Entertaining with Longaberger; Celebrating the Seasons
Newark, OH: The Longaberger Company, 2003. First Edition, First Printing. Hardcover. Signed by Gary Longaberger and Sandy Yeakley on fep. 192 pages. Illustrations (color). Product Guide. Recipe Index. Excerpts from the company's website: The History of The Longaberger Company
In 1896, when the Longaberger family moved to Dresden, Ohio, the tiny village was a rural transportation and industrial hub in the rolling foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. In the early 1900s, baskets were as commonplace as paper bags and plastic containers are now. Ware baskets, made at the Dresden Basket Factory, were used to carry pottery ware for the region’s booming pottery industry.
In 1919, a young man named J.W. Longaberger took a job with the Dresden Basket Factory. As a full-time apprentice, he meticulously learned the basket making art by first crafting basket bottoms. Later, he mastered the precise, tight weaving style that would become his trademark. J.W. grew to love the art of basket making.
In the early 1970s, Dave Longaberger noticed that baskets were becoming very popular. He also noticed that many department stores were beginning to sell imported baskets. Dave wondered if people would appreciate locally-made baskets like the fine handcrafted ones his father used to make. So, he asked his father to make a dozen market baskets, and then took them to a nearby town. They sold immediately and the shop requested more!
Dave opened J.W.’s Handwoven Baskets in 1976 in Dresden. Interest in these beautiful handmade baskets continued to grow. Eventually, Dave had to find a place to expand his small basket factory. He found a very unlikely building: the old woolen mill where his mother had worked, built in the 1890s. It had been vacant since 1955, and had broken windows, uneven floors and a sagging roof. But the brick walls were solid and strong.
In this humble building, Dave envisioned a basket factory with hundreds of craftsmen and craftswomen weaving, tacking, talking and laughing. He knew from his previous business ventures that he had a knack for envisioning the unlikely. So he attacked his new venture with enthusiasm.
Dave became increasingly convinced that American consumers wanted the handmade craftsmanship and quality of Longaberger baskets. In 1978, Dave discovered that the most effective way to sell the company’s baskets was not through retail outlets but through home shows, where an educated home consultant could show Longaberger baskets, share the history and explain the craftsmanship that each basket holds.
With that discovery, the Longaberger Company’s direct sales organization was born. The family’s tradition of philanthropy is continued each year through The Longaberger Foundation, which has donated millions of dollars to local charities and educational institutions since its inception in 1998. The company’s Horizon of Hope initiative has raised more than $18 million over the past 15 years for breast cancer research.
Today, The Longaberger Company remains America’s premier maker of handcrafted baskets and offers other home and lifestyle products, including pottery, wrought iron and fabric accessories. Condition: Very good.
Keywords: Party Planning, Baskets, Woven, Pottery, Metalworks, Fabric, Woodcrafts, Halloween, Baking Dish, Tabletop, Craft Originals, Cake Stand, Flowers, Recipes
ISBN: 0970181337
[Book #72134]
Price: $45.00