Thursday, February 24, 2011

Photo Number 460

This is a postcard.

Postcard man mixing plaster

It appears to be a man that is mixing plaster.  The lath is on the walls..it must have been a difficult job, I know it makes a terrible mess when it is removed in older houses.

Thanks for stopping by, do come again:)

8 comments:

  1. My great-grandfather's office building - attached to a brass foundry was plaster and lath and was a dry dusty mess when I worked there in high school and college summers. I had to repair some that had fallen and made quite a mess (I didn't know a thing about how to do it). One of the old guys that worked there said, "Here, let me show you how" and he did the remaining 10 or so square feet flawlessly and without a drop of plaster hitting the floor. Apparently his father did it "back in the day" (around 1900-20-ish) and told him how since it was a "fall-back" trade he could always count on being able to find work doing it.

    Little did he know huh? Maybe drywall tape and seams are similar.

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  2. I think it could be quite a dangerous job as well : all sorts of things were mixed together to make the plaster.

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  3. Our house is lath and plaster, and I truly appreciate the craftsmanship that went into creating the walls. They look so much nicer than drywall and you don't have the mold problems of drywall either.

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  4. I used to live in an old house that had lath and plaster and I loved it. Maybe it was the charm of the whole place but it just felt cool, smooth, etc. This poor guy doesn't even have a dust mask - his poor lungs!

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  5. Plastering is such a disappearing artform now. Don't you know he cam home covered in plaster dust. This could have been a Depression era picture. I love this photo. They is such an honesty to it.

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  6. The lighting is fascinating because it focuses on the profession, not the man. He's almost a ghost.

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  7. Yes, with the hogs hair mixed into it one has so much dust and dirt while knocking it down. It is a classic old shot. Rare in my mind to see them working at such a task.

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Hi, Thanks for the comments, your input on these old photos is appreciated! English only please! All comments will be moderated! Connie