The Story behind "The History of My Father's Tools"
I have been fortunate to be born into a family with a rich history of invention, craftsmanship, and creativity -- primarily focused on wooden boat building.
My dad, Edward Thomas (Ted) Gordon, passed away in 1985, leaving me a chest of the family tools that had been used in the construction of these wooden boats. As with many things, the tools lived in the basement of the Bobcaygeon family home for years.
After much pondering, years of planning, and, yes, procrastination, I started the project of reproducing many of these tools in clay; I am a ceramic artist.
The project was initially known as "My Father's Tools." I spent hours hand-building each tool to replicate the shapes and patinas produced by years of hand oil, abuse, and loving care. This resulted in a prize-winning exhibit.
Like many projects, this effort morphed into something much larger. I started to think about the people who used these tools, which led me to research the history of the Gordons from 1850 through the 1980s. Now, here we are with the history of the Gordons and my clay tools in one book and exhibit.
I have been aided along the way by many enthusiastic archivists, historians, historical societies, family members, and other volunteers. I thank them all.
The initial display of the exhibit will be at the Boyd Museum in Bobcaygeon August 2023.
Enjoy!
Anne Gordon Steacy
P.S. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree! I built the Eastport Pram in the photo with my husband.
