE ANYONE YOU KNOW IN THIS CROWD, WE BUILT 35 OF THESE COTTAGES. N.N." c 1920. Great Real Photo Post Card of 13 carpenters, one with an X marking the spot. Addressed to Mr. P. Reinwald, 319 N. Broadway, Los Angeles, Cal. From N. N. A.
Postcard, Real Photo CARPENTER, CHILDREN, WORKBENCH AND MITRE BOX. RPPC c1910. A very photogenic real photo post card featuring a father and four children. He stands at a European style workbench, cutting molding with mitre box clamped in the bench tail vise. You can see the orientation of the workbench to the windows for light, the rollers he added to suppport the stock and the four children dressed for a chilly fall or winters day.
Book Excerpt L'ART DU MENUISIER (THE ART OF THE JOINER). Andre Roubo. 1769-1774. A selection of plates from the essential treatise on woodworking of the 18th Century.
plates 11 to 17: carpenter's and joiner's tools plates 175 to 177: carriage-maker's tools plate 278: veneer saw plate 279: workbench
Contributed by Louis Michaud of the Oldtools eMail List.
Book Excerpt THE AMATEUR CARPENTER AND BUILDER: A COMPLETE GUIDE IN EVERY DESCRIPTION OF CONSTRUCTIVE AND DECORATIVE WORK. WARD, LOCK & CO. LTD, MELBOURNE AND NEW YORK. c1904. An excerpt, consisting of Chapter VIII: The Carpenter's Bench and It's Various Fittings, The Sawing Stool and Trestles. pp. 191-223. This book is actually a reprint of various articles from a late 19th C British journal.
Photograph, Glass Plate STRONG & OLIVER. CARPENTERS AT WORK. c1920 Glass plate negative, most likely a dry glass plate image. Dry glass plates came ready made. The photographer need only remove the paper cover, expose the plate and develope the image. This set of two glass plate negatives are the only ones in my collection. At least the only ones that showcase trades. The toolchest is labeled 'Strong & Oliver'. Displayed on the toolchest is what looks like a Stanley #45 plane, some saws, a transitional plane and a brace.
Photograph, Ambrotype, Cased "BROTHER, WHEN SHALL I SEE YOU?" Ambrotype in case. 1864. Behind the image is a piece of paper on which is penciled... "Nov. 3, 1864, Brother, when shall I see you?". Sayings such as this where frequently added to cased images intheir service as keepsakes. Although the cover glass is quite damaged, I've only cleaned it and reset it. I suspect that this man was a house framer. He owned a set of heavy firmer chisels, along with a heavier grade of tools in general. You can make out a Taylor patent brace of the type often marked by Increase Wilson. Perhaps a knowledgable saw maven will know who made the saws?
Photograph, Tintype CARPENTER WITH HIS SAW, FRAMING SQUARE AND PLANE. c1860. Tintype. This stern gentleman looks very uncomfortable posing for his picture. Not only does he hold the tools of his trade, but his jacket pockets seem to bulge with unknown treasures. His garments, hat and beard suggest that he was a Quaker.
Photograph, Cased Tintype CARPENTER HOLDING A SAW AND A FOLDING RULE. C1870. Missing the cover of this Union Case, this tintype image of a young carpenter shows just how proud he was of his accomplishments. The rule may signify that this was not just your average country carpenter. Rather he was an educated man who knew his geometry and the use of the scales on a carpenters rule.
Photograph, Tintype 2 CARPENTERS. c1885. Tintype. As near as I can tell, one of these fellows is holding an early model Disston handsaw along with a Stanley Try-Mitre Square. The other one is holding what looks like a blacksmiths hammer and a horseshoe.
Photograph, Cyanotype 3 CARPENTERS FROM MELROSE, MASSACHUSETTS. Cyanotype Print. A much less frequently seen type of print, Found in Melrose, Massachusetts. Reportedly one of these gents was from Melrose and built the house in the rear.
