Chris's Photography

In bygone days, an anvil and a series of hammers were the metalworker's principal tools. They are still important today, of course, but thankfully those in the metalworking profession have benefited from advances in technology just as others have.

Conant Metal & Light Restoration Specialist Chris Caswell is a blacksmith and an avid B&W photographer. He has a knack for capturing the soul of his craft by focusing on timeless tools of the trade and the products resulting from their use. His skillful manipulation of lighting and composition conveys the warmth and beauty of these otherwise cold, hard surfaces. Like what you see? Send Chris an email!

Chris's Photography

McClure Schooner

When a Vermont maritime museum decided in 2000 to reproduce an 1862-era canal sailing schooner, it gave volunteers the opportunity to pitch in and help - and it gave Conant Metal & Light the opportunity to demonstrate once again its talents in historical lighting reproduction. The result is the 88-foot Lois McClure Schooner (named after the project's main benefactor), whose hold features brass lanterns fabricated by Conant Metal & Light. The low-voltage lanterns are brand new, but you'd never know it by looking at them: the distressed finish gives the appearance of fixtures that have aged gracefully to the rhythms of the sea. The lanterns are one of the many features that lend historical authenticity to this project, which marked the first canal schooner to be built in over a century.