CT River Valley Relieved Wedge Patterns

CT River Valley Relieved Wedge Patterns

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Three Main Groups (roughly following dates of early to late 18th C):

Straight Cut-Outs (1720 - late 1700s)

Gentle Curved Cut-Outs (1760s - 1820)

Curved Cut-outs (CT Valley (1770s - 1820)

 

18th C plane details often retain design elements that relate back to craftsmen relationships and their geographic origins. Through the study of plane details, it is hoped that the craftsmen themselves can be better understood.

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A specific "notched" relieved wedge pattern has been noted in craftsmen from the 1770s - 1820s who worked in the broad CT River Valley stretching between CT, MA and lower VT/NH. The craftsmen include S Pomeroy, BA Edwards and C Loud. A study was undertaken to look at this wedge style to try and better understand its' geographic extent, the craftsmen and their dates. All craftsmen / imprints known (GAWP5 or this website) which have this wedge detail were included. Three "sub-groups" were noted that appear to follow the patterns of a second overlying 18th C wedge trait, the cut-out shape detail below the wedge finial. These "groups" are labeled straight cut-out, gentle curved cut-out and curved cut-out. They roughly fall into a date-line of early 1700s to the later 1700s respectively. By organizing these craftsmen into these three "groups", it is hoped that a clearer understanding will emerge.

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The straight cut-out "group", while broad in date range, is the earliest of the three, 1720s - late 18th C. It is also the most limited in number of the three groups, being composed of S Dean and J Johnson. (There is little known about J Johnson apart from the GAWP5 estimated date of late 18thC.) Two additional early craftsmen, I Pike and John Basset, have the same straight cut-outs but have wedge reliefs that are less pronounced and are thus questioned as to whether they actually fit into the CT Valley wedge relief "family". These craftsmen seem to be limited to E to SE MA.

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The gentle curved cut-out "group", is more limited in date range, 1760s to the 1820s. The geographic area is the widest of the three covering most of New England: CT, MA, NH, VT and ME. (The dates assigned to Frd Lepens and R Waters are from GAWP5 noting that these craftsmen are not yet identified.) It is interesting to compare the wedge detals of S White Sr. and Jr. as they, as a family, moved from central to eastern CT over the years of ca 1765 to ca 1793. Another interesting feature seen with the wedges from several craftsmen is the flat backed style of the finial; S White, Jr, E Bassett and OH Brooks. This same design element can be seen on late planes by Ce Chelor and John Nicholson, dating to the 1780s.

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The curved cut-out "group", dating from the 1770s to the 1820s, is more limited in range of the three groups. Most of the craftsmen of this group form the base of the wedge relief style that led to this study ... living in the CT River Valley itself. (Note that three craftsmen are not yet identified, E Rumry, L Warner and G Yelding. In addition, J Clap candidates worked in Scituate, Deerfield and Walpole ... with only Deerfield being in the CT River Valley proper.) Apart from J Clap, the wedges of these craftsmen exhibit a common form. The wedge commonality and CT River Valley geographic commonality may well indicate that within this "group", there were significant craftsmen interactions and relationships. Of the three "groups" presented here, this final one, might actually be considered a group in reality. It is interesting to note that none of these planes include the additional feature of fluted chamfer stops found closer to SE MA and RI.​