Grace Aiken interview conducted by Katy Clune and Julia Gartrell, 2021-03-04
Grace Aiken was born in Takoradi, Ghana in 1972. She has worked for the repair department of Replacements Limited for over twenty years. In this interview, Grace discusses her path to the United States and her transition from hair styling into specialized ceramic repair. She discusses the creative aspects of her job, how the training process works, and many of the specifics of crystal…
Contributor:
Gartrell, Julia C. - Clune, Katy A. (Kathryn Anne) - Aiken, Grace - Occupational Folklife Project
Date:2021
Audio Recording
John Probus interview conducted by Katy Clune and Julia Gartrell, 2021-03-04
John Probus has worked as a silversmith for his entire career, beginning in Louisville, Kentucky in 1980. As the silver market went through economic shifts -- booms and busts in the price of the material -- John witnessed how the role of the silversmith adapted to the times. After the jewelry store he worked for in Kentucky closed, John was asked to start the…
Contributor:
Gartrell, Julia C. - Clune, Katy A. (Kathryn Anne) - Probus, John - Occupational Folklife Project
Date:2021
Audio Recording
Doug Riley interview conducted by Katy Clune and Julia Gartrell, 2020-09-23
Douglas Riley began working in optics in 1976, graduating from Durham Technical Community College in 1978, owning an optical shop in Roxboro, North Carolina, for 10 years before opening Eyeglass Repairs in downtown Durham in 1996. He discusses the changes in the field, describes repair techniques and materials, and shares his family's background in the military and in ultrapure water manufacturing.
Contributor:
Gartrell, Julia C. - Clune, Katy A. (Kathryn Anne) - Riley, Douglas M. - Occupational Folklife Project
Date:2020-01-01
Audio Recording
David Hoggard interview conducted by Katy Clune and Julia Gartrell, 2021-03-19
David Hoggard owns Double Hung, a window restoration company in Greensboro, North Carolina. In this interview, David discusses his background in politics, historic preservation, and the change in perception around repairing rather than replacing windows. He describes the concept of embodied energy as the basis of his work, and describes several meaningful projects that the company has worked on, including university buildings and historic…
Contributor:
Gartrell, Julia C. - Clune, Katy A. (Kathryn Anne) - Hoggard, David - Occupational Folklife Project
Date:2021
Audio Recording
Lori Kepko interview conducted by Katy Clune and Julia Gartrell, 2021-03-19
Lori Kepko is the shop manager at Double Hung window repairs in Greensboro, North Carolina. She has worked for the company for less than three years, and talks about the training process that helped her find her place in the company. She describes the process of repairing windows, and some of the unique responsibilities she has in the shop. She also describes her management…
Contributor:
Kepko, Lori - Gartrell, Julia C. - Clune, Katy A. (Kathryn Anne) - Occupational Folklife Project
Date:2021
Audio Recording
Andy Whitted interview conducted by Katy Clune and Julia Gartrell, 2020-11-02
Andy Whitted is a third-generation plasterer in Hillsborough, North Carolina. In this interview, conducted on the porch of his home in a family compound with several plaster and stucco buildings, Andy discusses learning how to plaster from his father, who in turn learned from his grandfather. Andy's father also specialized in ceramic tile and stucco work following the introduction of sheetrock. While at one…
Contributor:
Whitted, Andy - Clune, Katy A. (Kathryn Anne) - Gartrell, Julia C. - Occupational Folklife Project
Date:2020-01-01
Audio Recording
Damon Walker interview conducted by Katy Clune and Julia Gartrell, 2020-11-25
Damon Walker, born and raised in New York, discusses his career as a luthier specializing in the bass. He discusses three apprenticeships, the difficulty of renting in New York City, his technique, and experience of being, possibly, the only Black luthier.
Contributor:
Walker, Damon - Clune, Katy A. (Kathryn Anne) - Gartrell, Julia C. - Occupational Folklife Project
Date:2020-01-01
Audio Recording
Holli Butler interview conducted by Katy Clune and Julia Gartrell, 2020-03-12
Holli Butler works in the shop repairing windows at Double Hung in Greensboro, North Carolina. After studying kinesiology, Holli made a career shift into the wood shop and says she is much happier at a job that keeps her out of an office. Holli describes many of the specific terminologies used in window repair such as Dutchman, glazing, and various other materials. She describes…
Contributor:
Gartrell, Julia C. - Occupational Folklife Project - Clune, Katy A. (Kathryn Anne) - Butler, Holli
Date:2020-01-01
Audio Recording
Horace McKee interview conducted by Katy Clune and Julia Gartrell, 2021-02-09
Horace McKee has worked at Replacements Ltd for twenty-three years. He trained as a sculptor, and in his role in the crystal and ceramic restorations department, he has contributed to significant research and development. Horace discusses his upbringing, his past lives, the community at Replacements, Ltd, and shares thoughts on working with his hands.
