Skilled Cabinetmaker
Warren, at work in his Bloomington shop
Although Warren began his academic career as a scholar of folktales, he later made a transition to folklife studies and became an expert in the study of traditional architecture and the subsistence activities of pre-industrial communities in the American midlands. In connection with this growing interest in man-made structures, Warren himself developed into an outstanding craftsman -- he became, like the many earlier craftsmen he admired, a builder of fine, functional furniture; a cabinetmaker. We present here, courtesy of Barbara Roberts, a couple of samples to whet your appetite.
The lower component of a chest-on-chest crafted by Warren
A chair built by Warren
Thomas Lincoln, Fellow CabinetmakerWarren, being a skilled cabinet-maker in his own right, became interested in a fellow craftsman, from another time but from the same region where Warren's research was concentrated: Thomas Lincoln, the father of our sixteenth president, Abraham. It has come down in history that the Lincoln father and son were not close; it is also known that Thomas was a skilled maker of furniture. Warren carried out research on this topic, identifying and photographing pieces attributed to Thomas Lincoln, and reconstructing his work and business environment through reference to archival materials. Warren set about a project of redemption for his fellow craftsman, Thomas Lincoln. Click here for access to the manuscript Warren prepared on this topic. Below are a few photos of pieces by Thomas Lincoln that Warren was able to document.
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