"A stunning piece of scholarship, rich in both theory and evidence, that takes the reader to a new plateau of understanding" (Charles Joyner, University of South Carolina) of the African-American folklife.

A survey of the full range of ornamental and utilitarian ironwork used and made by Spanish colonial people in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.

This unique annotated bibliography lists nearly 300 books on the art of blacksmithing. It" "is divided into four parts: Practical Blacksmithing, Specialized Areas of Blacksmithing, Historical Background of the Profession, and Products of the Forge.Part 1 deals with the technical side of blacksmithing: the texts, manuals, and courses aimed at teaching the basic processes. It includes reference books on the materials of blacksmithing and on metallurgy.Part 2 presents the more specialized and advanced processes of blacksmithing, including ornamental ironwork, farm smithing, industrial forging, and bladesmithing. It also includes materials related to pattern-welded Damascus steel.The listings in part 3 deal with blacksmithing as a literary and historical subject. The primary focus of these books is on the traditions, lore, and descriptions of the trade. In these books the processes, tools, and products are of only secondary importance.Part 4 lists books that treat the products of the forge, a wide-ranging area that covers everything from tools and utensils to architectural works. A special feature of this section is a chapter emphasizing individual smiths and their works. The book also contains two indexes, one an alphabetical listing by author and one an alphabetical listing by title."

Colonial Wrought Iron is a photographic survey of early wrought iron work in America with 506 photographs from the Sorber Collection. The colonial period in America was centered around the blacksmith who was the maker and creator of these items. The informational text explains the characteristics and the conditions of the period in which the iron was forged. Colonial Wrought Iron is an invaluable resource tool for the blacksmith involved making reproduction hardware and related items, as well as an inspiration for merging form and function. In this book you will find the commonplace and the ornate but they all reflect the hand of fine craftsmanship. The work displayed in Colonial Wrought Iron is from the collection of Jim Sorber. Jim, now in his eighties, has been an avid collector for 70 years. This collection is a result of a life steeped in an enduring appreciation for the skills of his ancestors. Even as a child he was interested in their hand tools and the wonderful things they made. That interest soon grew into a passion. A unique aspect of Jims collection is that it reflects a certain ethnic influence. Much of his collecting has been done near his home in the counties of Berks, Chester, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Montgomery and Schuylkill. This area has been settled by German immigrants since the mid-to-late 17th century. Jims collection, many pieces of which are signed and dated, reflects an iron chronicle of the Pennsylvania Dutch migration westward from the Philadelphia area.

A generously illustrated handbook for identifying and understanding structures that symbolize the region's unique cultural and historical landscape

"This monograph is the definitive survey of iron tools and other fittings in use during the period c1066 to 1540AD. Exceptional in a north-western European context for its range and coverage of artefacts from both rural and urban excavations, much of the material described here was recovered during 'rescue' projects in the 1960s and 1970s funded by the State through the Ministry of Public Works and Buildings and their successors. The text contains almost everything necessary to identify, date and understand medieval iron objects. In scope and detail there is still no published parallel and, as such, it will be essential for almost any archaeologist working in later medieval archaeology, particularly in the fields of excavation, finds study, museums and research."