From the mythical Molly Pitcher of the American Revolutionary War to the heroine Susana Dickinson, who survived the Battle of the Alamo, women have played a prominent role in our nation’s history.
With that in mind, there is little surprise that women have embraced the challenges and enjoyment to be had shooting and hunting with muzzleloader rifles since the flintlock rifle had a rebirth of popularity in the mid-1970s. That women have an interest in improving their skills shooting traditional muzzleloaders has been obvious by the increased numbers attending the free seminars the last 32 years during the Dixon Gunmaker’s Fair held on the grounds of the Dixon Muzzleloader Shop near Kempton.
This year the 33rd annual Dixon Gunmaker’s Fair is Friday-Sunday, July 24-26, with displays of handcrafted items from the Golden Age of Muzzle Loading that will have a major emphasis on longrifles, shooting bags, powder horns, knives and tomahawks and clothing. In addition to the modern-day “buckskinners” and “longhunters” of all ages who attend the event are those who appreciate American history and are looking for items to enhance the decor of their home with authentically recreated pieces from the Colonial Era.
Among the most popular of these items are the redware items that range from lapel pins to oversized meat serving platters created by Selinda Kennedy at her home studio in Muncy. While she will fill special orders for contemporary items, her most popular items are those that are based on patterns of Pennsylvania German origin.
Kennedy has developed her own signature style of decorating her line of redware, but uses 17th, 18th and 19th century motifs and draws inspiration from traditional examples of folk art found in museums and private collections. These designs are derived primarily from German folk art images, song and book plate vignettes, scrimshawed powder horn, frakturs and period artwork.
“I believe an artist develops their style by experimenting and researching period designs to create unique symbolic images that combine new color combinations and detail,” Kennedy said. “In addition to maintaining an inventory of designs, many people want special orders for weddings, anniversaries and even portraits of themselves, their pets or their homes.”
Kennedy’s redware pottery has been recognized by “Early American Life” magazine as among the best in the last 10 years. While many of her pieces are designed to be used, there is irony in most people using them strictly to display as works of art.
“Once I began doing this, I knew it was something I wanted to do for a long time because I’ve always been interested in history,” Kennedy said. “What’s most satisfying is seeing how much people enjoy my work and keep coming back to add pieces to their collection.”
A first-time highlight of this year’s Dixon Gunmaker’s Fair is the appearance of author John Moore at the information booth Saturday, July 25, from 1-3 p.m. for a book signing. He is the author of the “Frontier Pennsylvania Series,” and all eight books in the series will be available.
If you go
· What: Dixon Gunmaker’s Fair
· Where: Dixon Muzzleloader Shop, 9952 Kunkels Mill Road Kempton
· When: Friday, July 24, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, July 25, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, July 26, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
· Information: Access the website at www.dixonmuzzleloading.com or call (610) 756-6271.
Seminar schedule
Friday, July 24
Noon: Opening Remarks; 1 p.m.: Inkle Loom Beginning Class, Leather Work By A Pro; 2 p.m.: Hand Forging A Tomahawk, Inkle Loom Advanced; 3 p.m.: Mystery Project, Wire Inlay; 4 p.m.: Beading.
Saturday, July 25
9 a.m.: Opening Remarks; 9:30 a.m.: Beginning Gun Building, Notes on Lehigh Rifles, Wheat Weaving; 10:30 a.m.: Gunstocker’s Notebook, Making The Artful Bag, Tatting — Bring Your Own Shuttle; 11:30 a.m.: Right Hand Tatting/Left Hand Tatting, Engraving for Beginners, Gun Layout and Design, Soap Making; 12:30 p.m.: A Carving Tutorial, Mentoring a Flintlock Hunter; 1 p.m.: Burn Test Fabric; 1:30 p.m.: Begin a Horn, Lock Tuning; 2:30 p.m.: Hearth Cooking, Selecting Gunstock Wood, Tempering Lock Parts; 3:30 p.m.: Chicken Scratch, Concept, Design and Execution, Stock Finishing.
Sunday, July 26
9 a.m.: Opening Remarks; 9:30 a.m.: Building To Prevent Future Problems, Candy Bouquets, Precision Lock Assembly; 10:30 a.m.: Longrifle Design, Screw Tip Powder Horns; 11:30 a.m.: Building the Longrifle Gun Kit, Scrimshawing 101; 12:30 p.m.: Velocity, RPM, Stabilization, Wire Inlay; 1 p.m.: Awards Ceremony.