2/16/2016

With chickens in a yard

“Portrait of Jane Sutton with chickens in a yard between buildings,” part of the Winterthur Shaker photographs and postcards collection.

This photo looks like it must have been taken at the southwest corner of the Trustee's Office, as that is the only large brick building that has a back addition flush with the front on its west side. This is the spot where visitors approach from the parking lot today.

The photo appeals to me for three reasons. First, it shows action - farm work in progress - rather than the typical "sit on the steps for your portrait" shot. Second, Jane is a Runyon descendant (granddaughter of Joseph and Jane/Ginny). Third, it shows that Pleasant Hill was a working farm in the way that you might expect a Shaker farm to be... orderly but not perfect, and not pristine as a visit to the restored village today might suggest.






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