“You made this?â€
They say it in an incredulous tone, looking at the shining silver tankards, cups, coffeepots and other wares arranged around Chris Hagemann’s tinsmithing shop.
Hagemann is used to this question. He portrays a 19th century tinsmith at Fort Atkinson State Historical Park’s living history events, and isn’t just acting a role. As park visitors watch, Hagemann handcrafts historically accurate tinware that is not only beautiful to look at, but is widely used at the park. The cups the soldiers drink out of are all his; so are the buckets, the infantry mess pans, the wall sconces, even the reflector oven in the kitchen.
Hagemann, who lives in Blair, is one of just a dozen or so professional tinsmiths in the United States, and sells his pieces to buyers from across the country. He began tinsmithing primarily as a way to contribute to Fort Atkinson’s living history program as a craftsman.
People are also reading…
“There were coopers, carpenters, gunsmiths and blacksmiths that were already here,†Hagemann said. “I wanted to find something that would augment what was being done here.â€
Tinsmithing requires a deep base of skill and knowledge, including a solid understanding of algebra, geometry and trigonometry.
“I had to learn tolerances. I had to understand how things fit. It took me 30 years of practice to do that as a machinist before I could become a tinsmith,†Hagemann said.
This rare trade also requires patience and an attention to detail.
“Anywhere along the line you make a mistake, a critical mistake, you can’t patch it,†Hagemann said. “You have to throw it away and start over again.â€
In the 25 years Hagemann has worked as a tinsmith at Fort Atkinson, he’s never had a visitor express interest in learning the craft, and he isn’t sure why.
“I don’t want this trade to die,†Hagemann said. “And the only way you can keep it from dying is to share it with other people.†Which he does — Hagemann occasionally holds individual workshops in his personal studio.
“I’ve had people travel halfway across the United States to come to the class and stay for two or three days. And I’ll teach as long as they want to stay,†he said.
When he’s at Fort Atkinson, Hagemann’s focus is historical education, and he enjoys sharing the history of his trade. “[Tinsmithing] is one of the precipitators for the Industrial Revolution in the United States,†Hagemann said, explaining that as people discovered how economical and useful tin was for eating and storing food, the drive to manufacture it skyrocketed.
“[Tin is] basically the Tupperware of its time. This is the plastic of its day,†Hagemann said. “And we’re still using tin cans today.â€
Visitors to Fort Atkinson have the opportunity to meet Hagemann, view his pieces and see him at work during the park’s upcoming living history weekends to be held June 1-2, July 6-7, Aug. 3-4, Aug. 31-Sept. 1 and Oct. 5-6. Hagemann can be found in the armorer’s building next door to the blacksmiths.
Fort Atkinson is at 201 S. Seventh St. in Fort Calhoun. A park entry permit is required for each vehicle entering the park. For more information, call the park at 402-468-5611.
Renae Blum is a public information officer with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Contact her at renae.blum@nebraska.gov.