From the Unpolished to the Refined: The Evolution of the Furniture Trades at Hampton Institute, 1868-1960s

This dissertation looks at the history of Hampton Normal Industrial and Agricultural Institute through its curriculum in the Trade School, concentrating on the Furniture Trades. My study is predominantly concerned with showing how the achievements of Hampton students and graduates in furniture making served as a metaphor for understanding the advancement of African Americans during this period from two perspectives: the history of African American material life in which highly skilled artisanal production promoted social and economic advancement; and the role of Trades curricula in debates about the proper course of African American higher education over time. The dissertation also provides information on the furniture produced at Hampton, the recollections of former students and faculty in the program, and the efforts of the Hampton University Museum to collect and preserve these important pasts of Hampton's history.;I use evidence from history, African American and material culture studies, and public and oral history to present a multifaceted discussion about how from 1868 through the 1960s furniture made in the school provided unpolished functional pieces for the school's use and refined ones for sale to the surrounding communities. Through these endeavors, Hampton served as one of the many catalysts for the uplift of African Americans.