Craft, Community and the Material Culture of Place and Politics, 19th-20th Century

Craft practice has a rich history and remains vibrant, sustaining communities while negotiating cultures within local or international contexts. More than two centuries of industrialization have not extinguished handmade goods; rather, the broader force of industrialization has redefined and continues to define the context of creation, deployment and use of craft objects. With object study at the core, this book brings together a collection of essays that address the past and present of craft production, its use and meaning within a range of community settings from the Huron Wendat of colonial Quebec to the Girls’ Friendly Society of twentieth-century England. The making of handcrafted objects has and continues to flourish despite the powerful juggernaut of global industrialization, whether inspired by a calculated refutation of industrial sameness, an essential means to sustain a cultural community under threat, or a rejection of the imposed definitions by a dominant culture. The broader effects of urbanizing, imperial and globalizing projects shape the multiple contexts of interaction and resistance that can define craft ventures through place and time. By attending to the political histories of craft objects and their makers, over the last few centuries, these essays reveal the creative persistence of various hand mediums and the material debates they represented.

Contents: Introduction, Janice Helland, Beverly Lemire and Alena Buis; Village craft, rural industry: the politics of modern globalized craft, Edward S. Cooke, Jr; Souvenir art, collectable craft, cultural heritage: the Wendat (Huron) of Wendake, Quebec, Anne de Stecher; ‘To foster and encourage the study and practice of Maori arts and crafts’: indigenous material culture, colonial arts and crafts and New Zealand museums, Conal McCarthy; Re-constructing the old Dutch house: New Castle's colonial Dutch gem and Louise Crowninshield's preservation community, Alena Buis; From the gift shop to the permanent collection: women and the circulation of Inuit art, Anne Whitelaw; Benevolence, revival and 'fair trade': an historical perspective, Janice Helland; Negotiating the colonial encounter: making objects for export in the Andaman Islands, 1858-1920, Claire Wintle; Crafting inclusion for ‘invalid’ women: the Girls’ Friendly Society central needlework depot 1899-1947, Vivienne Richmond; Crafting suburbia: the community as craft object, Lily Crowther; The Guild of All Arts in Scarborough, Ontario: craft, community and memories, Alla Myzelev; Index.

Janice Helland is Professor of Art History and Head of Department (Art History & Art Conservation) at Queen's University, Kingston, Canada. Beverly Lemire is Professor & Henry Marshall Tory Chair, Department of History & Classics, University of Alberta, Canada. Alena Buis is Doctor of Philosophy Candidate in Art History, Queen's University, Canada.