Portraits of American Craftspeople
A Craftsman’s Legacy (PBS) celebrates the lives and skills of American craftspeople.
Eric Gorges is the creator and host of the TV show A Craftsman’s Legacy, where each week he gives his audience insight into a different American craftsperson and their work.
Eric started out working in IT, but after he experienced panic attacks he refocused his life, left a corporate career, and transitioned to something he truly wanted to do – hands-on work with cars and motorcycles.
He became an apprentice metal shaper with Ron Fournier at Fournier Enterprises. That apprenticeship led him to making one-of-a-kind hot rods, and then starting his handcrafted motorcycle-building business, Voodoo Choppers.
Eric's TV show gives us a fresh look at the celebration and ongoing survival of traditional American crafts and craft-making. The half-hour shows are as much a series of insightful portraits of American craftspeople as they are about the processes that these crafters are involved in. The portraits show the persistence and drive to make things that artists and crafters share.
“For centuries, women and men have created things others needed or wanted and they became specialists in that creation, usually after a long period of apprenticing under another Craftsman. The cobbler making shoes, the blacksmith making cooking utensils, the glassblower making a vase. No matter what it was, it was made by someone who used their inner talents, combined with their education and experience to make something that would last. Its quality was the Craftsman’s very reputation.
Maybe we don’t need a hand carved set of salad bowls on our dinner table, but it doesn’t mean they don’t still represent something important. It only means we’ve lost our ability to appreciate the quality and the fact that someone put part of themselves into that creation. But if you’ve ever paid attention to the 25 year-old carpenter who’s finishing your cabinets, or watched a 90 year-old Cuban woman roll a cigar with her aging hands, there’s no question it’s important to them.”
Eric Georges
To watch the episodes, you'll need to sign up for a free Legacy Society account, and then you'll have access to Seasons 1, 2, and 3 online for free. Each season showcases 13 different craftspeople.
You can also read some blog posts by Jennifer Bower about aspects of featured crafters not covered in the videos.
·Don't miss: our other blog posts Crafting Resources, American Basket Makers, and Tapestry Weaving.
Sourcing Books that Celebrate Traditional American Crafts
Below are some best-selling books focused on traditional crafts. Click on a book cover for more information and to purchase. The Brooklyn Refinery is reader-supported, and we are an affiliate for Amazon. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission - at no extra cost to you. Learn more
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