Lost Art Press

In light of the French Oak Roubo Project happening this week in Atlanta, I thought it would be appropriate to post some French poetry to help celebrate the occasion. The piece I have chosen comes from the booklet titled Bluettes – Poésies par V. D. published in France, 1866. The poem depicts an old joiner speaking to his favorite plane, the subtext being death. If you speak French, then you are welcome to read the original rhyming couplets here.

Below is my ham-fisted English translation. I have no intention of re-writing the poem to make it rhyme in English. Hopefully I have captured the essence of the poem without making any egregious errors.  Please feel free to make corrections in the comments.

–Jeff Burks

An Old Joiner to his Try Plane

For half a century, oh my dear try plane,
Thy wood hard and shiny, thy sharp iron gallops,
Pushed by my hands on my old workbench.
By thy constant assistance, ah! how I polished
Planks of pine, poplar, oak!
Quickly when thee take my arms for a stroll,
The coarsest and most resistant wood
Are now transformed into elegant furniture,
Into objects of every kind and any appearance.
From morning to evening we are present;
Together we walk an area bounded,
Four paces at most. At work confined,
For principal tool, you know, I chose you:
You were my livelihood, and I thank you.
But I am old, and I feel my strength failing.
My hand, which once led you without faltering,
Now I soon weary from thy weight.
Thyself, here you are very old and well worn.
Our long lease ends, and we will, shortly be
Discarded, one in the earth, and the other in the fire.

My favorite set of late 19th century collector cards was produced by the French chocolate manufacturer Guérin-Boutron. They printed color illustrations using the technique known as chromolithography. These illustrations were inserted under the wrappers of chocolate bars in the same way that early baseball cards were included with cigarettes. Collecting complete sets of these chocolate cards was a popular hobby for children.

Les Instruments de Travail features 84 illustrations of French workers with their tools. I have selected 18 cards from the set to share with Lost Art Press readers.

–Jeff Burks

Bennington, Vermont – July, 1814

If A, draw logs to the saw mill of B, to be sawed on shares, and B, saw them and sell the whole of the boards, he is guilty of a tort, and an action of trover will lie in favor of A, against B, for his share of the boards.

THIS was an action of trover for a quantity of boards. On trial at the last term, it appeared that Vickery had drawn a quantity of logs to Taft’s saw mill, which Taft agreed to saw into boards, and either receive pay for sawing them, or to saw them for the customary share—one half of the boards.—That Taft had sawed the logs, and sold the whole of the boards, and received the pay for them.

The defendant’s counsel, insisted that the action of trover would not lie in this case; for that, Vickery and Taft were tenants in common of the boards—that each had a right to sell the whole, and was liable only to account with the other for his share.

The Court overruled the objection, but, at the instance of the defendant’s counsel, reserved the question, and a verdict was taken for the plaintiff. A motion for a non suit was now made on the case reserved.
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