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| Looking back in time... Photo Credit: Stacy and Christine, Out 2 Lunch, LLC |
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| Photo Credit: AngelOakPhoto.com |
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| learning history at Ft Johnson |
Hope that everyone had a great holiday weekend. This year we stayed home and had a low key
cookout with friends. It was nice to
relax and enjoy the holiday from home, and to spend time with the children looking
back on our favorite July 4th memories of years past. Over the past 11 years we have spent the
holiday weekend in Charleston, SC. Charleston
is a place like no other – it’s a slower, more relaxed way of life; there’s
something about it that touches my soul, when I am in Charleston I feel
connected to all those who walked those streets before me. It is also a
wonderful place to share with my children the history of our country. A few
years back we spent July 4th visiting the Angel Oak tree on John’s
Island (an island just outside of Charleston).
The tree is estimated to be at least 500 years old, and its majesty can’t
be truly captured in pictures. We
discussed the fact that this tree was a full grown 250 years old when our
nation was born, that it stood sentry during the Revolutionary and Civil Wars,
that it has seen things we can only read in history books. For years we have watched fireworks at Ft
Johnson, and last year had the opportunity to walk through and learn the
history of the area. It was amazing to
think that we were picnicking where the first shots of the Civil War were
fired!
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| Photo Credit: Stacy and Christine, Out 2 Lunch, LLC |
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| Photo Credit: Stacy and Christine Out 2 Lunch, LLC |
What inspires most, however, is the city itself, the architecture
and the wrought iron gates. I have
several jewelry pieces that depict different gates in Charleston, as well as
some iron home décor that reflects their style. They were even featured in the table numbers
at the rehearsal dinner for our wedding!
The gates were one of the first things to catch my eye when I visited
Charleston, years before moving there, and they continue to be a feature I show
others when I bring them to visit (thankfully Christine shared my appreciation
during our trip this spring and obliged me by taking several great pics!).
There are some large, famous gates that everyone recognizes, but the small gates
always seem to catch my eye – those almost hidden away on side streets, alleys
and back gardens. Amidst the grand and
glorious homes of Charleston, these hidden gems show attention to even the
smallest details.
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| Photo Credit: Stacy and Christine Out 2 Lunch, LLC |
The homes and streets of Charleston have featured decorative
ironwork in some degree since about 1730. Although the gates, window grilles
and boot scrapers have utilitarian roots, they are also timeless work of art. During the history of the Holy City various artisans
rose to the forefront of the decorative ironworks movements, and their styles
are reflected in the gates about town. The
mid 1800’s, when other areas cities shifted towards the use of less expensive cast
iron , Charleston residents were fortunate
to have a trio of talented German emigrant blacksmiths that were more than
willing to continue working in decorative wrought iron. Christopher Werner, J.A.W Justi , and Frederic
Ortmann were the original creators of some of the most famous Charleston gates
during the antebellum and early post-Civil War period.
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| Photo Credit: Stacy and Christine Out 2 Lunch, LLC |
Philip Simmons, perhaps the most well known of the Charleston
gate-makers, was born in 1912. He continued the legacy of skilled African
American artisans – both slave and free.
His mentor, the unrelated Peter Simmons, was born a slave and learned
the blacksmith trade from his own father. Following the Civil War and
emancipation he ran a blacksmith shop in Charleston. Peter took Philip Simmons as an apprentice at
the age of 13, eventually passing the shop to him. As times changed, and
modernization came, Philip Simmons recognized that there was less and less use
for the traditional skills in creating horse shoes and wagon wheels. After
gaining some recognition for his ability to restore the decorative ironworks
around Charleston he was commissioned to create his first original piece in
1947. Between that time and his death in 2009, Peter Simmons created over 500
original decorative ironwork pieces. Many of these live on today in and around the lowcountry of Charleston.
All gate pictures in this post were taken by myself or
Christine. I chose them because they are
my favorites, but make no claim as to who created them – or when! I hope that you get the chance to explore
Charleston someday and choose your own favorites.!
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| Photo Credit: Stacy and Christine Out 2 Lunch, LLC |
As with most things that inspire us, the influence of the
Charleston gates will be seen in the products of Out 2 Lunch. While searching Ebay for vintage jewelry to accent our creations, Christine found some unique
pieces that reminded us of the timeless Charleston gates. We, of course, bid on and purchased them.
Although I am not sure what their original purpose was, I can’t wait to use
these pieces to create some Charleston inspired clutches. Look for them on our
website soon!!
Enjoy the Moment.... Stacy
I used the following websites for my research into the gates
of Charleston, please check them out for more detailed information:
http://charlestonmag.com/
http://www.
http://ldhi.library.cofc.edu/
http://www.angeloaktree.com
http://www.
http://ldhi.library.cofc.edu/
http://www.angeloaktree.com
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| Photo Credit: Stacy and Christine, Out 2 Lunch, LLC |
