2020 Indiana Heritage Fellow: Bob Taylor (Woodcarver)
Channel: Jon Kay
Date: 24/12/2020

Bob Taylor began carving when he was eight years old using a pocketknife his grandfather gave him. Around the age of 11, Bob met Mooney Warther, a legendary carver known for his speed at making wooden pliers and for carving intricate models of steam locomotives. Warther set up his traveling woodcarving museum at the Bartholomew County Fair, and young Bob became enthralled with his display. This chance encounter encouraged Bob’s lifelong passion for carving. Once grown, he apprenticed as a patternmaker. From engineers’ drawings, he carved prototypes that manufacturers used to produce molds for making metal castings. While he carved professionally throughout his life, he also continued to whittle for his own enjoyment. 

In the 1980s, he discovered the work of Rupert Kreider (1897-1983), an itinerant carver who occasionally worked as a farm hand in Bartholomew County. Though Bob never met Kreider, he was impressed by the landscapes Kreider cut into flat boards. While Bob worked as a pattern maker and salesman during the day, at night he taught himself Kreider’s distinctive style.  When Bob retired in 1999, he started using this pictorial-carving technique to create pieces that told the stories of his childhood in near photographic detail. He calls these creations “memory carvings.”  From church festivals, family outings, and circus trains, he has carved several scenes from his youth. Currently, he is making a panel about his encounter with Mooney Warther at the Bartholomew County Fair.

Woodcarving has remained a constant throughout Bob’s life. He has devoted his time to mastering his craft and sharing his talents. From teaching Boy Scouts to carve neckerchief slides to exhibiting his carvings at area woodcarving clubs, county fairs, and festivals, he enjoys sharing his talents, carvings and stories with others.