Bill Reynold’s showcases his handmade guns. (Photo by Clara Noelle)

MARIETTA — The Campus Martius Museum held their annual Traditional Gunsmith and Allied Artists Show Saturday.

This event showcases artists from around the region. These artisans specialize in crafts — such as gunmaking, banjo-making, lantern-making, blacksmithing and woodworking — that have largely been lost to the centuries, but passed down from artist to artist for generations.

Artists came from West Virginia, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and all over Ohio to showcase their work.

“This show is really important because it shows artists working and passing down artforms that were mainly used in the past. It often inspires people and helps them find a skill they wouldn’t have thought to have,” says Campus Martius Historian Bill Reynolds.

Doug Unger, from Peninsula, Ohio, makes banjos. Specifically, he makes Victorian-style banjos. He uses a variety of woods, including maple, mahogany, cherry and oak wood. Unger carves and places pearl into the necks of his banjos. The heads of his banjos are made from calf skin. A smaller, less intricate banjo will usually take one month to build.

An artist displays handmade lanterns at the Campus Martius Museum in Marietta. (Photo by Clara Noelle)

Unger’s skills are not just dedicated to banjos; he also makes mandolins and pocket mandolins. The mandolins are similar to his banjos in style, employing the same materials.

When he’s not crafting, Unger works with the Smithsonian and the Library of Congress. He has also taught drawing and painting at Kent State University.

Clara Noelle can be reached at intern@newsandsentinel.com

An artist displays handmade powder kegs. These would have been used to carry gun powder. (Photo by Clara Noelle)