An upright, rectangular slab of thick sandstone with a carved Celtic knot at the top, above the words “Scotland at the Smithsonian” carved in the lower half. — <i>Photo by Zvonimir Bebek, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives</i>

Commemorative Stone

At Culzean Castle, during fieldwork for the 2003 Scotland at the Smithsonian program, master mason Andrew Bradley talked about how the stone carvers who built the Pyramids passed their knowledge on to their apprentices, who taught their apprentices, who taught their apprentices… and eventually one in this unbroken line of artisans taught him. He then brought his tradition—and his apprentice—to the Smithsonian.

Carrying on an ancient skill

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Photos by Zvonimir Bebek, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives

Stonemason Andrew Bradley created this beautifully carved memorial stone on the National Mall during the 2003 Festival’s Scotland at the Smithsonian program. Featuring an intricately chiseled Celtic knot on top and the program title and year in bold lettering on the bottom, it is made from Stanton Moor sandstone from Derbyshire, England, and inspired by an ancient standing stone in Northeast Scotland. Human-made standing stones—menhir—were created throughout western Europe during the mid-Bronze Age (2100–1500 BCE). Over 50,000 of them have been documented in the United Kingdom.

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Bradley works on the Commemorative Stone at the Festival, and a young visitor tries his hand at handling a mallet.
Photos by Jeff Tinsley, Smithsonian

At the Festival, Bradley worked with apprentice Ross Davidson to demonstrate methods used to preserve and restore Scotland’s built heritage. In addition to stone carving, Bradley showcased masonry (the building of structures) and lime slaking—a process that predates concrete and mimics historical building practices.

Bradley told visitors that “stone working was a trade that was always in demand; it never lapsed, but came down in an unbroken line” to him. A third-generation mason, he carried on his craft through his work as the head of National Trust for Scotland’s Stonemason Apprenticeship Scheme at the Culzean Castle on the coast of Ayrshire in southwest Scotland.

Since the 2003 Festival, he has continued his focus on architectural preservation with renovation work at Duart Castle (2016) and is a respected mentor in workshops, training courses, and competitions throughout Scotland.

—Nancy Groce, program curator