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Brooms in the Appalachian Artifacts Collection

The broom is an ancient implement known to most times and places. It is a basic, universal tool, much like a hammer or knife. Across history and geography they are found varying in materials according to what is/was available to the maker, and in size and space according to the purpose.

There is little distinctively Appalachian about the broom, except perhaps some of the materials used in handles, some specific combinations of materials, and the persistence of hand broom making as a part of the region's healthy handicraft culture.

These brooms are those that have come into our collections through systematic, but non-comprehensive collecting. They are a sampler, if you will, of those made in the region.