Images(2)

Basket Form

PeriodCirca 1880-1930

Place MadeFarmingdale, New Jersey, U.S.A.

MediumOak, pine

Dimensions20 × 16 × 16 in. (50.8 × 40.6 × 40.6 cm)

ClassificationsBaskets and Basketmaking

Credit LineGift of the Estate of George H. Moss, Jr., 2009

Object number2009.2.14

DescriptionA crudely built basket weaving form, of two decks or platforms constructed of thick wood planks held together by roughly trimmed cleat spacers with chamfered edges, spaced apart one above the other, the upper platform slightly larger in dimension. Vertical wood lengths nailed at all four corners of both platforms and at centers of all four sides, totaling eight lengths, providing framing and support for basket splints and stakes. A large hole is drilled through the center of both platforms and has a crudely worked rounded wooden shaft, tapering slightly to the upper end.
Curatorial RemarksBasketweavers often used crude forms like this one to keep their baskets consistent. Basket capacity was important particularly in those industries that sold by weight or content including clams, mussels, and oysters. Disbrow Fielder would have begun by placing the shaft of the form upended into a socket on his work bench, using the base to begin the basket's bottom portion. Once the weavers (horizontal wood lengths) were up high enough, Fielder could then remove the form from the bench and place it upright on the bench, continuing the weaving process until complete. He would then set the rims and lash them into place. Once complete, the basket could be removed from the form and set aside to dry. The form shows extensive wear and staining from water, as basketweavers kept the split oak, ask, and other materials damp while working. A basketweaving form of this age is especially rare, as they were often discarded when they became damaged or worn out. The Association has a larger basket form also owned and used by Stephen Disbrow Fielder (see accession number 2009.2.15).NotesStephen Disbrow Fielder was born in 1842 to John Fielder (1804-) and Phebe Vannote (1804-). He was one of at least eight children including brothers William, John, and Alfred and sisters Hannah, Eliza, Mary, and Catherine. John Fielder seems to have been both farmer and basket maker, and taught his son the craft. Stephen, who went by his middle name Disbrow as well as the nickname "Dib," married Harriet Eldridge (1854-1889) in 1873. The couple had two children, daughter Phebe M. (1874-1926) and son Edward Fielder (1881-1960). Fielder lived with his parents and unmarried sister Catherine until his own marriage. The 1870 Federal Census lists Disbrow, age 28, as a basketmaker. He appears steadily in all Federal Census records, living in the same location, working in his trade as basketmaker. After his wife's death, it appears that his daughter Phebe and her husband Robert Fenimore moved in with Disbrow. Fielder would eventually have three grandchildren in the household. Disbrow's son, Edward, also lived just a house or two away for a number of years. Census records are inconsistent, sometimes noting Disbrow Fielder as unable to read and write, other times noting him as literate. Fielder was active in his community, serving as one of the "pound keepers" in 1894 and 1895 in Farmingdale. In 1902, he almost lost his barn and workshop when a fire along the nearby railroad tracks threatened destruction. Fortunately, the flames were put out and his buildings saved. Fielder had his share of injuries, some of which may certainly have impacted his ability to produce baskets for a time. In 1894, Fielder was standing up in his wagon when his horse bolted, throwing him on the ground and dislocating his shoulder. In 1904, after putting liniment on his arm, he held it near a stove to dry it out, only to have the ointment catch fire and burn his arm. A newspaper article appeared in the Friday, July 2, 1926 edition of the Asbury Park Press titled Youngsters of Yesterday: Disbrow Fielder, The Basketmaker of Squankum." The article provided fascinating information, including the fact that Fielder "started a [basket] shop for himself, even going so far as to build his own factory on his property. He used and still uses white oak in the making of all his baskets." The article also noted that Fielder "has made many acquaintances and friends among the fishermen of the shore, for his specialty is the manufacture of oyster and fish baskets. He has supplied many thousands during his life." Stephen Disbrow "Dib" Fielder died in 1930 at the age of 84, and was buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Farmingdale, Monmouth County, New Jersey.

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