Lodestone Salvage

	Lodestone Salvage	209 Gilmour Avenue Toronto, Ontario Canada M6P 3B2 lodestone.salvage@gmail.com
	West Toronto Junction

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A Philosophy of Salvage

Ways to Salvage

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A Philosophy of Salvage

Not only handicraft manufacture, not only artistic and poetical bringing into appearance
and concrete imagery, is a bringing-forth, poiesis. Physis, also, the arising of something from
out of itself, is a bringing-forth, poiesis. ... Techne is the name not only for the activities and
skills of the craftsman but also for the arts of the mind and the fine arts. Techne belongs to
bringing-forth, to poiesis; it is something poetic. ... There was a time when it was not technology
alone that bore the name techne. ... There was a time when the bringing-forth of the true into the
beautiful was called techne. (Martin Heidegger, "The Question Concerning Technology")

In "The Question Concerning Technology", the German philosopher Martin Heidegger avers that the danger of modern technology is a challenging-forth to narrow utility in which nature is reduced to "standing reserve", to be available to be ordered, transformed, used up, and discarded. He suggests that by adopting the originary meaning of techne as referring not only to technology but also the making of art -- the bringing-forth of the true into the beautiful -- we might "guard and preserve the essential unfolding" of both art and nature.

If the essence of technology is a challenging-forth, then its antidote might be gathering. Gathering is an activity associated with pre-agrarian cultures living in a kind of balance or détente with their environment. Gathering is also a principal activity of salvage, and as such is the centrepiece of a philosophy of salvage. For Heidegger, the essence of dwelling is the gathering together of the fourfold (of earth, sky, divinities, and mortals), and has as its fundamental character a saving which spares things to unfold in their own essence, and which preserves their character.

As an act of saving, salvage preserves objects marked for destruction because their narrow utility as standing reserve has expired. Within the metaphysics of technology, an object is cast with a single purpose in mind. When that use has ended or the object is no longer suited to it, no other use or essence is conceived of and the object is abandoned or destroyed. But in nature, and in the originary meaning of techne, things are not confined to a one-way utilitarian trajectory. A tree grows in rotted humus. It may be worshipped, or carved into, or admired, or referred to as a landmark. It may be harvested, and boards cut from it or its seedlings may be crafted into furniture or dwellings, plain or elaborately carved. These manufactured objects may be passed from owner to owner, and may be used for varied purposes. They may be sawn apart and refabricated into other things: chairs, shelves, toys, tools. They may be stored and, later, rediscovered. They may gain and lose and regain a variety of symbolic meanings. At some point they may be burned and consigned to the earth. Always, though, their essential character as wood is preserved. Indeed, it is our encounter with their essential character as wood that enables this variety of valuings, uses, and meanings.

But increasingly we fabricate objects that may only be used for a single purpose, or for a short period, and then cannot be reused or even reduced to their constituent elements. We sever them from their essential character: wood is reduced to wood chips or sawdust, to be bound with glue and formed into boards and cheap furniture which cannot be repurposed and which, once scratched or banged, are only rubbish. Severed from their essence, it is nearly impossible to conceive of such objects -- or the trees from which they are severed -- as anything else other than standing reserve whose utility quickly expires.

The chief activity of salvage, gathering, seeks to preserve objects so they may unfold in keeping with their essence. This act of saving is also an act of building, of poiesis, of bringing-forth the true into the beautiful, and as such it makes genuine dwelling possible. Such saving serves as a reminder of the originary meaning of techne, of the making of things that are not only useful but true to their own essence.

Consider a window. A window is not only a transparent barrier to the weather. A window both separates and joins; it is a boundary that can be opened in invitation or barred to invaders; it breathes both light and perspective; phenomenologically speaking, it frames an encounter between inside and out, between the self and the world. A window may be beautiful, particularly if it is leaded or many-paned or made from stained-glass. But a window is not only beautiful as a window, and if it is discarded once its narrow utility as a window has ended, the act of discarding it -- the inability to conceive of a window as anything else -- does damage to its essence as a window, to its constituent elements, to its possibilities of continued unfolding, and to our own capacity for genuine dwelling. How might a window be salvaged? It might be re-used as a window in another building. It might be incorporated into a glassed greenhouse. It might be remade into a frame, or a cupboard door, or a table-top. If it is made of wood, the wood might be stripped and sanded and stained, its grain preserved and revealed and set free. If it is made into a mirror, all its qualities as a window, and its wood and glass and memory, and ourselves and our encounters with it and the world, and our capacity for creative thoughtfulness, are reflected, enlarged, and made luminous. And in this act of salvage, what else might be saved? Perhaps our recognition of the essence of beings and our capacity for genuine dwelling.

