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Article: The Erie Canal and New York State folk art.
- Article from:
- The Magazine Antiques
- Article date:
- April 1, 1999
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1999 Brant Publications, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The opening of the Erie Canal in 1825 had a profound impact on many aspects of life in New York State, not the least on a wide range of rural artists and artisans who provided artwork and consumer goods deemed essential in any proper middle-class home. A flood of settlers came from eastern New York, New England, and Europe, creating an expanded market and encouraging a new freedom of expression.
Although from disparate backgrounds, the settlers created a new culture, drawing on their common American experience and on the spirit of experimentation expressed in many publications that appeared after 1830.
The canal solved logistical problems for some ...