Charles Edgar Patience was an African American anthracite coal sculptor from northeastern Pennsylvania. Having been taught the skills of coal carving by his father who once had been a breaker boy at a local colliery and later a successful entrepreneur, Edgar took the art to a higher level and fulfilled his aspirations of becoming a recognized sculptor.
His unique work was described in the March 1970 issue of Ebony magazine as “the world’s most unique sculptor.” In 1972, he was listed in Who’s Who in America. Unfortunately, just as his star was rising, he died from the curse of miners, black lung disease. Even though he had never been a miner, the coal dust he had been inhaling throughout his sixty-five years damaged his lungs.
This book has been written by his daughter for those readers who are old enough to remember when “anthracite was king” in northeastern Pennsylvania and for those who are not old enough. It is written for those who have no idea that coal can be a medium for sculpting. It is written so that both present and future generations may come to know and appreciate the work of the pioneer anthracite coal sculptor, Charles Edgar Patience, who brought forth beauty and a universal definition from the Pennsylvania “black diamond.”
A wealth of photographs and a full name plus subject index enhance the text.
Juanita Patience Moss
(2006), 2008, 5½x8½, paper, index, 170 pp.
ISBN: 9780788442636
101-M4263