Ways to Salvage

To come. Please direct question to lodestone.salvage@gmail.com

Gallery
An ongoing inventory and gallery of pieces found, restored, and remade. This is a very incomplete profile of our architectural salvage activities. The pieces shown are not intended for sale: they are part of our personal collection or given as gifts to friends. Comments, suggestions, and sources welcomed.
Year	Item	Description	Image
2006	Mirrors 1 and 2	A matched set of vertical, multi-paned mirrors made from salvaged storm windows, found thrown out after a renovation in the west Toronto Junction area in 2005. Both windows were stripped, sanded, and stained in the summer of 2006. Mirrored panes were cut individually from salvaged mnirror glass. The mirrors are large, measuring about 46 inches high by 22 inches wide. Personal collection.
2006	Mirror 3	A nine-paned mirror made from a salvaged window bought (in a weak moment: our salvage policy is generally to use found objects only) for $2 at a garage sale. in 2006. This mirror is large, measuring about 40 inches by 28 inches, and currently dominates our front entry. The mirrored panes were cut individually from salvaged mirror glass. Personal collection.
2005	Mirror 1	A pair of clerestory-style mirrors made from salvaged windows. Found in Toronto's Kensington Market. Upon discovery both were in very poor condition and heavily weathered. The smaller window was stripped and stained in late 2003; the larger one in the spring of 2005. Mirrored panes were cut individually from salvaged mirror glass. The smaller mirror measures 24 inches wide by 21 inches high, and has nine panes. The larger mirror measures 44 inches wide by 24 inches high, and has thirteen panes. Personal collection.
2005	Mirror 2
2005	Mirror 3	Matching 6-paned mirrors measuring 19.5 inches wide by 22.5 inches high. Rescued along with three larger 8-paned windows minutes before being tossed into a garbage truck.. These mirrors have lovely detailing including oxidation marks from nails and the remains of copper trim at the bottom. The wood is a deep open-grained oak. Stripped, stained, and glazed in 2005. Personal collection.
2005	Mirror 4
2005	Mirror 5	The first of a set of three 8-paned mirrors made from windows found in a group. Deeply textured open-grained oak, originally double-hung with copper strip nailed at the bottom. Like the others, these windows were about 90 to 100 years old and are vintage Toronto style. Stripped, stained, and glazed in 2005. Gift to CB (photo by CB)
2005	Shelves	Shelves built from salvaged roof boards. When found (among waste materials from a century-old cottage being demolished in the Toronto Junction area), these boards appeared too rotten and creosoted to use. Once cleaned, however, the boards revealed saw marks and old nail holes and heads and the rich patina of their age. Top image also shows collection of old tools, some salvaged. Bottom image shows collection of old kitchen scales, mostly salvaged. Shelves in top image are 8 inches wide by 36 inches long (one-inch spruce boards); shelf in bottom image measures 48 inches long. Personal collection.
2005	Shelves
2005	Mirror 6	Matched mirrors made from single-paned double-hung windows found in the West Toronto Junction area in the summer of 2003. These were difficult to strip of old layers of paint and stain., but took new stain very well and clearly show their mortice and tenon joints. The narrow height of these windows gives them a simultaneously antique and modern appearance. Stored for two years until stripped, stained, and glazed in 2005. Personal collection.
2005	Mirror 7
2005	Mirror 8	The second of a set of three 8-paned mirrors made from windows found in a group. Deeply textured open-grained oak, originally double-hung with copper strip nailed at the bottom. Like the others, these windows were about 90 to 100 years old and are vintage Toronto style. Stripped, stained, and glazed in 2005. Gift to H&M
2005	Mirror 8
2005	Mirror 9	Mirror made from a three-paned window found at the side of a Toronto street. In its initial state the window looked very derelict, with large modern hinges and a latch which were both ugly and difficult to remove. Stripping revealed attractively knotty pine and strong mortice and tenon joints and pegs. Stripped, stained, and glazed in 2005 Gift to E&B
2005	Mirror 10	Mirror made from a four-paned mid-century vintage window found thrown out on garbage night. A more modern look than the others because the mirror is intended for the modern Asian interior of a Toronto entrepreneur. Gift to G
2005	Mirror 11	Mirror made from an antique three-paned hardwood window salvaged at the site of a century home renovation in the west Toronto Junction area. The chocolate stain and slim vertical orientation of the panes make this an elegant mirror. Gift to A & R
2005	Bench	Ornate vintage cast iron and cedar slat bench found thrown out on garbage night because the bolts holding the slats had loosened and the ends of some of the slats had rotted and split. After trimming the damaged ends and installing new bolts, the bench is restored to solid condition and claimed by a cat named Quint. Personal collection.
2005	Pillars	Two old wooden porch pillars (characteristic of early 20th century Toronto architecture) removed during a house renovation in the Toronto Junction area. Rather than wait to see if these items would be thrown out, we purchased the pair for $10 at a garage sale (contrary to our salvage policy but a nominal outlay). Currently the pillars stand in our rear garden; eventually they will stand on stone plinths and mark the entrance to the garden, a small green urban oasis. Each pillar measures approximately 5 feet tall by 12 inches in diameter.
2005	Decorative Window	(in progress) An antique nine-paned leaded window found thrown out in the Toronto Junction area. Once restored, the window will hang in an upstairs bay window, gathering and diffusing light. Personal collection.
2005	Cast iron electric fireplace insert	A cast iron electric fireplace insert found at curbside. This insert dates from the 1930s; the casting incorporates Art Deco details including lit torches. Ultimate use not yet determined, although it could be put to banal use as a planter, magazine rack, or towel holder or more interesting use (once equipped with seat and cover) as an ottoman, or perhaps as a bedside table, or even as a cat bed. This piece is heavy: even without the electric fixture, glass, and hood, it weighs nearly 50 pounds. This piece is unpainted, and cleaning has revealed a rather beautiful burnished patina.
2005	19th century dish-dresser (top)	The top half of a 19th century dish-dresser found at curbside in the Toronto Junction area. The shelves are solid but very worn and the top is grooved with age. The doors appear to be original, although the glass is not. The piece measures 17 1/2 inches deep by about 4 feet high; it is nearly five feet long. The teal paint seems old but appears not to be original: underneath (and on the inside of the cupboard) are traces of the original buttermilk-coloured paint. It is possible that the interior had been painted buttermilk while the exterior was painted teal. The piece is fastened with square nails, and has a built-up cornice at the top and paneled sides. It is our guess that the piece originally stood (upon its bottom half) in a kitchen but was most recently used to display retail merchandise. It is probably of rural Ontario or upstate New York origin. For a very similar (complete) example dated to the early 19th century, see Michael S. Bird's Canadian Country Furniture (1994, Stoddard, page 210). Although this piece is old, it is not complete and is not entirely in its original condition. Accordingly, we have elected to remake this piece rather than preserve it as an incomplete relic. Using old (salvaged) boards and trim, we built a base for it and replaced a missing shelf and centre-panel between the glass doors. We have stained these components and find the result rather handsome. Remade, this cupboard stores old bowls and cookbooks in our kitchen workroom. This is salvage at its best: to find a genuinely old piece of furniture with historical resonance, to rescue it from certain ruin, to restore (where possible) and renew it. In its found state this object was at the end of its life: repaired and remade, it can be functional and beautiful for generations yet.
2005 and ongoing	Cast iron register grates	An accumulation of antique cast iron register grates, stripped and polished or (as with this one) in origjnal condition. Uses not fully determined, although (as one possibility) will accommodate mirror glass. This particular grate servers as a table centrepiece,a prosaic but beautiful use.
ongoing	Stonework	Stone walls and installations (including a sundial, altar, and compass built from fossil-rich limestone). Stone is frequently abandoned at demolition sites, some of it dressed but much of it in slabs ideal for building stone walls. We also collect fossils on our travels and incorporate them into walls and installations.

