A photo exhibit on display at Western Carolina University introduces viewers to the story of the Appalachian craft revival, a movement to produce and sell handcrafted items during the early part of the 20th century.

The exhibit, “Craft Revival: The Story, the People, the Crafts,” is on display in the lower stairwell of WCU’s Hunter Library through March 15. The exhibit is free, and the public is invited to attend.

The photographs complement Hunter Library’s Web site “Craft Revival: Shaping Western North Carolina Past and Present,” online at craftrevival.wcu.edu. The site features a comprehensive explanation of the movement, the people who participated and the crafts they made. Also online at the site is a digital collection of more than 2,000 archival images of the region’s people and places, crafts, and documents.

The Mountain Heritage Center, on Western’s campus and a partner in the project, has supplied three-dimensional, rotating images that allow for detailed views of some of the artifacts. Hunter Library’s Special Collections staff has contributed an electronic travelogue of the region as it appeared in the 1910s. Assembled from a railroad travel guide and illustrated with period postcards, the travelogue is accessible by choosing “The Story” link on the site’s homepage and then selecting “long-distance travel was by train” within the text.

Visiting professor Anna Fariello and university librarian Bill Stahl lead the craft revival project. Fariello designed and produced both exhibits.

For more information contact Fariello at 828.227.2499 or fariello@email.wcu.edu.