The Metal Museum’s new exhibit — which focuses on the traditions of Black metalworkers in Memphis — began with research for a book.

While working on her 2016 book, “Race, Representation, and Photography in 19th Century Memphis: from Slavery to Jim Crow,” Earnestine Jenkins researched Blair Hunt Sr., who was once enslaved by the Hunt family. Blair lived in what is now known as the Hunt-Phelan House and worked as a master builder, contractor and cabinetmaker, after his emancipation. According to the Tennessee Historic Commission, Blair Hunt’s business and residence was located at 693 Linden Ave.

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“From Artisans to Artists” runs through Sept. 11 at the Metal Museum. It highlights Central and West African metalworking traditions, enslaved artisans in America — specifically in the 19th century and pre-and-post the Civil War era — and ends with modern examples using these metal-working traditions.

“The research initially started with photographs I had worked with on the history of African Americans in Memphis during the 19th century,” Jenkins said.

Jenkins analyzed Memphis city directories from 1866 to the 1940s and looked primarily for Black men working in the blacksmith and artisan trades after slavery. 

“You can identify those people by race, and you can come up with an idea of how many people are employed in those occupations that require people to have skills working with metal,” Jenkins said.

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Jenkins formed a list of about 200 Black people working as artisans during the time. The list also included three Black women in the trade with the last name “Sneed.” By the mid-20th century, Jenkins began to see a transition from artisans to artists.

“What used to be an artisan or craft tradition has very much sort of waned or disappeared. But you have people who still work with metal, who are best now, defined as artists,” Jenkins said.

Part of the National Ornamental Metal Museum’s mission is to preserve the history of metalwork, and this time they are doing it from a Black lens.

“African Americans have their unique experience with metalworking that they brought to America with them, and we can see that traditions are continuing today. We’re hoping that we’re advancing the field by kind of enlightening everyone to what this history is,” said Brooke Garcia, director of collections and exhibitions at the Metal Museum.

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Jenkins hopes this history does not go forgotten and that the exhibition remains in some capacity in Memphis.

“I hope an exhibit like this encourages young African Americans to go into the fields of museum studies, art history, and the arts because we need more of their voices and work to be seen,” said Jenkins.

The Metal Museum exhibition also includes the works of modern metalsmiths, such as Chicago’s Richard Hunt. Richard Hunt is known for creating monuments celebrating figures including Ida B. Wells, Hobart Taylor Jr and Martin Luther King Jr.

His sculpture, “I Have Been to the Mountaintop,” dedicated to King on April 4, 1977, is located at the MLK Reflection Park, located at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and South Second Street in Memphis.

“People don’t know about the story of that monument and it being here all because a local Black organization (Mallory Knights Charitable Organization, Inc.) wished to do something that honored Martin Luther King in a way they thought he should be honored,” Jenkins said.

“From Artisans to Artists” will be on exhibit through Sept. 11 at the Metal Museum, 374 Metal Museum Drive. Hours are Tuesday-Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For information call 901-744-6380.