Handwork

This is a visually stunning, inspiring celebration of America's spirit through 101 surprising, iconic, overlooked, and everyday handcrafted objects spanning more than 250 years. Edited by Emily Zaiden, lead curator of the Craft in America Center, with a foreword by Carol Savion, the visionary behind the Peabody Award-winning PBS series Craft in America, this book is part of a sweeping national initiative marking 250 years since the Declaration of Independence.

Handwork uncovers powerful stories behind 101 objects that shaped American life. From a nineteenth-century Kiowa cradleboard and a silver bowl made by Paul Revere to celebrate a rebellion, to an antique Hawaiian papa he enalu (or surfboard) and a prototype for an iconic sneaker, these objects reflect innovation, resistance, artistry, and community—and were all crafted by hand.

Accessible yet authoritative, the book includes illuminating essays by experts nationwide and places a special focus on overlooked narratives and the underrepresented artists who helped define American life through their craft. Contemporary makers featured throughout show how craft traditions live on—reimagined, reinterpreted, and renewed.

With vibrant full-colour photography, a fresh, engaging layout, and an inclusive, conversational tone, this book is as captivating and eye-opening as the objects and artists it celebrates.