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Journal of Design History 1997 10(4):399-415; doi:10.1093/jdh/10.4.399
© 1997 by Design History Society
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Affirmed Objects in Affirmed Places: History, Geographic Sentiment and a Region's Crafts

MICHAEL J. CHIARAPPA

Western Michigan University


  Abstract

While it is frequently assumed that regional craft expresses regional identity, closer examination of the individuals that produce and study such craft, and the effects of their interaction, reveals a great deal about the historical and cultural meaning that adheres to these artefacts. This article examines the historical processes by which certain crafts in southern New Jersey's (USA) coastal communities have assumed a significantly representational role for the region. These crafts—waterfowl and fish decoys and carvings, model fishing and hunting boats, and various painting schemes that draw from high art traditions—express the most enduring elements of the local economy, local history and cultural fabric. These craft producers all share longstanding affiliations to the region, but their backgrounds and training vary. They are a distinct, interactive community that constantly share ideas and pursues consensus. This complexly constructed consensus has been fostered by their self-defined role as arbiters and vital presenters of local history and culture—a role that has been significantly reinfored by the attention they receive from museums, cultural organizations, historians, the folk art market and the tourist.


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