Here are two photos of one of the workshops in Colonial Williamsburg. As I stood there, taking pictures, I realized that I wouldn't know what it was if I hadn't seen the sign on the door. Lots of interesting tools--but what did they make here? Maybe it's not mysterious to you. Maybe it's obvious. Let's see.
What tradesman or woman do you think worked here?
One of us -- 
17 comments:
I'll take Colonial Wmsburg for 200, Loretta. What is the book binding shop?
Monica, you made me LOL! I'll embarrass myself and say at first I wondered if they made candles, but then realized they'd be dipping wicks into the hot wax, not those wooden things.
After looking at the enlarged pictures, it appears they have stacks of leather (or is that cloth?) lying around, and there's a formidable row of hammers in the background. I'm going to take a wild guess and say shoe maker.
One question: you said you wouldn't know what was made in that shop without the sign. Would a Colonial person have known, based on the implements in the shop?
I THOUGHT I was with Loretta for most of the time we were in Williamsburg, but clearly she must have slipped away on her own at some point. I haven't a clue where she took these pictures. The forge seems to belong to some sort of metalworking?
So, Monica, I think I'm switching categories to Clueless Nerdy Friends for $100.....
Each picture does contain a hint. I'm not just messing with you.
Oh great. That means I didn't get it right. And I've BEEN there OODLES of times! LOL
Well, on the first picture they have lots of wooden hammers and many metal thingys in different sizes that reminds me of art classes in secondary school, so maybe they are doing some sort of carving probably in wood, but it might be to make molds to later beat out ornamental metal or leather?
But in the second picture there are all those axe-like metal things that seems as something in different sizes is to be thread onto. or beaten into a tube.
Well, at first I thought shoes, but don't cobblers have wooden forms in the shape of shoes? Or am I just remembering that from some Disney movie?
That's a lot of tools in that shop, and they seem to do some pretty serious things. They lead me to believe some kind of metal-working is involved. Making buckles, or something like that?
I'm holding off on letting people know whether they're hot or cold or whatever until the next blog goes up, so everyone can have a chance to work on the puzzle.
Well, did you notice the sword in the picture, but I still keep thinking book binding because
a) Loretta writes books
b) Those bar looking things on the wall could be measuring things for book sizes. The mallets could be used for pounding the book together
c) there's leather for coverings
See, logic does have a way of driving one crazy. I for one will not be happy until Loretta tells us where the HELL we are!!!!!! LOL
Yeah, the leather gave me pause, too, Monica. Book binding sounds like a good option.
Saddles? A harness maker's shop? I haven't been to Colonial Williamsburg in ages and now I want to go.
That looks like some kind of forge to the right, and there are all those hammers and other tools, but the room looks too clean to be a blacksmith. Maybe someone who makes things out of copper or tin?
I thought maybe book bindery or cobbler?? I thought bookbinder b/c the tools implied working with metal or maybe wood, i.e. needing to pry & manipulate hard materials. Maybe measuring too??? Also, it looked like there may be a pressing-type machine there, but I didn't know if they also used such a type of machine for making shoes.
Oh, and I'm writing a a story with a bookbinder heroine, so I thought of it for that reason too. ;-)
I read your ladies' wonderful blog every day, although I never comment. But I could not resist this. :-)
Put me out of my misery, please!
Another guess, and a totally wild one at that. Is it a corset-making shop? Or do they make busks?
Though I cannot imagine why so many hammers would be needed to make a corset! Nor would it explain the presence of that huge clamp thingy or those other things that look like round-headed spikes. *sigh* I love guessing games, but this has me stumped. Need hints!
all those things that look like awls and forms. bootmakers? but it's a clean shop, so maybe not.
I'll reveal the answer tonight, ahead of my main post. Meanwhile, here's a hint: Those who say Metalworking are quite warm. Look to the upper left on the bottom photo.
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