Homestead Economics: Leather Tanning

Tanner Currier 1790 Detail
Detail of the lithograph "Tanner and Currier." Credit: Library Company of Philadelphia

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3 Responses

  1. Robert Hagenbuch says:

    Great article, Andrew! Very interesting.
    I knew there was a lot of hard work involved, but did not know how much time was involved. I believe Jacob died in 1842, not 1742 as stated.

  2. Robert A. Lamlein says:

    Thank you for your amazing summation of the life and times of a colonial tanner. My relatives, the Scholl and Winey families of Richfield, PA, were also in the tanning business. I have often wondered what they did all winter when their vats were frozen…other processing steps no doubt. To your list of leather products, you might add, as I have recently discovered, fire buckets. Not only were they made for the early fire departments, but they were also required in each home in Phila. to extinguish a kitchen or fireplace fire before it got out of hand. Of course, B. Franklin was involved in that idea!

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