Known by the Work of his Hands
by Claire Messimer
The book features a unique look at the history of the Pennsylvania German, plenty of local history with lots of photos, interesting information and exhaustive research, very charming book.
Known by the Work of His Hands is a well-researched study of Pennsylvania German gravestones, rooted in local history and written with much patience. Claire Messimer's study emphasizes an individual carver's repertoire and how this reflects the general patterns of design and motifs of his time. The task is made difficult by the fact that the stone carver, Joseph Brownmiller (JB), has been dead for over a century, and has left neither a book of accounts nor a personal diary. By looking at historical documents, including tax records, Messimer is able to discern his economic status and thus make educated guesses about the kinds of tools and materials he used and whether he had the means to hire an apprentice or helpers, for example. Because all gravestones are dated, she can contextualize a shift in designs, not only within a broader context of style, but also within the context of JB's life, thus asserting that later in life, as an older man working alone, he would naturally produce styles easier to carve due to his decreasing physical abilities. Following the broader scholarly fashion in material culture studies of producing personal biographies of artists and their artistic repertories, Messimer provides a nice model of how one can use public historic records to correlate works of art with the artist's political, economic, social, and religious life.
Copyright 2000
Pages: 231 pages
Publisher: Pennsylvania German Society
The book measures approx. 11 by 8 ½ inches. The hardcover is nice with some gentle wear and rubbing. The dustjacket is nice with some light wear and rubbing. The spine end is good with light wear. The boards and corners are in good shape. The hinges and binding are tight and strong. The pages are very nice with some minor wear, book is nice. Shipping weight is 5 pounds
Inventory: 0923QE051