Chapter 4 1921 1930:-- Workshop Space4:3. Typical workshop space available to amateur woodworkers
Until I find more material on the space amateur woodworkers had available for their workshops, I will simply use the Popular Homemcraft article linked below. although written in the later part of 1930, its gist -- especially its figure, 77,000 home workshops -- necessarily implies that across America a large number of homeworkshops existed.
(notice, at the bottom, is a somewhat promising item, from early in the decade -- before electrification could become an influential factor -- the newly formed "Junior Achievement Bureau" is strongly urging the creation of home workshop space for boys (and maybe girls, too), for the opportunity to create toys. I have two items on this matter only, suggesting that evidently it died as a proposal, since any success would generate more notice. regardless, since the material is intersting in its own right, i will upload this stuff later.)
Moreover, throughout the 1920s, issues of the annual Popular Mechanics Shopnotes give additional evidence of homeworkshops.
For full text of article, click here: Document 41: Popular Homecraft volume 1, number 1, 1930 "The Growing Popularity of Homecraft Workshops"
Document 41 is a "first" for a number of considerations:
1. It is in the first article in a newly launched periodical in America directed primarily toward home workshops, with considerable proportion of its pages dedicated to woodworking.
2. This first article celebrates a growing phenomenon, woodworking.
"Recent figures indicate that more than 77,000 power-driven home-workshop outfits are operated in the United States alone, and the number is constantly growing."
3. And its gist gives us ample evidence that electrical power has arrived in the homeworkshop.
"Today he has an electric motor in his little shop and a complete outfit of power-driven woodworking tools ... today, manufacturers have made it possible to install such power-driven tools at very moderate cost."
4. The popularity of woodworking crosses class lines.
"For the fellowship of the homecrafter is broad and democratic. It embraces men and women of all ages and of all degrees of well being, from the very moderately affluent and distinguished — all who have the creative and constructive instinct, who like to 'make things' with their own hands."
[for later development -- in folder under "junior achievement bureau" -- results from openlibrary and google books search, "junior achievement bureau" and "eastern states league":-- http://ia351404.us.archive.org/0/items/playground16playrich/playground16playrich.pdf
note on recommendation of home shops for junior achievement members -- item is picked up in iave vol "home shop and the manual training teacher" this all takes place in the early 1920s, before electrification, but does insistently argue for a "home shop" for each boy -- paper copies in file folder, "junior achievement bureau"]