“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.