Contributor:
Gartrell, Julia C. - Clune, Katy A. (Kathryn Anne) - McKee, Horace - Occupational Folklife Project
Date:2021
Audio Recording
Jerry Cheek interview conducted by Katy Clune and Julia Gartrell, 2020-03-10
Jerry Cheek was hired by the Royal Typewriter Company in 1967 and trained to service typewriters, which he did in Washington, DC, before returning to North Carolina in 1969. Cheek discusses the service and sales business in DC and North Carolina, and his company Midstate Business Machines, which specializes in paper machinery. Cheek describes the changes in the industry and how he was able…
Contributor:
Gartrell, Julia C. - Clune, Katy A. (Kathryn Anne) - Cheek, Jerry - Occupational Folklife Project
Date:2020-01-01
Audio Recording
Jim Petersen interview conducted by Katy Clune and Julia Gartrell, 2021-01-19
Jim Petersen owns his own woodwind and brass instrument repair shop in Raleigh, North Carolina. In this interview, he describes his path into instrument repair, starting as a college musician, ultimately working as a gig musician and fixing instruments as a day job. As the gig industry changed, Jim focused more explicitly on repair, first in Denver and ultimately in the Raleigh-Durham area in…
Contributor:
Gartrell, Julia C. - Clune, Katy A. (Kathryn Anne) - Petersen, Jim - Occupational Folklife Project
Date:2021
Audio Recording
Jared Huffman interview conducted by Katy Clune and Julia Gartrell, 2021-01-22
Jared Huffman owns Y & J Furniture Company in Durham, North Carolina. Y & J primarily repairs furniture, though in the early days of the company they also fabricated furniture. Jared recently purchased the company (March 2020), and he talks about his plans for expanding and continuing the business. He describes his personal affinity for trees and woodworking, and the pride he gets from…
Contributor:
Gartrell, Julia C. - Clune, Katy A. (Kathryn Anne) - Huffman, Jared - Occupational Folklife Project
Date:2021
Audio Recording
Stephen Cash interview conducted by Katy Clune and Julia Gartrell, 2020-11-16
Stephen Cash owns Man Mur Shoe Shop in Raleigh, North Carolina. He is a second-generation cobbler and took up the trade by working alongside his parents in their shoe repair shops. Stephen describes customer interactions, the challenges of training and staffing, and the changes in shoe technology and material over the years. He talks about the satisfaction of completing a repair, and also the…
Contributor:
Gartrell, Julia C. - Cash, Stephen M. - Clune, Katy A. (Kathryn Anne) - Occupational Folklife Project
Date:2020-01-01
Audio Recording
Winfred Daniels interview conducted by Katy Clune and Julia Gartrell, 2021-01-26
Winfred Daniels is an octogenarian who works as a furniture stripper at Y & J Furniture. Born and raised in Durham, North Carolina, Winfred describes his circuitous path into the repair industry, which included many decades working a variety of jobs in Washington, DC. He describes his life history and gives a description of the process of stripping furniture using harsh chemicals and lots…
Contributor:
Gartrell, Julia C. - Clune, Katy A. (Kathryn Anne) - Daniels, Winfred - Occupational Folklife Project
Date:2021
Audio Recording
Gina Paschall and Alex Paschall interview conducted by Katy Clune and Julia Gartrell, 2021-04-12
Gina Paschall, owner of Triangle Autos and Service Center, discusses her path into the tire hauling and auto repair business. She shares how taking over the business felt fated and the realities of working in the auto industry as a woman. Gina is joined by her son Alex Paschall, and the two also discuss how the business is a community center.
