To pass the time on tours of duty, the crew who manned the Nantucket Lightship off the coast of Massachusetts would weave baskets. Made of rattan, woven tightly over a wooden mold, they are a unique basket not found anywhere else in the world. Today, Nantucket Lightship Baskets can sell for upwards of $6,000.
After retiring from government work in Washington, DC, Lorraine Wieskamp became fascinated by Lightship baskets. Her husband, Gene, had always turned wood as a hobby -- an integral part of Nantucket basket making -- and the two of them set out to discover how these beautiful baskets are made. Together, they now teach others how to craft these unique baskets.
Gene makes the molds, the handles, tops and bases that form the baskets. The molds are an art form alone. Turned on a lathe; the molds are removed before the basket is complete. The mold can be used over and over again, and many old ones are now treasured as heirlooms. The base of the basket is also made of wood -- an idea the Lightship crew borrowed from the American Indians. The staves fit into a grove Gene creates in the base.
Once all the wood has been turned, Lorraine begins the process of weaving the cane over the mold. The secret of a visually pleasing, and therefore successful basket, is to keep the cane weavers tight up against each other. Poking and pulling the cane is something that comes almost second hand to Lorraine, who will often watch television while she creates these beautiful works of art.
"My first baskets were disasters, really," admits Lorraine. "I still have the first purse I ever made. It isn't hard to make these wonderful baskets; it just requires the patients to learn the craft. Once you master the weaving, it's almost second nature." Both Gene and Lorraine find tremendous satisfaction in making and teaching others to create the Nantucket Lightship Basket.
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