The history of brooms and broom making is rooted in centuries of practical craftsmanship and cultural tradition. Early brooms were simple bundles of twigs, reeds, or grasses tied to a stick, used since ancient times for sweeping dirt floors. Over time, broom making evolved into a skilled trade, particularly during the 18th and 19th centuries, when improved materials and designs emerged. A major development came with the use of broomcorn sorghum (Sorghum bicolor var. technicum), a variety of sorghum cultivated specifically for its long, stiff seed heads ideal for sweeping. Introduced to America in the 1700s, broomcorn revolutionized broom making, replacing rough natural fibers with durable, uniform bristles. By the 1800s, broom making had become a thriving cottage and industrial craft, especially in regions like Illinois and Massachusetts, where broomcorn farming and hand-tied broom workshops flourished. These brooms became essential household tools, symbolizing cleanliness and domestic order. Though modern manufacturing and synthetic materials have largely replaced traditional methods, handcrafted broomcorn brooms remain valued for their durability, heritage, and connection to a long history of rural ingenuity.
All of the book titles that are included in this DVD are listed as follows:
1. Broom-corn And Brooms A Treatise On Raising Broom-corn And Making Brooms, On A Small Or Large Scale (1876)
2. Broom-corn Culture (1912)
3. Broom-corn Experiments At Woodward, Oklahoma (1920)
4. Broom-corn Smut (1897)
5. Illustrated Catalogue And Price List Of Brushes Manufactured By Canada Brush Co. Limited. (1910)
6. Investigation Of The Scientific And Economic Relations Of The Sorghum Sugar Industry, Being A Report Made In Response To A Request From The Hon. George B. Loring (1883)
7. Marketing Broom Corn (1922)
8. Sugar Made From Maize And Sorghum. A New Discovery (1878)
9. The Corn Crops, A Discussion Of Maize, Kafirs, And Sorghums As Grown In The United States And Canada (1913)
10. The Manufacture Of Sorghum Sirup (1894)
11. The Sorghum Hand Book (1887)
12. The Story Of Broomcorn (1950)
13. Walter Woods Limited 1883 Catalogue And Price List (1883)