Contributor:
Gartrell, Julia C. - Paschall, Alex - Occupational Folklife Project - Clune, Katy A. (Kathryn Anne) - Paschall, Gina
Date:2021
Audio Recording
Dennis Kaye and Julia Galgon interview conducted by Katy Clune and Julia Gartrell, 2021-05-06
Dennis Kaye runs a clock repair shop out of his home in Cary, North Carolina. Julia Galgon is his assistant. In this interview, Dennis describes his path into repair, which is mostly self-taught. He describes types of clocks that they repair, including Atmos clocks, cuckoo clocks, and Seiko. Dennis talks about the lack of clock repair shops in existence during the present day, and…
Contributor:
Kaye, Dennis - Galgon, Julia - Gartrell, Julia C. - Occupational Folklife Project - Clune, Katy A. (Kathryn Anne)
Date:2021
Audio Recording
Anita Hackett interview conducted by Katy Clune and Julia Gartrell, 2021-05-17
Anita Hackett is the first, and so far only, female diesel engine mechanic for the Town of Chapel Hill's transit system. In this interview, Anita discusses her Baltimore roots, and her winding career path, which included work as an EMT, working on fire engines, in a sock factory, at Home Depot, before earning her mechanic's degree. Anita shares her pride in her work, in…
Contributor:
Gartrell, Julia C. - Clune, Katy A. (Kathryn Anne) - Hackett, Anita - Occupational Folklife Project
Date:2021
Audio Recording
Randy Winn and Megan Winn interview conducted by Katy Clune and Julia Gartrell, 2021-06-01
Randy Winn learned how to chair cane from his father-in-law, Berlin, who in turn learned in the late 1960s from Gordon Overstreet, who ran a store in Snow Creek, Franklin County, Virginia. Randy taught his daughter, Megan, and the two regularly repair chairs in their spare time and are annual exhibitors at Blue Ridge Folklife Festival at Ferrum College in Ferrum, Virginia.
Contributor:
Gartrell, Julia C. - Occupational Folklife Project - Winn, Randy - Winn, Megan - Clune, Katy A. (Kathryn Anne)
Date:2021
Audio Recording
Toby O'Neal and Helene McCabe interview conducted by Katy Clune and Julia Gartrell, 2021-06-03
Toby O'Neal has run O'Neal's Body Shop in Beaufort, North Carolina, since 1967. He began painting "anything that had four wheels" and boats when he was still living in his childhood home on Harker's Island. O'Neal discusses how much prices (for paint, car parts) have changed, the challenges of dealing with insurance, and the challenge of finding good help. He is joined by his…
Contributor:
Gartrell, Julia C. - Occupational Folklife Project - O'Neal, Toby - Clune, Katy A. (Kathryn Anne) - McCabe, Helene
Date:2021
Audio Recording
Kenny Styron, Neil Styron and Barbara Styron interview conducted by Katy Clune and Julia Gartrell, 2021-06-04
Kenneth "Kenny" Styron Sr. and his son, Kenneth "Neil" Styron Jr., discuss diesel engine repair and the commercial fishing industry in and around Davis, North Carolina. While Kenny was primarily self-taught, Neil went to Nashville Auto-Diesel College. Kenny and Neil discuss the menhaden fishing industry in Beaufort, travelling to repair diesel engines, changes in community life since Kenny was young, and the skills required…
Contributor:
Gartrell, Julia C. - Styron, Barbara - Occupational Folklife Project - Styron, Neil - Clune, Katy A. (Kathryn Anne) - Styron, Kenny
Date:2021
Audio Recording
Jimmy Amspacher interview conducted by Katy Clune and Julia Gartrell, 2021-06-04
Jimmy Amspacher is a native of "Down East" North Carolina and discusses social, economic, maritime, and other changes in the area since his youth. Amspacher builds boats and model boats, and is particularly interested in making replicas of historical Down East boats. After retiring from his position as a US military aircraft designer, Amspacher found himself repairing all sorts of things for his rural…
Contributor:
Amspacher, Jimmy - Gartrell, Julia C. - Clune, Katy A. (Kathryn Anne) - Occupational Folklife Project
Date:2021
Audio Recording
Lenore Gusten interview conducted by Katy Clune and Julia Gartrell, 2021-06-11
Lenore and Joe Gusten established Gusten's Restoration Studio after Joe responded to an advertisement for a ceramics repair class. Lenore discusses their experience in antiques, with collectors, the research and development of materials and techniques, and describes her specialty in painting and matching colors.
