Tinker | Folkstreams

Tinker (1973)

About the Film

Jack Ofield\'s portrait of Tinker John Forshee. Forshee was born about 1883 and died in 1974 at Cincinnatus, NY. He was at least a third generation tinsmith as he was using his grandfather\'s patented tinsmithing tools.

Jack: “I learned about John Forshee from Del Smith, the blacksmith, and filmed John working at home. Later, we visited each craftsmen and projected the film on sheets hung up in their homes. But at John’s home we found the porch covered in newspapers. He’d had a stroke and was in a nursing home in a room with three other men. He was hard of hearing, so we yelled to communicate. There was one of those nurses like in ‘East of Eden.’ The nursing home was near his house. He got out, went home and shot himself. I arranged with his son to place the tinker tools and work samples with the NY Historical Association. Hope that actually happened. Louis Jones is long gone.”

Licensing

For licensing, film rights and permissions, contact Jack Ofield, the distributor New Pacific Productions - Distribution Services, or Folkstreams.

Film Details

  • Film by: Jack Ofield
  • Produced by: Jack Ofield
  • Cinematographer: Richard Francis
  • Sound: Sarah Marks
  • Editor: Jack Ofield
  • Other Credits: Narration Helen Marie Erawan
  • Funding: National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts
  • Original Format: Film: 16mm
  • © 1973, Jack Ofield
  • 11mins, Color
  • Categories:
    Arts & Crafts, Traditional
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