Greetings from Gibson Pewter,
The League of New Hampshire Craftsmen's Fair is approaching quickly, August 6 –14 and will be held again at the Mount Sunapee State park in Newbury NH.
I've made a special piece this year which I intend to unveil in the Living With Crafts exhibit at the fair. It is a Hammered Fruit Bowl that was inspired by the work of the late Fred Pulsifer, a pewterer from Exeter, NH, whom I watched at the fair with my father, back in the 1970's.
The bowl is hammered entirely with paper mallets over wooden forms and the four panel base is reticulated, a process which involves extreme heat and fast quenching with a moist cloth. Tricky work, but the end result is quite dramatic.
I'm not sure if I'm going to make another, so if you want this one, you'll have to travel to Sunapee in your Brink's truck and be prepared to shell out $1,200. The Fruit Bowl is about 12" square, stands 6" tall and weighs nearly 9 lbs.!
Losts of New Visitors this year
Summer is in full swing and it is refreshing to have visits from old friends and long time customers. As expected, we've seen many new faces in the shop this year thanks in part to the article, "The New New England Heirlooms," in the April edition of Yankee Magazine. In spite of the mixed reviews about the economy, our sales are up this year and we would like to thank each and every one of you for your continued support.
Come for the Living History Event
Hillsborough's 3rd Annual Living History Event is scheduled for August 20 & 21 this year. Mark your calendars. It's a great, educational town wide event with over 200 re-enactors that's fun for the whole family. I'll be demonstrating metal spinning, or casting all day Saturday, the 19th!
Antique of the Month
This month's antique is a scarce American 3" beaker marked by Timothy Boardman & Co, New York City, 1822-1824. The beaker is well marked with some minor exterior pitting and slightly more interior pitting from use. Overall condition is very good.
We look forward to seeing, or hearing from you this summer! With all good wishes,
Jon & Camille Gibson