Contributor:
Gartrell, Julia C. - Clune, Katy A. (Kathryn Anne) - Gusten, Lenore - Occupational Folklife Project
Audio RecordingGrace Aiken interview conducted by Katy Clune and Julia Gartrell, 2021-03-04 Grace Aiken was born in Takoradi, Ghana in 1972. She has worked for the repair department of Replacements Limited for over twenty years. In this interview, Grace discusses her path to the United States and her transition from hair styling into specialized ceramic repair. She discusses the creative aspects of her job, how the training process works, and many of the specifics of crystal…
Audio RecordingJohn Probus interview conducted by Katy Clune and Julia Gartrell, 2021-03-04 John Probus has worked as a silversmith for his entire career, beginning in Louisville, Kentucky in 1980. As the silver market went through economic shifts -- booms and busts in the price of the material -- John witnessed how the role of the silversmith adapted to the times. After the jewelry store he worked for in Kentucky closed, John was asked to start the…
Audio RecordingDoug Riley interview conducted by Katy Clune and Julia Gartrell, 2020-09-23 Douglas Riley began working in optics in 1976, graduating from Durham Technical Community College in 1978, owning an optical shop in Roxboro, North Carolina, for 10 years before opening Eyeglass Repairs in downtown Durham in 1996. He discusses the changes in the field, describes repair techniques and materials, and shares his family's background in the military and in ultrapure water manufacturing.
Audio RecordingDavid Hoggard interview conducted by Katy Clune and Julia Gartrell, 2021-03-19 David Hoggard owns Double Hung, a window restoration company in Greensboro, North Carolina. In this interview, David discusses his background in politics, historic preservation, and the change in perception around repairing rather than replacing windows. He describes the concept of embodied energy as the basis of his work, and describes several meaningful projects that the company has worked on, including university buildings and historic…
Audio RecordingLori Kepko interview conducted by Katy Clune and Julia Gartrell, 2021-03-19 Lori Kepko is the shop manager at Double Hung window repairs in Greensboro, North Carolina. She has worked for the company for less than three years, and talks about the training process that helped her find her place in the company. She describes the process of repairing windows, and some of the unique responsibilities she has in the shop. She also describes her management…
Audio RecordingAndy Whitted interview conducted by Katy Clune and Julia Gartrell, 2020-11-02 Andy Whitted is a third-generation plasterer in Hillsborough, North Carolina. In this interview, conducted on the porch of his home in a family compound with several plaster and stucco buildings, Andy discusses learning how to plaster from his father, who in turn learned from his grandfather. Andy's father also specialized in ceramic tile and stucco work following the introduction of sheetrock. While at one…
Audio RecordingDamon Walker interview conducted by Katy Clune and Julia Gartrell, 2020-11-25 Damon Walker, born and raised in New York, discusses his career as a luthier specializing in the bass. He discusses three apprenticeships, the difficulty of renting in New York City, his technique, and experience of being, possibly, the only Black luthier.
Audio RecordingHolli Butler interview conducted by Katy Clune and Julia Gartrell, 2020-03-12 Holli Butler works in the shop repairing windows at Double Hung in Greensboro, North Carolina. After studying kinesiology, Holli made a career shift into the wood shop and says she is much happier at a job that keeps her out of an office. Holli describes many of the specific terminologies used in window repair such as Dutchman, glazing, and various other materials. She describes…
Audio RecordingHorace McKee interview conducted by Katy Clune and Julia Gartrell, 2021-02-09 Horace McKee has worked at Replacements Ltd for twenty-three years. He trained as a sculptor, and in his role in the crystal and ceramic restorations department, he has contributed to significant research and development. Horace discusses his upbringing, his past lives, the community at Replacements, Ltd, and shares thoughts on working with his hands.
