Fall In

Hello down there! Hold, on I'm coming down!

That's much better.  I love playing in freshly fallen leaves.  It's easy for me to hide among the leaves, because they match my feathers.

Can you see me? 

Look at all the vibrant reds, oranges, and greens on this tree!  Things are changing so quickly here on the Museum's grounds.  To celebrate the arrival of fall, I searched for objects in the collection that remind me of the season.  Here's what I found!



The Garden of Eden, 1865. Erastus Salisbury Field  27.1.2-86
Stagecoach Inn

How could this painting of the Garden of Eden remind me of fall?  Look closer!

What's red, juicy sweet, and perfect to pick in the fall?  Apples, absolutely! 

Z is for Zonie, 1996.  Patty Yoder  2010-98.08
Hat & Fragrance Building, Yoder Gallery

It's also not fall without pumpkins!  What image do you think a sheep would carve for her jack o'lantern?

Can you believe this is a rug?  Patty Yoder was a rug hooker who spent many hours hand dying yarn made from the wool of her own sheep.  How many different colors of yarn can you spot in this picture? 

Spinning Wheel.  Collected 1974 by William Paley
Variety Unit

How come in the fall one can just never get enough leaves?  Here is a trivet, an object placed between a serving plate and a dining room table, which I discovered only today in the Variety Unit.

Boy, 1900.  Simon & Halbig (Head), Heinrich Handwerck (Body).  1957-545-1
Variety Unit, Doll Unit (2nd Floor)

This boy is obviously ready to enjoy an evening on the town.  But he knows well to dress warmly with a hat and a big overcoat while out on a cold and crisp fall night.

Socks
General Store

With all the cold and wet days, I'm sure you have put away your sandals for the year! Do you wear socks and boots like the ones at the General Store to keep your feet warm and dry?

Shoes
General Store

Of course, not all creatures like the cold.  My friend, the Canada goose, flies south with her flock in the autumn months to where food and warmer temperatures are easy to find.  Some Canada geese have been known to fly as far south as Mexico!



Canada Goose, 1918.  Charles Schoenheider, Sr.  FD 2-17, 1986-42

Of course I had to take a picture of the Schoolhouse!  Did you know that American schools in the 1800s gave kids a summer break just like we have today?  Only back then kids were not off having fun -- they were helping their parents raise and harvest the yearly crops or perhaps caring for the animals on the farm. 

Schoolhouse

When summer work was completed, parents sent their children back to school. If you were a kid living in the 1800s do you think you would have rather wanted to work on the farm or be in school? 

Are there any objects in the Shelburne Museum's collection that remind you of the fall?  Let me know what it is by emailing me at educationinterns@shelburnemuseum.org for a chance to appear on my blog.  Come see the museum before it closes for the season on Sunday, October 28!