John Richards, Blacksmith

From the collections of PVMA • Digital image © Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Assoc. • Image use information

About this item

John Richards was a blacksmith in South Deerfield, Massachusetts long after blacksmiths were “supposed” to be gone. In rural communities, blacksmithing skills, which involve the shaping of iron and metal, were still useful long after manufactured items could have replaced them. A smith often worked as a farrier, or someone who custom-makes and fits horseshoes. Until manufactured goods became much cheaper, many farmers preferred to purchase blacksmith-made items such as door straps, hinges, and gate handles. The number of blacksmiths, already small by the end of World War II (1939-1945), became vanishingly tiny in the years after.

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Details

Item typePhotograph
PhotographerUnidentified
Datecirca 1950
PlaceSouth Deerfield, Massachusetts
TopicIndustry, Occupation, Work
Science, Technology
EraCounterculture, Civil Rights, and Cold War, 1946–1989
MaterialPaper
Process/FormatPhotography
Catalog #1996.37.01.126
View this item in our curatorial database →
John Richards, Blacksmith. Photograph. ca. 1950. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/1996-37-01-126/. Accessed on December 6, 2024.

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