09/12/2025
a detailed, hand-drawn illustration titled "Some vanished wooden doorway Americana". It appears to be an instructional or historical graphic detailing several traditional and often-vanished elements of wooden doors and entryways from American history.
Here is a detailed description of the components shown:
1. WOODEN LATCH MECHANISM
• Description: This section shows a simple, cross-sectional view of a wooden door latch mechanism.
• Components:
• Wood Spring: A piece of wood labeled "Wood Spring" that appears to exert upward pressure on the latch.
• Laten String (or Latch String): A string or cord that would typically pass through a hole in the door to lift the latch from the outside. The drawing indicates how pulling this string lowers the Wooden Latch to unhook it.
2. DOOR DESIGNS (PANELING)
The illustration highlights two distinct paneling designs, labeled with their historical names:
• A "Christian Door"
• Appearance: A typical six-panel door design. The panels are slightly recessed and rectangular.
• Markings/Features:
• A small, plain cross (labeled "a Christian Door") is attached or carved into the upper rail of the door structure, likely as a religious symbol.
• The structural components are labeled: Stile (the vertical frame piece) and Rail (the horizontal frame piece).
• The paneling arrangement forms a subtle St. George Cross (a red, symmetrical cross on a white background, or in this context, a cross formed by the stiles and rails) in the center area, as indicated by the label.
• A "Witch-Door"
• Appearance: The bottom half of a four-panel door is shown.
• Design Rationale: Labeled as a design "to keep out evil spirits."
• Paneling: The two lower panels feature a distinctive, diagonal, X-shaped bracing or arrangement, forming a large X shape over the lower section of the door.
• Markings/Features: A Maltese cross is faintly drawn or etched into the structure of the lower door, near the center where the X-bracing meets, also possibly serving as a protective or symbolic design.
3. WOODEN DOOR HOOD AND ENTRANCE
• Description: A separate drawing shows a covered entryway.
• Components:
• Barn/Door Hood: A small, steeply pitched wooden roof projecting over the door, providing protection from rain and sun.
• Entrance: A rustic, vertically planked wooden door set beneath the hood.
4. WOODEN HINGE DETAIL
• Description: This section illustrates a heavy, functional wooden hinge used to pivot the door.
• Components:
• Hickory Hinge: This is the horizontal, elongated piece that extends from the door frame and supports the door's weight.
• Burl Hanger (Turning on): This is the vertical post or part of the door frame that the hinge pivots upon. It is decorated with carvings or natural patterns that look like burl wood.
• Hinge Pin System: The pivot point is secured by:
• elm-pin: An initial pin inserted through the components.
• wedged with oak-peg: A smaller wooden peg used to wedge and secure the elm-pin in place, creating a durable, all-wood pivot mechanism.
The overall aesthetic is vintage, with a sepia-toned paper effect and colored pencil or watercolor accents, reinforcing the historical nature of the subject matter. It serves as a visual guide to the construction techniques and cultural beliefs associated with early American wooden doorways.