# The Blacksmith Shop



## smoke665 (Aug 3, 2020)

Digging through an old box of photos scanning, came across these two. They're the only images I've ever found of the blacksmith shop started by my Great Grandfather and continued by my Grandfather in Chrisney, IN. The first image is of the shop several years after it closed in 1944 according to the date on picture. My grandfather died at the young age of 55 that same year. Sadly I have no memory of the shop, only vague recollections of where it once stood. The second image is the inside of the shop with my great grandfather (left rear), grandfather (right rear). I believe the big young boy in the center is my Uncle who was born in 1914. So I'm guessing the age of this somewhere around the early 1920's.


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## K9Kirk (Aug 3, 2020)

Very cool/nostalgic shots. The young kid with the sledge has (had) some huge feet for a kid his age. There used to be a picture in the family of my great grandmother who was full blooded Cherokee. I saw it one time as a kid and years later it had disappeared. The rumor was one of the relatives sold it for some quick cash. Burns me up to think about it.


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## smoke665 (Aug 3, 2020)

K9Kirk said:


> Very cool/nostalgic shots. The young kid with the sledge has (had) some huge feet for a kid his age. There used to be a picture in the family of my great grandmother who was full blooded Cherokee. I saw it one time as a kid and years later it had disappeared. The rumor was one of the relatives sold it for some quick cash. Burns me up to think about it.



LOL, the kid with the big feet was my uncle. He grew up to be just over 7' and weighed in over 400 lbs. He wasn't really all that fat, just big all over. My grandfather was a big man (Center) he's slumped over here, but he was bumping 6'6", sadly he died at 54, my uncle did a little better making it to 63 before he passed.  As an adult my uncle went to school got an engineering degree, then moved to California to work at Hughes Aircraft.


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## wannabe photog (Aug 3, 2020)

smoke665 said:


> K9Kirk said:
> 
> 
> > Very cool/nostalgic shots. The young kid with the sledge has (had) some huge feet for a kid his age. There used to be a picture in the family of my great grandmother who was full blooded Cherokee. I saw it one time as a kid and years later it had disappeared. The rumor was one of the relatives sold it for some quick cash. Burns me up to think about it.
> ...


Those were some mighty tough big feet!!.....barefoot in a blacksmith shop!?!?  
WOW!!
.....sparks, bent horseshoe nails and other misc. metal scraps....plenty of opportunities for agony of de feet.


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## Derrel (Aug 4, 2020)

Cool photos!


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## Space Face (Aug 4, 2020)

Lots of history there.  I love old stuff like this.  I remember when there were Blacksmiths in just about every village and town. Sadly,  no longer.


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## smoke665 (Aug 4, 2020)

Little update, thanks to a family member, the shop was opened in 1890 by my great grandfather, who retired in 1930. My grandfather continued operation until his death in 1944. 

@wannabe photog different times for sure. 
@Space Face I learned the art of forging, welding and machining at a young age. When you grow up on a farm many miles from the store you learn to make do. Still have the old Anvil that was handed down by my Grandfather and Father.


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## Space Face (Aug 4, 2020)

smoke665 said:


> Little update, thanks to a family member, the shop was opened in 1890 by my great grandfather, who retired in 1930. My grandfather continued operation until his death in 1944.
> 
> @wannabe photog different times for sure.
> @Space Face I learned the art of forging, welding and machining at a young age. When you grow up on a farm many miles from the store you learn to make do. Still have the old Anvil that was handed down by my Grandfather and Father.




When I served my apprenticeship (electrical engineer) the mechanical engineering workshop had a disused forge in it and we did a fair bit of work for foundries and the like.  

All the machinery in the workshop was belt driven from a few main drive motors, probably all from the 20's or 30's.  I wish I was into photography back then and had taken pictures of it all.


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## Tropicalmemories (Aug 4, 2020)

Great, history shot - illustrates a lost lifestyle.


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## Soocom1 (Aug 4, 2020)

The photo has so much history! 
The fact that children learning a skill with NO OSHA regs! 
The blacksmith trade though of antiquity had real potential. 

And notice the quality of the image itself. Though  a slow shutter speed, most of the detail is quite well defined.


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## smoke665 (Aug 4, 2020)

Soocom1 said:


> The photo has so much history!
> The fact that children learning a skill with NO OSHA regs!
> The blacksmith trade though of antiquity had real potential.
> 
> And notice the quality of the image itself. Though  a slow shutter speed, most of the detail is quite well defined.



The outside shot was a snapshot of the time surprisingly still in fairly good condition considering its 76 years old, but requiring editing to bring it back. The inside shot was what appeared to be a more professional photographer, the print was mounted on board similar to the type used back then, and the print itself was still in remarkable condition with little to no fading, and required little retouching.


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## jcdeboever (Aug 4, 2020)

The kid is barefoot in a blacksmith shop. Must of had leather feet.


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## smoke665 (Aug 4, 2020)

jcdeboever said:


> The kid is barefoot in a blacksmith shop. Must of had leather feet.



If you read my earlier comments my uncle grew to be a giant of a man, so the feet were his foundations. There were stories that his feet were so big they couldn't afford shoes for him. LOL


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## mjcmt (Aug 4, 2020)

Worthy of making copies, then matting and framing to send to your immediate family. Way cool!

PS. Love the child labor w/o shoes.


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## Winona (Aug 4, 2020)

These are great. I love old family photos. Thanks for sharing.


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