One of my favorite "great finds stories" of all time was from Elaine Tolson. One day, while out thrifting, she stumbled upon a box of old barbed wire, which for me, is a beautiful piece of our Western American history, and one that speaks volumes about the hard work that went into shaping our countryside - dating back to Abraham Lincoln and the Homestead Act.
So naturally, when I heard about her find, I had to see it for myself.
A meticulously labeled collection, identifying each piece, including the year, like this one from 1899.
Farmcollector.com describes the history of barbed wire as the original tool used by farmers in the west to protect their crops from roaming buffalo and cattle.
And its rustic beauty is not lost on me. I can't help but get lost in the miles and miles of barbed wire that twists and turns its way across the back roads of the west. Our home.
It's also a reminder that sometimes, we forget about what we see. The things we pass day after day. And it makes me wonder what am I missing? What have I overlooked?
And it makes me want to take the long-cut home. Because I don't want to miss a thing.
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Between posts on my website, I document my life on Instagram. You can follow along with me there.
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Barbed wire....that thought congers up all kinds of visuals in my mind this early morning. To use it in design inside is out, unless it's just a tiny snipet in a picture....using it outside on farmland is perfectly fine, but not in residential...it is galvanized though...humm..mm...I love galvantized stuff....I've got a small shed cabin in the back yard...and a fence...humm.mmm..oh Miss farm chick what have you done to me?...humm.mmmm at Mel's Cabin....
Posted by: Mel's Cabin | January 26, 2011 at 01:20 AM
I write about antiques and did a story on vintage barbed wire not too long ago. You can read it here. http://www.antiqueweek.com/ArchiveArticle.asp?newsid=1305
Posted by: Susan Emerson Mellish | January 26, 2011 at 04:15 AM
I had no idea that barbed wire could be dated...that is totally cool. Thanks for the post...I am a huge history buff!
Blessings,
Alison
Posted by: Alison | January 26, 2011 at 04:18 AM
Such a sweet post, Serena...love those pictures. I was just thinking about that wonderful collection and wondering what I'm going to do with it. ;-) Thanks!
Posted by: Elaine/TinkerVerve | January 26, 2011 at 05:33 AM
WoW!!! That is an amazing find!
Posted by: Michelle | January 26, 2011 at 05:34 AM
I love taking photos of barbed wire. There is just something about it. I didn't know it had that much history to it.
Posted by: Judy | January 26, 2011 at 05:36 AM
A little bit of barbed wire would look great in a shadow box. What a piece of history!
Posted by: Tricia | January 26, 2011 at 05:38 AM
I will have to check out these links!!! I have old barbed wire all over our property - unfortunately - not as far back as some of these examples. I save it when my husband cuts it down, and make primitive hearts and stars. some I keep, sometimes they end up on Etsy!!!The history is fascinating!
Posted by: Pat | January 26, 2011 at 05:46 AM
DeKalb, Illinois was the home to the famed inventor of barbed wire Joseph Glidden. I grew up very near there and many people in the area collect barbed wire. Some collections are very valuable. Eveb tge high school sports team is named the Barbs.
Posted by: Diane | January 26, 2011 at 05:55 AM
This reminds me of a work of art my father recently gave me. It is 11items including 2 straight razors with sharpener, two pairs of earmuffs, three pipes and flints to light them, two different pairs of sissors, two small lengths of twine. They r placed on red velvet background in a shadowbox with a large ornate gold frame........turns out it was everything that was in my great great grandfathers pockets when he died. A tobacco farmer, he was very poor throughout his life, my dad would send him money for food as a 17 year old soldier in WWII, and so he basically carried everything important to him in his big farmer overalls.........I love it and it looks great in my living room. I think yr friend needs a frame of the history of barb wire :)
Posted by: Karen | January 26, 2011 at 07:44 AM
I have a heart wall hanging made from old barb wire. I love it!
Posted by: Annette Hoffman | January 26, 2011 at 07:45 AM
As a kid, every pair of jeans and every skirt I owned had a three-cornered tear in the rear end section from slipping thru the barbed wire fences on our ranch. My dad believed in tight fencing! Took me a long time to learn how to navigate a fence without snagging my fanny...
Posted by: Kathy | January 26, 2011 at 08:00 AM
It is so funny you should post this today! I just received some wonderful barbed wire fabric that I purchased for a quilt I am making for my son. Barbed wire always brings back memories of sunny summer days from my childhood spent with my grandparents on their farm maintaining their fences and tending their cows and land. I love the little things we find beauty in and trigger our fondest memories.
Posted by: Brenda | January 26, 2011 at 08:45 AM
As a young girl, I would walk the fence line with my Dad as he repaired the barbed wire fences....{he was a cattlemen} the walks were offen guiet...{my Dad wasn't big on words} but I remember how strong his hand were and beautiful surroundings.....Thanks for reminding me of home =)
Posted by: teresa | January 26, 2011 at 09:40 AM
Such a simple and beautiful reminder of our past. Thank you Serena.
Posted by: Jennifer Wood | January 26, 2011 at 10:58 AM
It was interesting how I saw this psot....being a horse owner most of my life, I hate this stuff, it leaves wide, gaping ragged wounds.....but once I started reading your post I realized how right you are.....how we just drive by miles and miles of this and think nothing.....what history it has attached! I will look at it a bit different from now on, but this wire sure can cause some horrific vet bills.....of course most people don't use this around horses anymore....:) Sandy
Posted by: Sandy McClay | January 26, 2011 at 11:38 AM
How facinating! I just know that when barb-wire grabs my jacket when we're working on it here it tears! I had no idea there was so much history to it! And I need to take lesson from you---I seem to want to take the short-cut, I should live a little slower and take a few long-cuts. (Sort of hard to do around here, I'd have to go into another county, but I can try it in the city!)
Hugs, Heidi
Posted by: Heidi Woodruff | January 26, 2011 at 02:04 PM
Wow what a great find! Bet a museum would love it! Imagine the love that went into catagorizing it!
Posted by: Vick Cotnoir | January 26, 2011 at 03:04 PM
This was fascinating because it wasn't until I read this post that I realized that the latest old barn wood picture frame my boyfriend made for me (which he added barbed wire detail to) had barbed wire on it that was NOT the traditional current barbed wire you see, but a style that I've never seen! So now I want to ask him where he got it, my guess if it is off his ranch it might be old/antique! Like Sandy in an above comment, I am a horse person and have seen barbed wire do deadly damage to a horse when they have an encounter with improperly strung wire.
I enjoy photographing barbed wire and two years ago, took some photos of rusty barbed wire in a late afternoon glow that turned out pretty amazing!
~michelle~
Posted by: michelle | January 26, 2011 at 08:19 PM
I love it; I love the history!
Hollie
Posted by: Hollie eastman | January 27, 2011 at 08:31 PM
for me, it is all of work that went into the laying of this landscape of the west. I love what it stands for, hard work and life the cowboy way. my post (june 14th) on fencing...
http://raffiasisters.typepad.com/raffia_sisters/2010/06/index.html
Posted by: lori | January 28, 2011 at 05:28 PM
Hi Serena! Just thought I'd mention that there is also a really cool barbed wire collection at the Waterford in Spokane. It's labeled as well - so cool!
Posted by: emily | February 21, 2011 at 11:36 PM