Arval Woody - FOLDER #3

ARVAL WOODY, CHAIR MAKER ITEM LIST - FOLDER #03 - 1970'S
Note: Items are listed in original order as received from the donor.
Box	Folder	Item	Description	Thumbnail
1	03	woo03_092 woo03_093 woo03_094	Newspaper clipping: The News and Observer, Raleigh, N.C., Thursday, May 27, 1976. "Woody Brothers Make a Crafty Pair," by Susan Spence Moe. Article discusses the workshop and the work of Arval and Walter. In the interview, Walter notes that both the brothers are somewhat resigned to the possibility that no family members will pick up the business, as in generations past. [two copies] [thumbnail only]
		woo03_137	Letter: To Arval and Walter Woody, from Susan Spence Moe, Staff Writer for the News and Observer & the Raleigh Times, May 27, 1976. "There was too much to write about you two fellows in one short story, but I tried my best. Jim Strickland [photographer] and I certainly enjoyed our visit to your shop. Thought you might like to have the extra pictures, which I have enclosed. Thanks again for the kindness you showed us. Sincerely, Susan Spence Moe, Staff Writer.
		woo03_095	Newspaper clipping: Asheville Citizen, July 19, 1973. " Black Walnut Trees In Demand," by John Parris. Arval discusses the growing of Black Walnut trees, which he notes is the "finest cabinet wood in North America." He describes the use of walnut veneer in furniture making and the stability of the wood. "It never warps or shrinks or splinters ..." He also discusses the need of the walnut tree for nitrogen and the relationship of nitrogen to the growth cycle of the tree. [thumbnail only]
		woo03_098	Newspaper clipping: [source unknown] "Handcrafted Chairs," by Ashton Chapman. The article discusses the craft tradition in western North Carolina and the earliest Woody, Wyatt Woody, who reportedly made chairs as early as 1795. [thumbnail only]
		woo03_100 woo03_101	Newspaper clipping: Asheville Citizen-Times, Mountain Vacationland Issue, Sunday, June 25, 1978. "WNC Crafts, Craft Shops Attract Visitors." Foregrounds craft as one of western North Carolina's most appealing tourist attractions. Discusses the Craftsmen's Fair in Asheville and the many craftsmen who contribute, including Arval Woody. Also noted are the Eight Crafters, south of Brevard on Hwy. 276 ; Walter Cantrell, wood carver ; Wagon Gap Crafts, north of Brevard ; Parkway Craft Center, operated by the Southern Highland Handicraft Guild ; Goodwin Guild Weavers, on U.S. 321 ; Creative Crafts, on Hwy. 321 ; Blue Ridge Hearthside Crafts Association, Inc. ; Kiln Room of potter Lee Magdanz, on N.C. 106 ; Covered Bridge Crafts, near Beech Mountain ; Glen Hofecker, clockmaker and cabinetmaker ; Bill Dicks, potter and sign-maker ; Lucy Hamilton, potter ; Bea and Mike Hensley, blacksmiths, located next to the Museum of NC Minerals ; Penland School of Crafts ; Ron Probst, potter ; Cynthia Bringle, potter ; Jane Peiser, potter ; Floyd Wilson's Rock Shop, near Micaville ; Stuart Nye Silver Shop, Asheville ; Double Eagle Shop of leatherworker Doug McCubbins, Asheville ; Markham Stearn, button maker, Asheville ; Brown's Pottery (Charlie and Robert), near Arden ; Evan's Pottery ; Pisgah Forest Pottery ; Riverwood Pewter, near Dillsboro ; Riverwood Pottery, near Dillsboro ; Off-Hand Glass Shop, near Dillsboro ; Riverwood Handweaving, near Dillsboro ; John C. Campbell Folk School at Brasstown ; [thumbnail only]
		woo03_110	Letter: To Mr. Clairborne Clark, WLOS [TV] from Arval Woody. December 12, 1978. "We were pleased with the TV spot. You managed to present a surprising amount of information in such a brief time - and did it very well. I have sometimes been critical of the manner in which both print and television reporters portrayed us, but cannot fault your general reportorial style or accuracy My compliments to your photographer. He did an excellent job under less than ideal conditions. We have had much favorable comment on the show. You evidently have a large viewing audience. Yours very truly, Woody's Chair Shop, Arval J. Woody.
