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Scherenschnitte
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Barbara Tawzer and her Daughter Martha Jane Barbara Jane Thomas was the daughter of the manager of the Pine Grove Furnace Foundry in Cumberland/Adams Co. Penns. Her father's name was John and his brother's name was Samuel (Barbara's uncle). Samuel had a blanket woven for him with his name in the design, and gave it to her before they boarded the covered wagon that brought them to Illinois. That blanket is in the collection of this author. From the family the story goes that young JBT would cross the hills from his family's home to visit Pine Grove Furnace to work and to court Barbara. From references in the copybook, it is plain that JBT was lovestruck for the girl, and in one design the name Hampton Thomace appears. I imagine that this was someone in Barbara's family and this was an alternate spelling. Barbara's gift was in healing. Much is said of her work in the section on Powwow Medicine. The links in this section are given over to her daughter Martha Jane, who was born enroute to Woodford Co. IL. She was born in Farmington, a distance of approx. 60 miles from where they settled. Martha practiced the German art form of "Scherenschnitte", learned from her father. Unlike most females, rather than using scissors, she used a sharp pen knife, as the men preferred. She decorated objects with this, and also there were framed pieces in the homestead that I remember being fascinated with as a boy. To the left find examples of her work. |
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The Copybook
Harold & Erma
Squirrels with nuts
Valentine in Hand
Bouquet
Bouquet of Roses
Fraktur Valentine