Ernie Lang’s Scrolling Scrapbook Fascinated by the Past, He Preserves Scrolling History for the Future
Experts estimate that 80 percent o fscroll saw patterns from the turn of the century have been lost. Scrolling historian Ernie Lang decided to do something about that! Ernie has built more than 175 projects from turn-of-the-century plans and has recreated patterns for four scrolled works he found in museums and homes. Ernie’s passion for historic patterns led him to Louis Phillip Bachman, a regional woodworker who was quite active in the late 1800s. In his lifetime, Louis constructed nearly 100 barns, numerous houses and a large church. Louis embellished many of his projects with scroll saw work,cutting most of the decorative details on his homemade pedal scroll saw. When he was a young man, Louis cut—on the foot-powered saw—a Dome Clock project that would be daunting even by today’s standards. Louis’ surviving family, including grandsons Neil Bachman, George Keckand Allen Hoehn, and great-niece Lois Kasenter, shared the clock and other examples of Louis’ historic work with Ernie. Ernie travels the country documenting historic clocks; taking actual measurements when possible—to preserve the history and recreate useable scrolling patterns for future generations. While researching antique patterns,Ernie discovered the Allegheny-Kiski Valley Heritage Museum in Tarentum ,PA. The museum, sponsored by the A-K Valley Historical Society, is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9:00am-3:00pm and features several scrolled and fretwork antiques as well as an extensive collection of World War II artifacts, glass items and other artifacts from the Allegheny Valley in Western Pennsylvania. Admission is $3 for adults and $2 for children 12 and under. For more information on the museum, located at 224 East 7th Avenue, Tarentum, PA, visit theirwebsite, www.akvhs.org/, or contact the historical society at 724-224-7666. For more on Ernie’s efforts to preserve the past with additional photos of Louis’ scrolled work, visit our website at Ernie Lang’s Scrolling Scrapbook More Pages of Scrolling History.
	Ernie Lang’s “scrolling” goal is to restore historical patterns. Ernie made many of thepieces displayed here, as well as this birdcage he made using an Italian pattern from the late 1800s.
	Louis Bachman's home made pedal saw, circa 1890. He used this saw to build his Grand Columbian Clock in 1896 from a pattern he bought for $1from the H.L. Wild Company. At right, a family photo of Louis in 1955 standing next to the Grand Columbian, now known as the Dome Clock.
Historical Catalog Companies At the turn of the century—the early 1900s, that is—five major companies were selling scroll saw patterns in the United States: H.L. Wild, Pomeroy, Hope & Wares, Bowman,and Russels. By 1940, the last of these catalogers closed its doors. Thanks to scrollers like Ernie Lang and a host of others, these classic fretwork patterns are being preserved.
An original work from around 1890, this version of the Chimes of Normandy resides in the Heritage Museum in Tarentum, Pennsylvania.   Ernie Lang’s Scrolling Scrapbook More Pages of Scrolling History
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