Object ID Number: 2016FBJSa1

Object Number: 2016FBJSa1

Notes: In 1986 I acquired a Victorian Ornamental turning lathe. The machine was made in 1868 by the Holtzapffel Company, Lathe & Tool Manufactures, London, England. The machine was in poor shape, and the next 6 months were spent restoring it for new use. After reading several books by Holtzapffel, I soon learned how the machine operated. I practiced how to make cuts, then making chips that eventually created ornamental boxes & bottles. My woodwork improved, and I soon was offering my pieces for sale in local galleries, and even collectors were buying. In 1991, my work was accepted for the Center’s Challenge IV exhibit. At the time, Spiral Stairs to Zaccahaeus was one of my favorite pieces. To have it in the exhibit created exposure that I had only dreamed about, so it meant the world to me.