This post is part of a series revealing the table of contents of upcoming Issue Twenty-One. As is our custom, we’ll be discussing one article per weekday in order to give you a taste of what is to come.
The subscription window that includes Issue Twenty-One is open now.
To get Issue Twenty-One when it ships in early September, you can sign up for a subscription here.
If you aren’t sure about your subscription status, you can reach out to Grace at info@mortiseandtenonmag.com. Keep in mind though, if you are set to auto-renew, you never have to worry about getting the next issue of Mortise & Tenon. Issue Twenty-One is coming your way soon!
___________________________________
Andrew S. Hogeland – “Voices of the Lost Boys: Tales by Early American Woodworking Apprentices”
There are few artifacts of history that evoke as strong a sympathetic imagination as the items of children: trundle beds, little leather shoes, handmade toys, etc. When we in the 21st century see such things, we wonder what it must have been like to be so little so long ago. What did these kids think about the world? What was their daily life like? Did society have a place for them? And what was it like to grow up into adulthood through training in a formal apprenticeship?
These are the kinds of questions that have nagged woodworker Andrew Hogeland, and he just had to find out. Through rigorous examination of a host of period documents, Hogeland has uncovered many tales from these long-lost voices. Apprentice indentures stipulate numerous provisions for young pupils under the care of their masters: shelter, food, clothing, and thorough instruction in all areas of life. Unfortunately, this arrangement did not always work out. Apprentices routinely lacked basic provisions and were occasionally deprived of the valuable trade instruction they were promised.
Nevertheless, many apprentices persisted through their circumstances. As their woodworking skills developed, they were entrusted with more and more aspects of the work, and much of the surviving antique furniture today is the result of their faithful efforts. Many apprentices eventually grew into journeymen, and some became masters of their own shops, but regardless of the outcome, they all had tales to tell. Hogeland’s essay in Issue Twenty-One breathes new life into these lost voices.
Subscribe now to reserve your copy of Issue Twenty-One.