.
|
| Oak box with brass trim, 1911 (TG0213) |
|
|
By 1880 Tom was working in a local blacksmith's shop. Sometime during the 1880s he left Pontiac on his journeyman's quest, traveling the country, practicing his trade. Chicago would have been a natural destination, a booming nearby city with plenty of smithing work and an active arts community. Where Tom journeyed during the '80s and early '90s remains unclear, but he must have spent as much time in museums, schools, and libraries as he did at the forge. By the time he returned to Pontiac in 1894 Tom had transformed himself from a skilled small town blacksmith into a sophisticated master craftsman. Somewhere in his travels he had steeped himself in the traditions of medieval European ironwork and embraced the most energetic social and cultural reform movements of the day.
|
