One of Georgia's greatest aspects is its historic crafts heritage. Whether working with fiber materials, wood, clay, stone, or leather, craftspeople turned functional objects into works of beauty.
Factory goods were a scarce resource in early Georgia, as in many southern states. Thus, craftsmanship was relied on for survival. Community craftspeople didn't create items so that they could be admired, but created items people needed in their everyday lives. Despite their functional purpose, these items were not just dependable but often attractive as well.
Two types of craftspeople toiled in early Georgia: domestic and professional. Domestic craftspeople created items strictly for the use of their own family. Professional craftspeople earned a living by crafting items and selling them to people. However, both domestic and professional craftspeople learned their skills in the same way - handed down through family traditions.
Georgia's Weaving Women
In the northern states professional male weavers were common, but in Georgia hand weaving was exclusively dominated by women. In fact, nearly every woman in Georgia practiced the skill of weaving. The early 19th Century report the Statement of the Arts and Manufactures tallied more than 20,000 spinning wheels and 13,000 looms in Georgia.
Most Georgia plantations were self-sustaining. While many white women exhibited excellent weaving skills, female slaves were often just as talented. Many Georgia plantations had a loom house where slave women were trained to weave and make clothing. Wool and cotton, the raw materials needed to weave fabrics, were produced and harvested on the plantations. Woven fabrics often were colored with natural dyes, such as walnut hulls and red clay. Many southern plantations even wove and dyed their own confederate uniforms for the men of the house who went off to war.
Weaving, of course, wasn't the only skill applied to Georgia fibers. Other fiber crafts common in Georgia in the early 19th Century included quilting, rug making, knitting, and crocheting. All of these crafts helped improve the standard of living when there was very little access to manufactured goods.
Clay
Georgia's rich supply of clay provided the perfect material for making pottery, both for the state's Native American inhabitants and settlers who came later. Pottery was essential for storing things like food, water, and medicine. However, the skill quickly turned into a professional trade, with eight major pottery areas established in north and central Georgia. The pottery business thrived until the early 20th Century, when reduced demand caused the industry to plummet. Some potters survived by changing their products to decorative wares for a more wealthy market, while others switched to producing inexpensive, unglazed garden pottery.
Another use for clay was in brick making. Originally, bricks were made by hand in molds. By the late 1800s, brick making had become dominated by businesses, such as the Chattahoochee Brick Company and the Cherokee Brick and Tile Company. These companies were able to manufacture bricks on a large scale.
Georgia's Woodmen
Young boys in Georgia were encouraged to take up the skill of woodworking. Some practiced it as a hobby, using their pocket knife to create crafts while relaxing and watching the sun go down in the evening. Others pursued this skill passionately and became professional carpenters. Carpenters applied their skills to building houses, boats, and furniture.
The two most common furniture crafts in Georgia were cabinetry and chair making. Men who wanted to be professional woodcarvers usually specialized in one or the other. Because both craft types required a separate set of skills and different tools, few specialized in both. Cabinetmakers relied on tools designed specifically for cabinetmaking, while chair makers used more simple equipment.
Furniture crafting played an important role through the 1800s, but by the end of the Civil War, with the opening up of trade routes from the northern industrial states, these skills fell out of practice. Though it's virtually disappeared in Georgia, early examples of furniture making can still be found in museums and in the homes of collectors.
Leather
Another popular craft in early Georgia, leather working left little documented history. However, historians do know that cobblers, saddlers, and harness makers thrived in Georgia. According to a manuscript of pioneer life by John Foster Stilwell, many of them were farmers who made leather goods for their families. But because they rarely signed their work, as woodworkers and weavers did, not much information about their craft exists. History records have proven, however, that Georgia was home to one of the first large commercial tanneries, the Bona Allen Tannery. Located in Buford, it operated for nearly a decade.
Today, visitors to Georgia will find a good selection of crafts, including woodworking, pottery, and quilts. Craft shows are plentiful throughout the state and include the Telfair Museum of Arts Art Fair in Savannah, the Sugarloaf Crafts Festival in Atlanta, and the Meadowcrest Arts and Craft Show in Greensboro. At these fairs, as well as many others, visitors will be able to witness first hand the craft creations of old and today. Whatever crafts you prefer, you're sure to find something to tickle your fancy.
