Forgotten Arts from Bygone Days

By Susan Braunstein, Library Associate

Visiting the Central States Fair this year triggered a wave of nostalgia for me, taking me back to the street I grew up on where my neighbors were almost all large families. It wasn’t unusual to walk into their homes and smell bread baking, see big pots of boiling water with colorful jars in them or find them outside weeding and watering their huge gardens.  When it came time to harvest that always meant the scramble to prepare fair entries would begin. These were the kind of people who preserve their produce, make an apple pie, show their livestock, and get a colored ribbon or small cash prize.

The notion that some of us might consider entering projects or produce into the fair would be a forgotten art would probably make all those folks laugh out loud. They understand that it is more work to make your own food, furniture, clothing or crafts, but the pride and enjoyment is worth it. Whether it is opening up that jar of spicy salsa in the dead of winter, putting on that warm knit cap or sitting in a hand-carved chair, it just makes you feel good knowing it was created from your own inspiration and expertise. 

I have taken friends from large cities to the fair and they marvel at how homespun and wholesome it seems and comment that it reminds them such self-reliance and pioneer spirit is still alive and well.  What’s great is that anyone can submit an entry to be showcased in the fair, and even though the gates for the 2005 Central States Fair are closed, now is a great time to plan for next year’s entries, after seeing what constituted a success for this year.  Something else to consider is the South Dakota State Fair in Huron is just gearing up, set to begin on August 31.

Anyone interested in finding out more about any of the pursuits showcased at the fair can choose from a well-rounded collection of library books relating to what you might have seen in the exhibits. One set of books considered to be a classic is the Foxfire series that was printed originally back in the 1960’s. The idea came from a teacher in the Appalachian Mountains who wanted his students to get out and interview the local people about the stories of their lives before a whole generation disappeared. It soon became clear that it was more than the story that needed to be preserved because a large part of who they were was based on how they lived. The books include everything from how to dress a hog to building a log cabin from the ground up. People who choose a simpler back-to-the land lifestyle can learn necessary skills from the mountain people written about in these books.

Two of the most popular entry divisions of the fair are culinary arts and horticulture. If you need some recipes for your own gathered plenty, you can find dozens of library books relating to pickling, canning, preserving and drying food, flowers and herbs. Two of the most popular titles are by Carol W. Costenbader’s “The Well-Stocked Pantry: Preserving Fruits & Vegetables” and “The Big Book of Preserving the Harvest”.

Moving from the kitchen on to handicrafts, there are many options to create decorative or practical beautiful items as possible fair entries for next year using methods such as weaving, sewing, knitting, crocheting, or basketry. In the Black Hills one might want to pursue basket making as described by author Judy Mofield Mallow in her book “Pine Needle Basketry: from forest floor to finished project.” She describes how to gather the pine needles, the materials needed to create the basket, how to sew it all together and there are some photographs of beautiful baskets at the end of the book.

Spinning and weaving may bring up the images of fairytale stories, but it’s always been a popular entry at the fair.  There are several spinning and weaving books in the library that may inspire the beginner including “Spindle Spinning from Novice to Expert,” by Connie Delaney; “The Joy of Spinning,” by Marilyn Kluger; “The Weaving, Spinning and Dyeing Book,” by Rachel Brown; and “Weaving Without a Loom,” by Veronica Burningham.

Spinning and weaving will also be the focus of the first of four Autumn Lunch ‘n Learn programs held in the library. Rita Nauman and Kay Schwandt will bring their spinning wheels along on September 20 from noon to 1 p.m., when they discuss and demonstrate the art of spinning. The Lunch ‘n Learn programs allow people to attend an interesting program, receive a lunch courtesy of the Friends of the Library and get back to work on time. The lunches will to be held on the third Wednesday of each month; watch for the upcoming programs on October 18, November 15 and December 20. Anyone is welcome to attend, but advance registration is required. If you plan to attend, call the library at 394-4171 ext. 501. 

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