The Writer

The Writer, Michael L. Marshall, is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he earned a BS (with honors) and an MS degree, both in physics. He also earned a JD degree from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law and was a licensed attorney in the state of Maryland. Following a career spent as an employee of the federal government, he worked for several years as a special assistant to the director of Penn State University’s Applied Research Laboratory. He is an author or co-author of several local history books and papers and has served in the past on the boards of a number of historical and preservation societies.  He is now an independent historian and writer specializing in the material culture and local history of northeastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia. 

The research published here focuses on how the decorative arts and historic trades of this region, including furniture, architecture, metalwork, ceramics, textiles, etc., reflect broader historical trends, social structures, and the lives of ordinary people within a regional context. This website has been created to encourage research on the material culture of this region from diverse points of view. Research in this rich area is fruitful and ongoing.

The articles published on this website represent the research of the individual authors. The images and content of articles published here may be downloaded for limited personal use. However, the images and content of articles published on this site may NOT be downloaded for distribution to others, for advertising, for other commercial purposes, or for publication without the expressed written permission from the authors.

 

For permission, contact the editor below.