Audio RecordingJerry Cheek interview conducted by Katy Clune and Julia Gartrell, 2020-03-10 Jerry Cheek was hired by the Royal Typewriter Company in 1967 and trained to service typewriters, which he did in Washington, DC, before returning to North Carolina in 1969. Cheek discusses the service and sales business in DC and North Carolina, and his company Midstate Business Machines, which specializes in paper machinery. Cheek describes the changes in the industry and how he was able…
Audio RecordingJim Petersen interview conducted by Katy Clune and Julia Gartrell, 2021-01-19 Jim Petersen owns his own woodwind and brass instrument repair shop in Raleigh, North Carolina. In this interview, he describes his path into instrument repair, starting as a college musician, ultimately working as a gig musician and fixing instruments as a day job. As the gig industry changed, Jim focused more explicitly on repair, first in Denver and ultimately in the Raleigh-Durham area in…
Audio RecordingJared Huffman interview conducted by Katy Clune and Julia Gartrell, 2021-01-22 Jared Huffman owns Y & J Furniture Company in Durham, North Carolina. Y & J primarily repairs furniture, though in the early days of the company they also fabricated furniture. Jared recently purchased the company (March 2020), and he talks about his plans for expanding and continuing the business. He describes his personal affinity for trees and woodworking, and the pride he gets from…
Audio RecordingStephen Cash interview conducted by Katy Clune and Julia Gartrell, 2020-11-16 Stephen Cash owns Man Mur Shoe Shop in Raleigh, North Carolina. He is a second-generation cobbler and took up the trade by working alongside his parents in their shoe repair shops. Stephen describes customer interactions, the challenges of training and staffing, and the changes in shoe technology and material over the years. He talks about the satisfaction of completing a repair, and also the…
Audio RecordingWinfred Daniels interview conducted by Katy Clune and Julia Gartrell, 2021-01-26 Winfred Daniels is an octogenarian who works as a furniture stripper at Y & J Furniture. Born and raised in Durham, North Carolina, Winfred describes his circuitous path into the repair industry, which included many decades working a variety of jobs in Washington, DC. He describes his life history and gives a description of the process of stripping furniture using harsh chemicals and lots…
Audio RecordingGina Paschall and Alex Paschall interview conducted by Katy Clune and Julia Gartrell, 2021-04-12 Gina Paschall, owner of Triangle Autos and Service Center, discusses her path into the tire hauling and auto repair business. She shares how taking over the business felt fated and the realities of working in the auto industry as a woman. Gina is joined by her son Alex Paschall, and the two also discuss how the business is a community center.
Audio RecordingDennis Kaye and Julia Galgon interview conducted by Katy Clune and Julia Gartrell, 2021-05-06 Dennis Kaye runs a clock repair shop out of his home in Cary, North Carolina. Julia Galgon is his assistant. In this interview, Dennis describes his path into repair, which is mostly self-taught. He describes types of clocks that they repair, including Atmos clocks, cuckoo clocks, and Seiko. Dennis talks about the lack of clock repair shops in existence during the present day, and…
Audio RecordingAnita Hackett interview conducted by Katy Clune and Julia Gartrell, 2021-05-17 Anita Hackett is the first, and so far only, female diesel engine mechanic for the Town of Chapel Hill's transit system. In this interview, Anita discusses her Baltimore roots, and her winding career path, which included work as an EMT, working on fire engines, in a sock factory, at Home Depot, before earning her mechanic's degree. Anita shares her pride in her work, in…
Audio RecordingRandy Winn and Megan Winn interview conducted by Katy Clune and Julia Gartrell, 2021-06-01 Randy Winn learned how to chair cane from his father-in-law, Berlin, who in turn learned in the late 1960s from Gordon Overstreet, who ran a store in Snow Creek, Franklin County, Virginia. Randy taught his daughter, Megan, and the two regularly repair chairs in their spare time and are annual exhibitors at Blue Ridge Folklife Festival at Ferrum College in Ferrum, Virginia.
Audio RecordingToby O'Neal and Helene McCabe interview conducted by Katy Clune and Julia Gartrell, 2021-06-03 Toby O'Neal has run O'Neal's Body Shop in Beaufort, North Carolina, since 1967. He began painting "anything that had four wheels" and boats when he was still living in his childhood home on Harker's Island. O'Neal discusses how much prices (for paint, car parts) have changed, the challenges of dealing with insurance, and the challenge of finding good help. He is joined by his…
Audio RecordingKenny Styron, Neil Styron and Barbara Styron interview conducted by Katy Clune and Julia Gartrell, 2021-06-04 Kenneth "Kenny" Styron Sr. and his son, Kenneth "Neil" Styron Jr., discuss diesel engine repair and the commercial fishing industry in and around Davis, North Carolina. While Kenny was primarily self-taught, Neil went to Nashville Auto-Diesel College. Kenny and Neil discuss the menhaden fishing industry in Beaufort, travelling to repair diesel engines, changes in community life since Kenny was young, and the skills required…
Audio RecordingJimmy Amspacher interview conducted by Katy Clune and Julia Gartrell, 2021-06-04 Jimmy Amspacher is a native of "Down East" North Carolina and discusses social, economic, maritime, and other changes in the area since his youth. Amspacher builds boats and model boats, and is particularly interested in making replicas of historical Down East boats. After retiring from his position as a US military aircraft designer, Amspacher found himself repairing all sorts of things for his rural…
Audio RecordingLenore Gusten interview conducted by Katy Clune and Julia Gartrell, 2021-06-11 Lenore and Joe Gusten established Gusten's Restoration Studio after Joe responded to an advertisement for a ceramics repair class. Lenore discusses their experience in antiques, with collectors, the research and development of materials and techniques, and describes her specialty in painting and matching colors.