This collection includes 20 wooden dioramas of local community scenes as well as other works made by folk artist Fred Morgan of Norwood, NY, as well as the catalogue from the 1996-7 TAUNY exhibit, "This Fellow Laughed at My Work: The Folk Art of Fred Morgan."

Fred Morgan (1913-1994) of Norwood, NY was known for his creative imagination and the folk art he created with it. A tinkerer and inventor for much of his life, Fred began creating carved and painted dioramas after a stroke which left him partially paralyzed. Fred created many of the pieces to represent the history of Norwood, telling the story of the town’s past from his perspective. He found the creative process very rewarding, and his greatest pleasure came from sharing his work with others. Fred deeply enjoyed making things work—from intricate, hand-carved wooden gears to whimsical dancing men. While he had no formal training in mechanics, Fred did have a skillfulness and resourcefulness that came from growing up on a farm, working as a pipefitter at ALCOA and later as a self-taught TV repairman in his own business. The dioramas represent a range of Fred’s interests, including the musical life of Norwood, the humor that can be found in contentious political issues, and the communal work and celebration involved in the seasonal rounds of rural life.

The diorama collection was first displayed at The TAUNY Center in Canton, NY in the fall and winter of 1996-7, to celebrate the gift of Fred Morgan’s collection to TAUNY by Mrs. Rena Morgan and her children Joan, Chuck, Jack, and Fred.