		woo03_107 woo03_108 woo03_109	Newspaper clipping: The Miami Herald, Sunday, September 8, 1974. "Craft-hunters, Take to the Hills. Mentions in passing the work of the Woody brothers in Spruce Pine and directs the tourist to other craftsmen in the area. . [thumbnail only]
		woo03_111 woo03_112 woo03_113	Newspaper clipping: [photocopy] The Washington Post, Leisure/Tourist, n.d. "The Carolinas: Tracking Tales and Trails in the North Carolina Mountains," by James T, Yenckel and "History at Hand: The Living Traditions Of Carolina Artisans," by Andrea Gross. Includes an interview with Arval Woody and a discussion of the chair-making tradition in the Woody family. [thumbnail only]
		woo03_146	Letter: To Arval Woody from Nancy W. Glaser, Researcher for the National Geographic Society, Washington, DC, January 2, 1975. "I certainly enjoyed talking to you this afternoon, and I would like to thank you for your contribution to our upcoming book THE CRAFTSMAN IN AMERICA. I have enclosed the pictures that we will be using and have attached several questions to each one. Please answer these, but by all means, add any comments that would help us understand your work more fully. I'm sure I have forgotten to ask you many important things! Please return the pictures, along with your comments, as soon as possible. I look forward to hearing from you and thank you so much again for all of your help. Sincerely, Nancy W. Glaser, Researcher
		woo03_114	Letter: To Arval and Walter Woody, from Nancy W. Glaser, Researcher for the National Geographic Society, Washington, DC, February 25, 1975. "Gentlemen: At last we are in the final stages in preparing THE CRAFTSMAN IN AMERICA, [book] and we are now trying to double-check all of the material before it is published. I have enclosed a portion of the "Mountain" chapter that deals with you and your work, along with the picture caption we have written. Would you please go over these very carefully, making sure that all of the facts are correct and answering the questions I have jotted down in the margins? Please don't hesitate to mark anything that seems wrong or misleading. .... I will be sending you a copy of the book when it comes out in May. ... Sincerely, Nancy W. Glaser,
		woo03_119 woo03_120	Newspaper clipping: Winston-Salem Journal [?], Sunday Morning, July 18, 1971. "Chair Makers Will Show Work at Craftsman's Fair," discusses the work of the Woodys and the upcoming Craftsman's Fair. Dora Phillips, a neighbor of the Woodys is shown "seating" a chair. [thumbnail only]
		woo03_121	Newspaper clipping: Asheville-Citizen Times, July 15, 1973. "Roaming The Mountains: 'Ol' Rockin' Chair On Way Back,'" by John Parris. In conversation with Arval Woody, John Parris discusses the popularity of the Woody chairs and the family tradition. Includes some material from an earlier interview about Black Walnut trees in western North Carolina. [thumbnail only]
		woo03_115 woo03_116 woo03_117 woo03_118	Newspaper clipping: Asheville Citizen-Times, Sunday, October 15, 1978. "Switched-On Music," by David Brown and photographs by Malcolm Gamble. Article is about Robert Moog, the well-known inventor of the Moog Synthesizer and a resident of Buncombe County, whose dining room holds chairs by Arval Woody.The chairs are shown in a photograph of the dining room of the Moog home. [thumbnail only]
		woo03_122 woo03_124 woo03_123	Directions: A Guide to the Southern Highlands. Special ski issue. Fall-Winter, 1973. Article "Settin' Chairs ... and Other Southern Comforts," by Robert W. Gray, Director of the Southern Highlands Handicraft Guild, that discusses the Woody brother's work and the processes of crafting a chair. [thumbnail only]
		woo03_130 woo03_131	Letter: To Woody's Chair Shop (Arval, Walter, and Jim; Mrs. [Zelma] McKinney; Mrs. [Dora Hamway] Phillips) from Granville B. Liles, Superintendent, National Park Service, Blue Ridge Parkway, September 14, 1972. Letter accompanied a Certificate of Appreciation presented to Walter and Arval Woody by the National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior, [signed] Ronald A. Walker, for hosting Blue Ridge Parkway tours in the summer of 1972.
		woo03_132	Letter: To Messrs. Walter & Arval Woody from Granville B. Liles, Superintendent, National Park Service, Blue Ridge Parkway, March 26, 1974. [no certificate accompanying letter]
		woo03_133	Letter: To Arval Woody, from Nancy Snyder, Exhibitions Assistant, International Art Program, National Collection of Fine Arts, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., May 9, 1972. Discusses the exhibition on the traditional and contemporary crafts of the Southern Appalachian region which was to travel overseas under the sponsorship of the United States Information Agency. Ms. Snyder requests a biography, photographs and a description of the small children's rocking chair that is to be a part of the exhibit.
