Aram Barsch Oral History - April 15, 2011

In an interview conducted on April 15, 2011, Aram Barsch discusses his journey as a saddle maker, beginning with learning to ride bareback as a child and later rebuilding a damaged saddle, which sparked his interest in the craft. He recounts an apprenticeship in Georgia where he honed his skills in saddle making and hand tooling, including transforming photographs into leather illustrations. Barsch details the creation of a custom saddle for his wife, featuring personalized elements and depicting a moose from her hunting experience. He shares anecdotes about building saddles for working cowboys, emphasizing their focus on function over elaborate decoration. The interview also touches on his family, including his brother's career as an editor, and his experiences working on a wild cattle range in the US, highlighting the challenges and dangers of such an environment.