Some early drawings of workshops show working conditions that seem impossibly crowded. Sometimes you will have four people working on a small bench, each doing operations that would be certain to annoy the others.
Ever tried to saw dovetails while someone is planing on your bench? Even on a stout bench, it’s not fun.
While some of these compositions are likely artistic license, overcrowded living and working conditions in the 19th century were real. In fact, collapsible campaign-style furniture was sometimes employed to convert dining rooms to sleeping quarters at night.
So take a good look at these eight guys working in a shop that is smaller than a master closet in a McMansion.
Dug up by Jeff Burks, naturally, this is an undated image of a French joinery shop that is signed “Bombled.” Jeff reports:
Louis Charles Bombled was born July 6, 1862, in Chantilly. His father was the the Dutch painter, etcher and lithographer Karel Frederik Bombled. He exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Français in Paris, where he received an honorable mention in 1885, and a gold medal at the Exposition Universelle in 1900. Bombled was known as a painter, watercolorist, draftsman and illustrator, especially of military subjects. He provided illustrations for many books and magazines, including contemporary publications “La Caricature,” “Le Chat Noir,” “L’Illustration,” etc.
— Christopher Schwarz
Wait a minute. Do I see a hint of aprons on these benches?
And I feel crowded working along in my garage…
I’m with you, Mark, reminds me of a kitchen full of women during Thanksgiving (when I was growing up …). Nobody’s alone there either.
Artistic license my foot. Chisel racks just plain work when mounted right in front of your wagon vise. These visual buffets are fun. Thanks Jeff.
First thing that caught my eye was the wagon vise right in front of the French-style tool rack. Seems like that would get in the way. The tops of the chisels appear to be mushroomed over from use too?
It’s a bit like one of the picture-find things I do with my kids. Can you find:
1) A moulding plane
2) A smoothing plane
3) A glue pot on the stove
What’s the teakettle looking thing on the right side of the frame, hanging off the post?
I’d say it’s a lantern.
Speaking of “collapsible campaign-style furniture” I thought you might like this.
http://www.1stdibs.com/furniture/mirrors/table-mirrors/antique-campaign-toilet-mirror/id-f_744829/
We might not hear from Chris with that website up. I like the folding stool and boot remover..
Makes me feel like having my bench in my kitchen is a luxury.
OK, the guy down the front with the long apron … what is he holding in his left hand??
Clamp
I actually have an old one of those clamps in my shop.
The jaws aren’t parallel to each other, the wood is a little bit twisted and the iron has rust….
And guess what? It still works.
Is the guy on the right sharpening a chisel? because I don’t think I’ve seen that in an early shop scene before, especially if that’s a dedicated sharpening bench. I’m just not sure I trust my eyes here. There is definitely a grindstone behind him, with a water can to drip on the rotating stone. Early documentation of the Sharpening Center!
Perhaps it’s picturing a woodworking class; the conditions seem about right….though the nattily dressed fellows do not. 😉
Some serious “hey moe!” board smacking likely in this shop. And who is in charge of sweeping? Definately a ‘no smoking’ shop if I ever saw one…
How about the guy in the middle apparently planing from the back side of the bench, which has a leg vise on the right side? My back hurts just looking at it. And what’s up with the folding rule laying on top of the plane he’s using?
And, if someone breaks wind? (19th century hygiene aside)
I love looking at a picture like this for several minutes. It’s amazing the detail that begins to jump out after a while.
Nevermind the crowding. Check out the length of the jointer planer on the left based on the body position, it’s 30+ inches from the toe to the handle. unless the handle is right at the end of the plane (wierd) that beast would be 4+ feet long!
Maybe that chisel rack/wagon vise combination didn’t work out so well and he started working from the other side of the bench…
Why build a tool box when you can keep your tools on the floor.
Imagine they were all Hans Muellers.
(Woodworking – Austrian style.)