		woo03_136	Letter: To Woody Brothers Chair Shop, from Sylvia Bolton, for State of North Carolina Travel and Promotion Division, May 1, 1975. "I enclose a picture of you which our photographer made in your shop last fall. We feel the pictures turned out very well, and they will be useful in our promotional efforts. Thank you for letting us make them. If you need a few more prints, let me know. Sincerely, Sylvia Bolton.
		woo03_138	Letter: To Arvil [sic] Woody from Easton Hulme, Administrative Assistant, Southern Highland Handicraft Guild, July 23, 1973. "Many thanks for appearing on WSJS TV to help promote the Craftsman's Fair. I'm sorry I didn't get to see the show. You must have done a good job for we had a very well attended and profitable Fair. Thanks to people like you who helped so much to advertise it, we had more people in attendance through the box office and a sales increase of 16.7% for the craftsmen over the 1972 Fair. When you get a chance come to see us. Thanks again for helping make the July, 1973 Craftsman's Fair a success.
		woo03_139	Letter: To Jim Tucker, WSJS TV, from Easton Hulme, Administrative Assistant, Blue Ridge Crafts [represents Allanstand, Guild-Crafts, Guild Gallery, Parkway Craft Center, Craftsman's Fairs of the Southern Highlands, June 12, 1973. "Mr. Arvil [sic] Woody of Spruce Pine, N.C. will be in your studio on Thursday, July 5, at 8:15 A.M. ready to go on the air at 9:00 A.M. ...
			Newspaper clipping: The Mitchell Journal, Jan. 4, 1979. "Public Film Showing Slated: Film Crew Visits Craftsmen," by Elizabeth Hunter. Article details the making of a film and slides about "tradition and change in the North Carolina mountains" being prepared by Ted Ledford and Bruce Ledford of Lees-McRae College and East Texas State University. Sequences were shot of Walter Woody at the lathe and Arval Woody and assistant, Jimmy Marcus putting a chair together. Two assistants, Dora Hamway and Zelma Woody McKinney (sister of Arval and Walter) were also photographed putting in chair bottoms. The film also features Bea Hensley and son, Mike Hensley who are blacksmiths and Baxter Ollis, chopping wood. The film, "The North Carolina Mountains: Traditions in Transition," will be paired with a slide show of the craftsmen and is offered as an educational program that can be shown to schools, clubs and other venues. It is described in the article as a program "that will be shown at various locations in Mitchell, Yancey and Avery Counties, in conjunction with talks by academic humanists...." [two copies of newspaper clipping.] [thumbnail only]
			Wachovia, Winter 1975. [fragment of article] "Special People of a Special Land," Part I, "The Hills and Valleys" by writer John Rhodes and photographer Bruce Roberts. Photograph with caption "Chairmaking brothers, Arval and Walter Woody. Every chair is oiled with the sweat of their own hands," is included with the article.
			Newspaper clipping: Asheville Citizen-Times, Sunday, June 25, 1978. "Mountain Crafts Revived In Mitchell," by Ashton Chapman. Mentions Woody's Chair Shop. [thumbnail only]
			Article by Jo Woody, as a representative for TRAC [?] about "Traditional Craft Demonstrations Begin in Burnsville." Describes the family tradition of making chairs and the work of Zelma Woody McKinney who "seated" many of the chairs for the family business. FULL TEXT.
		woo03_140	Memo-Letter: To Arval Woody from James Gentry, Education Director for Blue Ridge Crafts [Southern Highland Handicraft Guild], May 6th, 1975. The subject is the Annual Meeting - Field Trip. "On behalf of the entire Guild membership and staff we want to thank you for your time and generosity in sharing your studios with fellow Guild members during Annual Meeting. For most members the field trips were the highlight of the meeting. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated - do call on us in the future if we may assist you in any way. Yours sincerely, Jim Gentry, Education Director.
			Photograph from magazine [?] Source? Arval Woody with mountain dulcimer on his lap and Walter Woody, standing with guitar to the side with lumber piled high behind them [exterior of the Woody's Chair Shop in Grassy Creek, NC.
