Phillip Simmons, Master Blacksmith

This was one of Phillip Simmons’ favorite sayings.  Simmons, a Charleston hero, artist and National Folk Treasure, passed away recently yet his rich legacy continues.  

At the age of eight Simmons took an interest in the blacksmiths he saw working in his neighborhood in East Charleston. When he was 13 he was hired by Peter Simmons, no relation, and trained in the art of ironwork.  In 1952 Peter left the shop to Phillip who went on to build and design gates and rod iron works that grace the homes and churches of Charleston and locations around the world, including the Smithsonian. All of his work was done in the shop at the back of his home on Blake Street.  The only modernizing he ever did was to put in a concrete slab floor. After the age of 94 he stopped working at the forge, but trained his nephew and several others in the craft and continued to design until his death at the age of 97.  

Simmon's nephew continues the tradtion.

The workshop and home have become a foundation to honor this man, not just for his artistry, but also for his resourcefulness and importance in the community.  In this photo of his bedroom, the red and gold crown says it all.  It was given to him by children who considered him the King of the neighborhood.  

Simmons not only put his three children and all of his grandchildren through college, but 15 other neighborhood kids as well.  He supported the boy scouts, church groups, trained and helped people too numerous to count.

Ben Ham

Looking through the tourist info about Charleston I saw an article about a gallery that had just opened and decided this was the one place I didn’t want to miss -- and boy was I glad.  I knew nothing about Ben Hamm until I read the article.  

Ben Ham Gallery, 416 King Street, Charleston, SC

Everything about the gallery space is simple and elemental. Scrubbed brick walls and gray fabric backdrops are nothing new in the gallery world.  But here, each backdrop was mounted on richly stained 4x4 columns that complemented the color of the olive wood frames used throughout.  The images on display were all large prints in sepia or black and white.  Hamm, like Ansel Adams, uses an 8x10 view camera, and develops his negatives in the darkroom.  But he then scans the negative and prints it digitally, allowing him to make huge prints up to 74 inches wide on fine art papers that show the detail and drama in ways that Ansel Adams could not do.  These images took my breath away.  The composition, the way he sees line, texture and form in the natural world is one that I aspire to.  It was exhilarating!

Low Country by Ben Hamm

Ham's work is only sold as numbered, framed fine art pieces that start at $1800 so the only thing I could consider was his $75 book.  After hemming and hawing, I left without it, but inspired nonetheless.

The next morning while I was out wandering around Charleston, I thought about going back to buy it, but went back to the hotel instead.  There sitting on the bed was a beautifully wrapped copy of Ham’s book. David went back to the gallery and bought the book for me as a birthday present, making the curator promise not to sell me a copy if I should return on my own.  

A wonderful epilog indeed.

Not Bubble gum...

Offbeat...
On my way to a walking tour of Charleston to get an overview of the city’s history and architecture, this closed key shop just tickled my fancy. 

What I thought were wads of dried gum on the sidewalk turned out to be locks and keys embedded in the cement - a perfectly charming, creative, permanent, low-cost advertising gimmick….