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David Cooper was the resident Clay Pipe Maker at Amberley.
Of all the skills on show at the Museum, and there are quite a number, his was perhaps the rarest of them all.
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David Cooper1929 - 2007
David was a clay-pipe maker, and made pipes to a design used for almost half a millennium. Clay pipes were first used in England with the introduction of tobacco in 1564, a full 72 years after Christopher Columbus first noticed its use amongst American communities. A commodity that ranged from the exquisitely designed to the disposable, clay pipes were produced in large numbers right through to the 1930's, when other materials were increasingly used in pipe production, and cigarettes became affordable to people of all means. David's work was and is still very much in demand; he created the pipes using moulds that dated back as far as 1715 (the oldest mould known to exist), and every pipe was finished by hand. Today, their use is far more varied than ever before - the pipes were a great success with the children (young and old) who used them to blow bubbles! David's distinctive clay pipes are recognised nationally and internationally, and David represented his country in various pipe smoking competitions using pipes he created himself. We hope that this unique craftwork will continue! If you would like any further information, please telephone the Museum on 01798 831370. |