"John" wrote in message
...
Other than at Williamsburg and Sturbridge, are there any genuine 18th
century lathes in existence elsewhere in North America, preferably ones
that have detailed online photos available for viewing, that one can look
at. I kind of like the idea of peregrinating about the eastern half of
this continent but I just don't have the time to visit more than one or
two distant museums this coming year so I'd like to narrow my search to
the most promising ones. My search is specific to the 18th Century. My
Google and other Internet scrounging has unearthed a bunch of modern day
adaptations but the museum folk I'm working with are very much concerned
about creating as authentic a reproduction as humanly possible, and for
that we need some genuine real articles to emulate. These historians love
their documentation at least as much as their museum pieces, I'm afraid.
;-) We're not particularly interested in the "great wheel" lathes but
more humble town and village types that were presumably as common as dirt
at one time but which seem not to have survived in the larger, well known
museums.

I'd be inclined to reach out to someplace like Williamsburg and ask for some
guidance. Williamsburg has a number of experts (Jay Gaynor is director of
historic trades) and they have a couple guys (Jon Laubach and George Wilson)
who make reproduction tools for use in the restored area. Check their web
site for contact info... There is an on-line and similar print article about
their tool making operation at
http://www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/...ay06/tools.cfm
I worked with Jon in the Gunsmith Shop in the mid-80s and knew George
socially. Both are quite willing to share their knowledge.

There is also an organization called the Early American Industries
Association. http://www.eaiainfo.org/ I have no doubt that if you contact
them they can point you to some folks who possess references with the
requested information.

I'd also think that Diderot's Encyclopedia would offer some pictures (though
I admit it's been years since I hand my eyes on it...)

In speculation, I have to wonder if a simple spring pole lathe wouldn't
accomplish what you are after? In the period a Bodger might have simply made
one of those on-site in the woods to turn spindles carrying little more than
turning tools and some lathe hardware from site to site... I cannot imagine
many of those surviving from the period and outside of old drawings or
modern interpretations by folks like Roy Underhill or Don Weber there may
not be much available in photographs.

John