Potomac Antique Tools and Industries Association, Inc. (PATINA)

September 18, 2016 “Mountains, Makers, Tools, and Traditions: Highlights from the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley Collection”

PATINA September Meeting Announcement

The September 18 Meeting will feature Nick Powers, the Curator of Collections at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley. The program will follow our usual schedule of Tool Trading in the Parking Lot (Weather Permitting), and a Mini-auction. I encourage attendees to bring chair or basketmaking tools, especially if from the Valley.

The Museum of the Shenandoah Valley is home to hundreds of domestic life objects and tools made and used in the Valley from the earliest period of European settlement through the twentieth century. Curator of Collections Nick Powers will explore the history behind some of the best documented examples in the collection, with an emphasis on the connections between chairmakers and basketmakers working on either side of Massanutten Mountain. Among the objects shown will be iron dies made locally for the basketmaking Day family, examples of their baskets, and documented chairs featuring their handiwork.

Nick Powers is a native of Winchester and became interested in the history and material culture of the Shenandoah Valley at a young age. Nick completed his undergraduate work at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, where he majored in History and minored in Historical Archaeology. In 2014, Nick graduated from the Winterthur Program in American Material Culture at the University of Delaware. His master’s thesis there revolved around cabinetmaking in Winchester and Frederick County. Nick is currently the Curator of Collections at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley. There he oversees, researches, and exhibits the fine and decorative arts of the Shenandoah Valley, ranging from the earliest settlements to the present day.

Meeting Information

The Potomac Antique Tools and Industries Association, Inc. (PATINA) is an educational, tax-exempt organization for people who have an interest in the tools, crafts or manufacturing processes of the past.

Formed in 1977, PATINA is a regional tool club based in the Washington, D.C. area. We have members from 24 states, the District of Columbia and several foreign countries. Antique tool collectors, tool users and people simply seeking knowledge are well represented in PATINA's membership. The annual dues of $12.00 includes membership for the entire family and they are welcome to participate in all PATINA events. PATINA's original group of about 30 has grown to over 250.

Our mission is to promote and increase knowledge and understanding of the tools and trades practiced by our American ancestors. This purpose is partly served by the bimonthly newsletter PATINAGRAM which includes member-contributed articles and information of interest to our members. In addition, the PATINAGRAM provides regular announcements of upcoming meetings and auctions, reports on past meetings, reviews of relevant publications, and notices of other tool-related events. As an educational organization, PATINA is often invited to stage exhibits and demonstrations for local and national groups that express an interest in early tools and trades.

See PATINAGRAM Here - LAST UPDATE May 10, 2016

Get PATINA November Meeting Podcast Here Use Itunes to open the Podcasts/ Use Quicktime or Windows Media Player with IE