|
Below: Wide
view of right side of loom. |
An old farmhouse and barn outside Girard, was scheduled for razing when this loom was found. A local weaver/ loom collector was asked if she had any interest in taking the loom. The
loom style was unfamiliar, and several parts were missing,
but she did an Internet search on "barn looms" and brought up
my
website. After seeing similar looms she
did a more through search for the missing loom parts. Her
husband, being both a history buff and handyman, decided to
reproduce
the missing parts himself, using their own timber. The lumber
has been cut,
and is now drying. They recently learned fellow members of the local Historical Society have also found a loom like theirs (see Loom #60: The Modesto IL Loom). The two looms were located within 20 miles of each other, and are so similar there is speculation they may have been built by the same man. The looms have the same general appearance, and are both equipped with rare 7-hole rocker platforms. The loom in this picture is missing its rockers (in fact, the entire beating system is missing), but the rockers on the other loom have exactly 7 wooden pegs on the undersides. Incidentally, having another loom close by will eliminate much of the guesswork when the missing parts are made for this loom. |
