Calligraphy’s Magicians
Inside the quiet world of calligraphy, a robust subculture keeps the ancient craft alive by continuously evolving, blending tradition with innovation in unexpected ways.
Preserving the Art of the Written Word, One Vintage Keystroke at a Time
Setting out to buy herself a manual typewriter, an AI-weary writer visits the last full-time typewriter repair shop in Washington state—and encounters a time machine, of sorts.
Listen to “The Cowboy Folklorist”
Though he calls himself simply a “songster and storyteller,” Andy Hedges is compiling a rich, unique audio archive of cowboy music and poetry—and bringing the legends of the genre together on CD and stage.
The Cowboy Folklorist
Though he refers to himself as simply a “songster and storyteller,” Andy Hedges is compiling a one-of-a-kind historical archive of cowboy music and poetry—and bringing the legends of the genre together on CD and stage.
San Francisco’s “Last Black Calligrapher” Invites You to Go Deeper
Hunter Saxony III imbues his lettering work with layers of meaning, while also intentionally leaving it open to interpretation. In the process, he’s taking an age-old, traditional art form in a new direction. One summer morning in 2018, the artist currently known as Hunter Saxony III sat down in his San Francisco studio with eight…
The Rise and Fall of Toy Theatre
In the depths of London, a “toy theatre” born in the 1800s continues to stage regular performances. In their heyday, these productions drew London’s top writers and artists, creating Victorian England’s version of the modern PR campaign. Replicas of these miniature theatres are still for sale.
Written by GARRETT EPPS
Listen to “The Rise and Fall of Toy Theatre”
In 19th-century England, miniature theatrical productions were all the rage. And they weren’t just for kids—children and adults alike collected intricately printed paper cutouts of their favorite stage actors, along with paper versions of the theatres in which they performed, and acted out famous plays. Beyond just entertainment, these toy theatre kits served as the…
“Art, Craft, and Growing up Half-Indian”—with RoseMary Diaz
RoseMary Diaz (Santa Clara Pueblo), the guest editor for our special issue on Native American Craft: The Southwest, talks with Craftsmanship‘s managing editor, Laurie Weed, about her experiences growing up “half-Indian” in Northern New Mexico. Their conversation covers the cultural controversy around “art vs. craft,” and the story behind the stories of the magazine’s first…
“Reinventing Our Small Towns,” with James & Deborah Fallows
This husband-and-wife journalism team spent 4 years crisscrossing the United States in a small plane, visiting dozens of small towns. The stories they found were surprising—and entirely contrary to the narrative we’ve all read about in the news. They saw communities engaged in a vigorous process of economic renewal—a stunning portrait, in sum, of an…
