During the middle of the trip we spent a couple of days in West Virginia. Most of what we did took place on the morning of our second day in the state.
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At the
Tamarack Artisan's Center in Beckley, WV, there was a lot of hand-crafted stuff, included a lot of the products of the state's wineries. I found the furniture more interesting. Around the edge of the building there were actually workshops for wood workers, potters, instrument makers, and more. A pretty cool place.
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A close up of the above chest of drawers.
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A secretary with a really cool look. The wood itself was bird's eye maple which has a really neat wavy visual texture despite being sanded and varnished smooth.
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This is just a really cool painting from the Tamarack's art gallery. It's called "The Search" and is by an artist called Patch Whisky. Too bad I didn't have $849 to take it home. I searched through the prints outside the gallery but couldn't find anything for this painting or anything else by this artist.
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You know what? You try taking photos in a coal mine. This mine was active in the late 1800s and early 1900s before being abandoned. It was taken over as a museum back in the mid 1900s and the guides are all retired miners. The Exhibition Coal Mine in Beckley was actually more interesting than I thought it would have been.
5 comments:
Answer the lady; enquiring minds want to know.
I love that furniture! It's so detailed.
I like the wavy pattern in the wood. That's cool.
Shame that custom-made wood furniture counts as a historical artifact, when all our fancy technology should make it easier than ever to create.
Julie (and Hank): Nope. Sorry.
Meaghan (and Courtney): The photos don't even do them justice. Got $6000 to spare?
Chris: That furniture was probably only a couple of years old at most. This was an artisan center, not an antique mall. You can still get hand-made furniture. You just have to be rich to afford it.
Or have a grandfather who owns an upholstery shop and who considers making and refinishing furniture his hobby.
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