			Letter: To Arvil [sic] and Walter Woody, from Roy Taylor, House of Representatives, Washington, D.C., December 10, 1976. "Those beautifully hand-made walnut rocking chairs are something no retirement should be without. We are especially impressed with the burled arm pieces that we realize are so special. The plaque making each o these chairs personalized added to our appreciation. In fact, I am determined to be like Archie Bunker and not allow anyone to get in my chair! A Woody Brothers designed chair is recognized not only in North Carolina but certainly in Washington, D.C. We are grateful for them. Sincerely, Roy Notes on the bottom of the letter: "The reference to Archie Bunker came from a very popular television program of the time. Archie Bunker was an extremely cantankerous man who could explode over ~~avnthing~~ anything, particularly if someone dared to sit in his favorite chair! [And, in script: "Loved the "Archie Bunker" quote!]
		woo03_149 woo03_150	Letter: To Woodys, from W.L. Lockamy, Seaboard Coast Line Railroad Company, Reddick, Florida, October 22, 1976. A letter of appreciation. [original and copy] My rocker was delivered in perfict [sic] condition by Peterson Freight Lines. How many other country depot agents do you know of that has their furnature [sic] delevered [sic] by mercedes [sic] diesels! The Petersons are a delightful couple and we are very fortunate to have them for friends. The chair is a joy. However, our living room has been rearranged so "The Chair" can be placed just right. Last night my wife said, "Did you know that event the bottoms of the rockers are finished just like the rest of it. I have only one suggestion to make. How about putting rubber balls on the ends of the rockers and posts. Then when the wife takes the chairs to bed with them every night, husbands won't be gouged in the back all night. W.L. Lockamy
		woo03_151	Letter: To Arvil [sic] Woody from Morris L. McGough, Executive Vice President, Western North Carolina Development Association, Inc., December 13, 1976. "Just a note to thank you for the fine job you did of making the chairs for Congressman Taylor and Mrs. Taylor and for bringing them over and helping to present them. As I think was evident to you, they were most pleased to receive these chairs and are proud of them. You really did a great job on them. Thought you would like to have a copy of the enclosed letter we received today. I didn't think to ask you the total we owe you. Didn't know if the figure you gave me ($98.00 each) is the amount or if we add 4% tax. It was good to have you and Mrs, Woody with us. Sincerely, Morris L. MGough
		woo03_152	Newspaper clipping: Asheville Citizen-Times, Sunday, July 11th, 1971. "Mountain Craftsmen Prepare For Fair: Woody Brothers Carry On Old Tradition," by Bob Lindsey. The article gives the history of the Fair and describes the role of the Woodys in the Fair over the years. It also contains many direct quotes from Walter and from Arval regarding the history of the business and the genealogy of the family, which Walter notes came originally from the Cane Creek area near Bakersville and from Spruce Pine, as well. He indicates all were craftsmen. The article also laments the end of the line of Woodys in the chair business. The business has, in fact, lasted another 30 plus years. [thumbnail only]
		woo03_052	Newspaper clipping: Tri-County News, September 9, 1971. "Wood Items Created By Woodys Are Shown," by Ashton Chapman. Announces that items from the Woody shop are on display in the Mack Watson Room of the Spruce Pine Public Library. [thumbnail only]
		woo03_053	Newspaper clipping: Tri-County News, July 13, 1972. "More Woody Chair Shop Crafts Now Shown At Library," describes a second exhibit of items from the Woody's Chair Shop on display in the Spruce Pine Public Library. [thumbnail only]
			Advertisement for Avondale Knits with full photograph of Arval and Walter Woody in their shop. The quote for the advertisement reads: "You're looking at two brothers who make fine chairs by hand. Like their father did. And his father. And his father." [thumbnail only]
			Photograph transparencies: Two 35 mm. slides and two large transparencies of Arval and Walter Woody in shop. Used for advertisement for Avondale Knits. [thumbnail only]
			Newspaper clipping: Maimi Herald . Travel World, Sect. J, "The Crafts Trail, Blue Ridge Parkway Leads Visitors to Unique Handiwork of Mountains., by George Hunter" September 8, 1974. Article quotes from Allen Eaton's Handicrafts of the Southern Highlands (1937). The quote is from a Kentucky native of Pine Mountain School in Harlan County, William Creech, who says, "'Hits better for folkses characters to larn 'em to do things with their hands.'"
			Draft of press release regarding Rockwell Manufacturing film made on site of Woody's Chair Shop. Author unknown.