These photo albums were made for my son’s grandmothers.  Made from a single peice of black walnut from my local saw mill (TC Woods, Lafayette, CO).  Cheap hardware store hinges, cheaper clasps, drilled out of cardboard photo albums, then secured with brass “screw-rivots”  The edges are bead and cove that join when the books are closed for strength and appearence on a shelf (3/8 round- 1/8 reveal).  The finish is two coats of tung oil scruffed with steel wool between coats.  Dimensions are 11.25W x 11.5L x 3.25T, leaves are 1/2″ thick.

The idea was to give each grandmother her own photo album, but to make them opposing, to signify the differences between families (one opens left, the other opens right), and also to display the coming together of the grain, when seated side-by-each.  I hope these albums will get added to and handed down generationally.  Until a time, when they are left open for people to veiw at my son’s funeral, next century sometime.

My mother is a photo-fruit and always instructed me to give her gifts from the heart and not from the store.  Emily’s mom is the daughter of a high school shop teacher and grew up with home-made items.  So, I decided to pander to the likes of each mother.  I do intend on telling the mothers that I chopped up my walnut table top in order to build them presents.  A little extra selflessness for the season.  Many thanks to Emily for compiling the photos while watching the “teething terror” this week. 

Launch Gallery