Meriwether County artist Louise Brown and her sister, Catherine Johnson, learned the art of basket making from their father, the late John Reeves. He began selling his white oak baskets at the Cotton Pickin’ Fair in nearby Gay, Georgia, over thirty years ago.
Mrs. Brown weaves and sells her baskets at Plantation Days each year and I was lucky enough to meet and photograph her practicing her historic craft at this year’s festival.
Her patience and skill are evident in her attention to detail.
The work of making the baskets begins by carefully stripping pieces of white oak from saplings, soaking the oak strips in water, and weaving them into different patterns and forms.
Again, I’m very glad I got to meet Mrs. Brown [who was at the festival with her husband John Henry]. If you’d like to purchase one of her beautiful creations, she can be reached at (706) 672-4326. Otherwise, find her at the Harvest Days festival or the Cotton Pickin’ Fair.
Update: Sadly, I recently learned from Mike Buckner that Mrs. Brown passed away a couple of years ago.
Photographed at Harvest Days in Old Talbot, Patsiliga Plantation, 2013
Louise and Cathrine are now decease and I miss them both, Cathrine Johnson was my mother in law, one of the sweetest person I, ever knew.