During the age of
sail,
ships were built in almost every port and inlet along Atlantic Canada’s
coast. Almost all of those places boasted a single craftsman who was a
little different than the others, but who was considered just as
important as the regular shipbuilders. He was known as the shipcarver,
the maker of finely detailed wooden name boards, billet heads, and the
most famous nautical art form of all the figure head!
But by the turn of the century, the Age of Sail was all but over, and
almost all of the shipcarvers had passed into history. In 1918, the last
shipcarver laid down his chisels and mallet for good, and the art of
shipcarving seemed to be forever lost. For almost 75 years North America
moved ahead without a full-time shipcarver.
Then , in 1992, Gary Brown of Ketch Harbour, Nova Scotia, set out on a
journey to rediscover on his own and without a guide, the art of the
shipcarver. His goal was simply to recreate the living shipcarver as he
was 200 years ago, during the heyday of wooden ships and iron men.
Gary Brown’s journey continues, and he has become Canada's only
full-time traditional shipcarver. In his historic workshop overlooking
the 200 year old fishing community of Ketch Harbour, Nova Scotia, Gary
has accomplished what he set out to do almost a decade ago. Through his
extensive study of the old-time figureheads that remain, and his active
carving of new figureheads using traditional tools and methods, he has
returned the art form to its rightful place, the Atlantic Coast of North
America.
WORKSHOP
Gary Brown’s workshop and
house is the historic Mackey/Hill home, an 1847 Provincial Heritage
Property overlooking Ketch Harbour, a 200-year –old fishing community
located some 20 km southwest of Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Officially known as the
Mackey House, it was the birthplace and childhood home of the infamous
Francis Mackey, pilot of the French munitions ship Mont Blanc .
The Mont Blanc was one of the two ships involved in causing the
Halifax explosion of December 6, 1917—the largest man-made non-nuclear
explosion in history—which destroyed a quarter of the city and left
2000 Haligonians dead. It was also the home of well-known Nova Scotian
screenwriter, author and historian, Kay Hill. She wrote some of her most
famous books, including the Glooscap series of children’s
books, in the house.
Now the house is the home of Canada's only full-time shipcarver—Gary Brown—who bought
the house from Ms. Hill in 1996.
Gary makes his workshop open
to visitors, who drop in to see him at work seven days a week. The
heritage property also boasts a gift and small antique shop, run by Gary’s
wife, Brenda. The gift shop, located in the front of the house, offers
fine art by local artists as well as small antiques and carvings.
Together, Gary and Brenda offer a slice of traditional Maritime coastal
life in a cozy country setting. Come on by and visit us!
Officially known as the
Mackey House, it was the birthplace and childhood home of the infamous
Francis Mackey, pilot of the French munitions ship Mont Blanc .
The Mont Blanc was one of the two ships involved in causing the
Halifax explosion of December 6, 1917—the largest man-made non-nuclear
explosion in history—which destroyed a quarter of the city and left
2000 Haligonians dead. It was also the home of well-known Nova Scotian
screenwriter, author and historian, Kay Hill. She wrote some of her most
famous books, including the Glooscap series of children’s
books, in the house.
