Linton Goes to Town

I hope you will enjoy this scroll through a number of things produced by the Linton Casket Company for a couple of outdoor shows in the city. (Nashville) I have said it before, but it bears repeating: During the five year run of this wood-working coop, no commercial lumber was used, neither were any live trees ever cut down. It was in a way, a scavenging operation. We were quick to gather up trees brought down in storms, trees pushed or cut down by land/real estate developers, or trees taken out by utility companies because they threatened power/communication lines. We also developed alliances with a few tree surgeon/landscaping companies who would inform us if they had been contracted to remove a notable tree. We even floated the rivers after storms and re-claimed trees that had been washed away by flood waters. I emphasize these things because they reflect a principle of respect for the environment that was central to our work.

Note: For the first time, we actually exhibited a full-size (i.e. intended for a human) casket. It was made by Bud, and never was sold, or even offered for sale. It served only as an icon of sorts. We did, however, sell numerous small boxes intended as pet caskets. Some were actually used for that purpose, others were purchased simply as decorative and functional pieces for the house.

Typical 'found' wood represented in the pieces shown below are: poplar, cherry, walnut, hickory, ash, pine, red oak, white oak, and paulownia, apple, and pear. All pieces, in a way, represent a fallen tree. They are a product of obtaining such a tree, milling it ourselves, and curing by air and sun.