Brass Candlestick c. 1937

Curator: Standing before us is "Brass Candlestick," a drawing created circa 1937 by Harry Mann Waddell, rendered in pencil and coloured pencil. Editor: My first impression is one of quiet domesticity. It’s softly rendered, almost as if glimpsed through a nostalgic haze, celebrating functional, everyday objects. Curator: It's fascinating how Waddell uses delicate pencil strokes to replicate the metallic sheen and precise detailing of the candlestick. We can really see the care taken to observe and document every facet and curve of the brass. How do you think the act of depicting a commonplace object impacts its inherent social context? Editor: Well, a seemingly simple drawing like this prompts deeper considerations. Brass was not always accessible; it spoke of a certain level of economic stability, hinting at class structures and gender roles in maintaining the domestic space. A candlestick implies the labor associated with both procuring light and, on another plane, evoking spiritual themes through the presence of candlelight. Curator: Precisely. The candlestick form itself— its components, production and aesthetic values—speaks to larger issues of craft and industrial labor in the 1930s, the means and materials of its creation. Editor: The delicate coloring further elevates it from a mere sketch to an artifact worth preserving. Waddell’s careful strokes feel almost like an act of resistance against the increasingly mechanized world. Who would light this candle, what would that activity mean to them? Curator: Absolutely, and let's consider what message is imparted in selecting something ostensibly so humble, it challenges this era's emphasis on high production, luxury consumer goods. It offers insight to not only a domestic space but into Waddell's values as a maker too. Editor: Indeed, it invites us to reconsider the meaning we attach to these commonplace, utilitarian objects. It’s an ode to the artistry and the human stories embedded within them. Curator: It truly encourages a reevaluation of material culture as a significant lens into the past. Editor: This glimpse of warmth is a beautiful opportunity to reflect on our connections to these resonant yet often overlooked pieces of our material existence.