The Old Hickory Chair

[RobesonsRme.com]

This photo was taken in the 40’s in Tennessee.

It shows a man and his family admiring the work he’s just completed on a split hickory straight back chair.

He is, apparently, holding some of the tools he used; an axe and a froe.

But, would you not love to have that pocketknife?

[OLDE CUTLER]

I sure would. Any speculation as to what it might be?

[FRJ]

It would be an honor to have that knife. Looks like possibly a 4 inch jack of some kind.

An honorable family of some skills. More than would be evident here.
The ladies wear clean clothes and have shiny hair and the boys hair is shorn.
The treasure of an old man is held together with string and thread and is quite comfortable in his skin I am sure.
His chair will endure some generations.

I believe he has a drawknife in his hand.

Old pictures tell a story.

[eveled]

I wonder why the top rail of the chair is so disproportionate.

[treefarmer]

I wonder why the top rail of the chair is so disproportionate.

I would venture that he just replaced the seat in an old chair, the split Hickory or in some areas split White Oak to redo the seat.
The detail in that picture is really terrific, look at the things in the window, embossed glass jars, a crock, etc.
FRJ, notice the lady is wearing a pair of glasses while papa is wearing patched britches and raggedy suspenders.
Treefarmer

[knife7knut]

I wonder why the top rail of the chair is so disproportionate.

I cannot magnify tie pic but it le of wood in his left hand that he is fixing to whittle down(with the drawknife) to repair that top slat.ks like he has a piecfd

[OLDE CUTLER]

The suspenders he is wearing look "improvised."

[RobesonsRme.com]

I forget the name of the photographer, but he was one of those working for the government, photodocmenting the people and culture of Appalachia.

So, it’s not a snapshot from a Kodak Brownie.

Pretty sure Mom and the kids cleaned up for the photo.

The top slat in the chair is broken, probably from an adult leaning back in it against the wall.

Addendum: Photographer’s name was Joe Clark and the photo is part of the collection at The University of Texas.

[FRJ]

I wonder why the top rail of the chair is so disproportionate.

It may have something to do with the pocket knife and the boy.

Yes, treefarmer, I did notice the glasses and the old mans pants are sown up after sown up.
Notice that is a nicely fashioned double hung window behind them.
They were of some means. They weren't destitute.
They have a fair disposition and I would like to think they were leaning on the everlasting arm of God.

[eveled]

I wonder why the top rail of the chair is so disproportionate.

I cannot magnify tie pic but it le of wood in his left hand that he is fixing to whittle down(with the drawknife) to repair that top slat.ks like he has a piecfd

I guess I don’t see what you see. The wood in his left hand is the handle to the axe?

It is a very detailed picture obviously staged. Makes me wonder what purpose it was taken for? Looks like the photographer told them, “don’t look at me, look at the chair”. The boy looks like he is about to burst out laughing.

I see a cleaver over the boys head. But I can’t figure what is next to it.

[Ridgegrass]

Beautiful photo. Thanks. J.O'.

[RobesonsRme.com]

I still think it’s a froe in his right hand. It would have been used to split the hickory for the chair bottom.

[RobesonsRme.com]

This is a detail cut from just the right of the boy’s head.

I know it’s just a knot, but I see a head and face and a cross there.

Not trying to read too much into it, just saw it while I was exploring the expanded photo.

[RobesonsRme.com]

I think the knife might be a large serpentine stockman.

[tvic]

With the chair being the center of attention, I agree he must have just re-caned the seat - the pocket knife being an essential tool in the process. Cool photo, though. Thanks for sharing!

[Dan In MI]

Might the pocket knife be a three-blade whittler? It does seem to have three blades. Great photo, Charlie; thanks for sharing it!

[mqqn]

Very cool picture.
If it was in TN, there were a lot of pictures taken of the locals in Central TN when the government was pitching the TVA projects.

The tool in the gentleman's right hand appears to have two handles...

Thank you for the interesting picture, and yes, I see a face in the expanded area above!

[Reverand]

I did not grow up that poor, or that long ago, but it reminds me of my father and how he can repair most anything.
He has restored some old log houses, and has used a similar froe to split thousands of wooden shingles to roof them. A froe that he made himself, using his grandfather's blacksmith tools.
Also, my father has re-bottomed many an old straight-back chair. He has a tool that his grandfather made that splits White Oak planks into thin lathes for chair bottoms.

My father did grow up poor, picking cotton in these Appalachian foothills in order to survive. Hard times like that can produce some outstandingly good and faithful men.

[bighomer]

Great ole historic photo staged or not. Put's me to mind of pappy's ole saying "pore ass people got pore ass ways"
That don't look like pa's froe, his handle was more square to the metal blade and was removable, but I expect there was many different designs.

[treefarmer]

Very cool picture.
If it was in TN, there were a lot of pictures taken of the locals in Central TN when the government was pitching the TVA projects.

The tool in the gentleman's right hand appears to have two handles...

Thank you for the interesting picture, and yes, I see a face in the expanded area above!

mqqn, I agree with you concerning the tool in his right hand, the other handle is resting on his right thigh and that tool most likely is a drawing knife, what he used to make the strips to cane the chair bottom

Great ole historic photo staged or not. Put's me to mind of pappy's ole saying "pore ass people got pore ass ways"


That don't look like pa's froe, his handle was more square to the metal blade and was removable, but I expect there was many different designs.

bighomer, I'll agree with you too! A fore generally has a much longer handle, something like 16" or so.
Treefarmer

[rea1eye]

Interesting photo The first thing I noticed was how clear/high contrast
the image was and the 2 girls not wearing shoes.


I initially did not see the knife on the chair. (am I bad?)

With everyone looking at the chair, you wonder what was the purpose of
the photo?

Bob

[Serpent67]

Hard to tell, even with my readers, but if it’s east tn, I may just have that old timers edc?

[catspa]

Yes Bob, you’ve been very bad. Go put a chair in the corner, lay a knife on it, stare at it intently, and think about what you’ve done.

I hope this’ll be a lesson to you, young man.

Parker