Here's another video in the series of documentaries called From the Archives, based on my grant-funded research documenting the folklife and traditions of our region from 1986 to 1994, that led to the creation of the Folklife Center at Crandall Public Library.
In this episode, we hear about the Norton family who ran the Standard Supply Company in Otter Lake, NY, a major supplier of Adirondack balsam pillows during the first half of the 20th century. These photographs, interviews, artifacts, research and program files continue to be archived at the Folklife Center.
For more information:
Adirondack Balsam Pillows: Folk Art, Tourist Art, or Subsistence by Todd DeGarmo, in the special issue, Folk Arts in New York State: A Public Forum. Journal of the New York Folklore Society, Summer-Fall 1989, Volume 15, No. 3-4
Balsam Traditions (a poster series) by Todd DeGarmo. Adirondack Museum and Crandall Library, 1992. Includes 5 thematic posters: Balsam Bed, Balsam Cures, Christmas Trees, Balsam Bee, Souvenirs.
https://nyheritage.org/collections/folk-art-and-artist-collection for an assortment of balsam pillows and balsam covers that are part of the Folklife Center’s permanent folk art collection.
Contact:
Todd DeGarmo, founding director, The Folklife Center at Crandall Public Library tdegarmo@sals.edu, 518-792-6508 x237.