Machinist - Machinist of the Mesa 1940 - Side by Side

by Mike Savad

Title

Machinist - Machinist of the Mesa 1940 - Side by Side

Artist

Mike Savad

Medium

Photograph - Hand Colored Photo

Description

Hand colored photo from 1940
Original title: George Hutton, Jr., in the machine shop on his farm
Photographer: Russell Lee
Location: Pie Town, NM

Tucked behind his farmhouse in Pie Town, New Mexico, George Hutton Jr.'s modest machine shop hums with quiet purpose. It is not fancy, just a scattering of tools, a sturdy lathe, and the smell of oil baked into the walls. But in this space, problems are solved with steel, sweat, and a machinist's mind.

George fixes what the farm breaks. Plow shafts twisted by stubborn roots, gear housings cracked by desert heat, and irrigation fittings worn thin by grit-filled water all find new life in his hands. Bearings are turned by hand, broken linkages are rebuilt in the soft arc of his welder's torch. When the town's only baler snapped a main pin just before harvest, it was George who sleeved and refitted the part overnight, refusing payment with a quiet nod.

Neighbors bring broken belts, seized pulleys, and worn-out parts no catalog stocks anymore. They come not just for repairs, but for George's ability to see what can be, not just what was. In a place where miles matter and replacement parts are far away, his shop is both a necessity and a gift.

He is more than a farmer. George Hutton Jr. is Pie Town's machinist, a man whose hands hold the memory of every bolt he has chased and every shaft he has trued. He works the lathe like a craftsman and the land like a steward, without fanfare or fuss. Each fix keeps a neighbor moving, each weld carries the mark of someone who knows his trade.

His machine shop is where self-reliance meets service. It is where broken things are made whole again. Through grit, steel, and quiet generosity, George Hutton Jr. keeps the work alive, not just for himself, but for all of Pie Town.

Color notes:
Not much, I chose red for the cabinet because it probably was. And that's about all the notes I have.

Uploaded

July 3rd, 2025

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