Eighteenth Century Life in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia (1966)

Synopsis

This 1966 film takes a look at a day in the life in Colonial Williamsburg in the 18th century presented by Eastman Kodak Company and Colonial Williamsburg Inc. (:11). A note appears which informs viewers that the homes, shops, streets and public buildings of colonial Williamsburg had been restored due to the generosity of John D. Rockefeller Jr. (:19). It begins with a master wood maker; Christopher Kendall, at his shop (1:08) as well as his son Tom and other journeymen and apprentices. Tom is shown around the shop on his first day of apprenticeship which may lead into him becoming a master of the craft and establishing his own business (1:33). The master is in charge of management, casting accounts and designing the furniture produced in his shop (2:00). Journeymen are workers who have completed their apprenticeship and are free to seek employment (2:14). ‘The Gentlemen and Cabinet Makers Director’ by Thomas Chippendale is shown (2:39) as colonial wood workers were often influenced by the English. In the Middle Ages in England, craftsmen were a part of guilds for mutual protection consisting of masters and apprentices (2:46). By the 18th century the power of the guild had declined (3:04). The legal relation between apprentice and masters however, continued and Tom is assigned to a journeyman to learn his craft (3:24). He is shown the common tools of the trade including the bench clamp and saw (3:29). Wood makers played a major role in the development of the modern world as…

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Details

Running time

23 minutes

Collection

Ephemeral Films

Subjects on the Internet Archive

• Stock Footage