By Sue Moore
Area residents often find old bottles in former dumps – and sometimes in outhouse locations if they live in a historic home. Chuck Parker of Vicksburg, and Scott Hendrichsen, both members of the Kalamazoo Antique Bottle Club and ardent collectors of old bottles, will share their findings in a workshop sponsored by the Vicksburg Historical Society.
The bottle workshop will be a little like the Antique Roadshow, with collectors invited to bring their bottles to see if they can stump the experts. The pair will have local bottle hunting stories to tell and those enrolled in the workshop can learn more about the value of their own bottles if they bring them in. The cost is $35, $30 for members, and will be held at the Depot Museum on Wednesday, September 13 from 6 to 8 p.m. To register, call April Bryan at 269-649-1733.
In a repeat of a workshop popular last year, blacksmithing expert Eric Mattson will provide two hours of hands-on training in the trade for up to four students from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, September 20 at the village garage in the Historic Village.
Mattson, owner of Arctic Forge, demonstrates his expertise on the portable forge each week at the Vicksburg Farmers’ Market. The difference with the workshop is the hands-on capability of actually learning the blacksmithing trade.
A maximum of four participants will ensure that each person has a chance to use the classic forging techniques, perhaps making a coat hanger or other iron work to take home. The workshop would be great for couples, according to April Bryan, curator of the Historical Society. Registration can be made online at vicksburghistory.org/historic-workshops or by calling April at 269-649-1744. The Depot Museum and Historic Village are open from 1-5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.