THOMAS JEFFERSON CRADDOCK (ALBEMARLE CO., VIRGINIA, B. 1845) CARVED FOLK ART CANE / WALKING STICK, design featuring Masonic symbols, foliate devices, a depiction of the Rotunda at the University of Virginia, and various inscriptions relating to Thomas Jefferson’s life, fitted with a metal ferrule. Old surface with mellow color. Late 19th/early 20th century. 34 1/2" L.
Good overall condition with minor wear and cracks, small loss at handle.
Provenance: From a Roanoke, VA private collection.
Catalogue Note: Not much is known about the cane carver, Thomas Jefferson Craddock, despite the substantial body of work attributed to him. He appears to have made a career carving souvenir canes related to Thomas Jefferson and UVA in the fourth quarter of the 19th century and perhaps into the 20th century. Thomas Jefferson Craddock was born in 1845 in Albemarle Co., Virginia. His father, William R. Craddock, listed as a carpenter in the 1850 and 1860 census, must have introduced his son "Jeff" to woodworking at a young age. As a teenager, T. J. Craddock enlisted in 1862-1863 as a private in General Thomas Rossner's cavalry and was injured in February of 1863 at Hamilton's Crossing. The extent of injuries at the time are not clear, but they must have been significant as he returned to his parents' home in Albemarle Co. to remain. He married Amanda Drumheller in 1870 and the two raised a family there in Albemarle. Thomas J. Craddock is listed in the 1900 US Census as a "cane maker", an interesting note about his life that indicates something of his stature as a maker of walking sticks.

Good overall condition with minor wear and cracks, small loss at handle.