| 6 October 2007: On the first day, broom makers included Laurie, Tiffany, Kristen, Angie, and Dr. Reid. The calendar said it was October, but it felt like July outside in the sun. Ninety degrees in period clothing feels quite warm! | |||
Matt taught Tiffany and Laurie the art of using the shaving horse to make broom handles.
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Tiffany quickly developed a love of the shaving horse. She, in fact, made used it so much that she ended breaking it at the end of the day. |
Laurie, too, loved the shaving horse. |
Dr. Reid instruced Laurie and Tiffany on the fine art of broom making using the "kicker."
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Kristen then got to learn the specialized art. |
She was the quintessential symbol of the fall harvest as she spoke to visitors about harvest bounty. |
Dr. Reid, Angie, and Kristen made a great team! |
Tiffany, Kristen, and Angie were still smiling at the end of a long (but fun) day. |
| 7 October 2007: On the second day it was even hotter outside! The dedicated broom makers included Aly, Catherine, Dan, Alisha, and once again, Dr. Reid. | |||
Where did the materials for making the brooms come from? Catherine demonstrated the art of harvesting broom corn. |
From the field to the finished product, Catherine was an expert at every step of the process. |
The problem with making brooms, as Aly demonstrated, is that after working so hard to complete them, you have to use them to do more work! |
After four hours of working in the heat, Aly and Catherine were still happy. |
Aly and Catherine gave Alisha and Dan their first lessons on using the kicker. |
Dr. Reid made sure that nobody injured themselves. |
Dr. Reid, the most expert broom maker of all time put the finishing touches on the brooms by sewing the broom corn together. |
Alisha, Dan, and Dan's hat also kept smiling. |
As part of our Material Culture in America class, we spent the weekend of October 6-7 at the Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site demonstrating broom-making techniques at the Harvest Frolic. The class dressed up in period clothing and used period instruments to transport visitors back to 1845. Click on any image below to see a larger version of the picture.
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EIU History Department :: HA Home Page Eastern Illinois University Historical Administration Program, 2007 |
Last Updated October 13, 2007