Sources

Suggested Reading

Bird, Michael S., 1994. Canadian Country Furniture, 1675-1950. Toronto: Stoddard / Boston Mills.

Botha, Ted, 2004. Mongo: Adventures in Trash. New York: Bloomsbury.

Carter, Mary Randolph, 2001. Big City Junk. New York: Clarkson Potter.

Chase, John, 2000. Trashy Space, Trashy People, and Trashy Behavior. In Glitter Stucco & Dumpster Diving: Reflections on Building Production in the Vernacular City. New York; London: Verso.

Ferrell, Jeff, 2005. Empire of Scrounge: Inside the Urban Underground of Dumpster Diving, Trash Picking, and Street Scavenging. New York: New York University Press.

Freyer, John D., 2002. All My Life for Sale. New York; London: Bloomsbury.

Heidegger, Martin, 1993. "The Question Concerning Technology". In Basic Writings, ed. David Farrell Krell. New York: HarperCollins.

Heidegger, Martin, 1993. "Building Dwelling Thinking". In Basic Writings, ed. David Farrell Krell. New York: HarperCollins.

Hoffman, John, 1993. The Art and Science of Dumpster Diving. Port Townsend, Washington: Breakout Productions.

Lidz, Franz, 2003. Ghosty Men: the Strange but True Story of the Collyer Brothers, New York's Greatest Hoarders. New York; London: Bloomsbury.

Rhatigan, Joe and Dana Irwin, 2001. Salvage Style: 45 Home & Garden Projects Using Reclaimed Architectural Details. New York: Lark Books.

Strasser, Susan, 1999. Waste and Want: A Social History of Trash. New York: Metropolitan Books, Henry Holt and Company.

About Us

Amy Lavender Harris, B.A. (Hons.), M.PL., is a geographer and ecological phenomenologist and part-time faculty member at York University.

Peter Fruchter, M.A., LL.B., is a retired lawyer, part-time faculty member at York University, and philosopher of science whose current work addresses how we test our coherent stories about the world against our refutable experience in the world.