Lawrence E. Ashbrook The Kentucky Whittler photograph album
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Lawrence E. Ashbrook The Kentucky Whittler photograph album
- Date
- 1942 (inclusive)
- Creator
- Ashbrook, Lawrence E., circa 1890-1953
- Extent
- 0.03 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Folk art -- Kentucky
- Folk art
- Arrangement
- Collection retains its original order.
- Preferred Citation
- 2019av007: Lawrence E. Ashbrook The Kentucky Whittler photograph album, 1942, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Folk artist, Lawrence E. Ashbrook (circa 1890-1953), also known as "The Kentucky Whittler" operated a roadside museum on his property approximately 14 miles south of Lexington, Kentucky on U.S. Highway 25. He traveled frequently around Kentucky and the Southern United States selling his wooden sculptures and teaching the art of whittling to children.
- Scope and Content
- The Lawrence E. Ashbrook "The Kentucky Whittler" photograph album (dated 1942; 0.03 cubic feet; 1 box) consists of an annotated photograph album containing small black and white, silver gelatin photographs of Ashbrook and his folk art, primarily wooden sculptures. The album was likely used to promote his art, whittling lessons, or to promote his museum located south of Lexington, Ky. The album consists of images of Ashbrook's work: figures, architectural models, busts, sculptures, and vehicles. Many of Ashbrook's figures and dioramas were known to incorporate mechanical elements as well, including an intricately carved skeleton titled: "Animated Skeleton or Reckless Driver."
- Additionally, a series of 12 well-annotated photos detail his process as he worked on a figure of FDR from start to finish, documenting Ashbrook selecting wood, rough-cutting it with a hatchet, fine carving, and finishing. The annotation also mentions filming for a program called Unusual Occupations, a long-running series of roughly 10-minute films released by Paramount Pictures between 1938-1949. The Kentucky Whittler was featured in a 1943 episode.
Restrictions on Access and Use
- Conditions Governing Access
- Collection is open to researchers by appointment.
- Use Restrictions
- The physical rights to the materials in this collection are held by the University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
Contents of the Collection
Bas relief carving titled "The Kentucky Whittler", undated
"The top three // The Duke of Paducah (Benajmin Francis Ford) // Little Clifford (Harry Mullins) // Red Foley (Clyde Julian Foley) // They have all three been .. on the stage with me at .. Renfro Valley", undated
"Plaques", undated
"This two inch campaign // button is now the // property of F.D.R. // I received a letter of thanks // Nov 15 1940", undated
"Animated skeletons or reckless driver", undated
"Beethoven 6 in. head // has visited many // museums in N.Y. // and N.J. 1937", undated
"Animated tom tom // beater and // Daniel Boone", undated
"The large violin is // full size", undated
"Home of Mary Todd // Lincoln 7 in. high. // W. Main St. Lex. Ky.", undated
"Home of Henry Clay // 5 in. high // E. Main St. Lex. Ky.", undated
"Just some more carving of base. // White walnut, cherry, black walnut, cedar", undated
" Crucifix made of White Walnut // cross red cedar", undated
"Stage coach to represent // one stopped at this // toll house 1834 // This was imagination // no picture used", 1834
"This Statue of Liberty // "Miss Liberty no 8" // may attend the worlds fair Washington. // in 1942. 36 in. high", 1942
Carvings of a bison and a Native American on a horse, undated
"From Cincinnati // Zoo. This Lion made // of mahogany accompanied // Beethoven to the // museums in the east", undated
"Renfro Valley stage // animated all 18 // characters to their // part in the barn // dance. Character clothes // painted", undated
Kentucky Whittler's Museum, exterior, undated
"The Kentucky Whittler // selects Wood from // his 23 acre place. // 14 mi. s. of Lex. Ky. // on U.S. 25", undated
"The horns on the steer // are wild turkey // spurs. The deer horns // are a wishbone from // a wild duck both taken // by the Kentucky Whittler", undated
The Kentucky Whittlers Museum, exterior, undated
"Most of the whittling // is done in the museum // some in Pearl's kitchen // and some outside. Will Rogers completed // in Oct 1940", 1940
"One disbeliever had // to be shown this. // Work was started and // finished here. // So after splitting a" [...], undated
[...] " Block out and // rounding it down // a little with a // hatchet " [...], undated
[...] "And cutting in at // the neck a little" [...], undated
[...] "And taking the // rough off of the // head then the hatchet // work is done" [...], undated
[...] "From here on the// work is all done // with a sharp pocket // knife, outline the // hair then" [...], undated
[...] "Cut out the profile [...] // Mr Crochet camera // man for universal // filmed this Read in // the making for // 'Unusual Occupations'", undated
[...] "Then work at random // no place in particular // but all over in // general" [...], undated
[...] "The head will eventually // by get down to // where it takes much // more care a very // small shaver now" [...], undated
[...] "means more than // did a hard lick // with the hatchet // in the beginning" [...], undated
[...] "an eye cut right. without // any color should look // near human at 10 ft. // You can finish it now // so it is going to be F.D.R.", undated
"An animated whittler // 10 in. high // Represents an Uncle // who can't Whittle", undated
"The Whittler's daughter // at the age of 11. She is 19 // now and whittles for pastime. // This head is life size", undated
Sculpture of a ship and a cannon, undated
Four sculptures of birds, undated
Bust of a man, undated
Various sculptures of animals and people, undated
Sculptures of various fruits and vegetables, undated
Four sculpted wooden cups, undated
Sculptures of a hippopotamus and two rhinoceroses, undated
Sculptures of an elephant and a donkey, undated
Various animal sculptures, undated
Sculpture of two giraffes and a camel, undated
Sculpture of three lions, undated
Sculpture of a truck, undated
Sculpture of a wooden soldier playing, undated
Sculpture of a wooden soldier playing a trumpet with one arm, undated
Wooden busts of every President of the United States from George Washington to Harry S. Truman, undated
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Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Table of Contents
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UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Requests
No items have been requested.
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
