MAY 2008

May 3 * New Exhiition Opening

Into the Woods: Crafting Early American Furniture

Explore a dazzling array of masterworks by famous American cabinetmakers including Duncan Phyfe and Honoré Lannuier, Samuel McIntire, John and Thomas Seymour, and John Townsend.  Learn about antique furniture from the inside out, and gain a new understanding of the materials and craftsmanship that went into the creation of these spectacular objects through graphics, before-and-after views of conservation treatments, and innovative “exploded view” display techniques. Into the Woods also features a special changing section, which will debut with a feature on the design and construction of clockcases. Included with general admission.

May 3, 17, 24, 31  *  Demonstrations

Open Hearth Cooking

9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Hall Tavern kitchen

Experience the sights, sounds, and aromas of hearth cooking while learning about colonial foods and diet.  See what’s growing when you visit the Cooks’ Garden dedicated in memory of Margaret Quinn Orloske.  Included with general admission.

 

 

 

May 3–4, 10–11, 17–18, 24–25, 31–June 1 *  Family Activities

May Flowers

12 noon–4 p.m., History Workshop

Learn about the many meanings and uses of flowers in the past.  A printed “flower expedition” will have you seeking blossoms hidden in wallpaper designs, clothing, ceramics, and more in our historic houses and in the Flynt Center of Early New England Life.  Make a nosegay of decorative paper flowers to take home.  Included with general admission.

JUNE 2008

June 1, 7–8, 14–15, 21–22, 28–29 *  Family Activities

Garden Herbs

12 noon–4 p.m., History Workshop

Explore the use of herbs as air fresheners, seasonings, and even as medicine in early America.  Though many people today grow herbs for fun, it was a way of life in the past.  Learn the many uses of herbs, and practice identifying them by sight and smell.  Make an herbal sachet or tea bag to take home.  Families will also receive a booklet of herbal recipes.  Included with general admission.

 

June 7  *  Special Event

Garden Day - "Savoring Herbs"

10 a.m.–4 p.m., Hall Tavern

Join Historic Deerfield for a celebration of the role of “the garden” in the lives of New Englanders past and present.  Participate in special tours of the Cooks’ Garden.  Watch open hearth cooks prepare dishes using herbs and produce from the Cooks’ Garden.  Stroll through the Channing Blake Meadow Walk to the Deerfield River.  Explore botanical themed tours of historic houses and the Flynt Center of Early New England Life.  Gain access to advice from and pH soil testing by members of the Western Massachusetts Master Gardeners Association at a Garden Clinic.  Included with general admission.

 

June 7, 14, 21, 28  *  Demonstrations

Open Hearth Cooking

9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Hall Tavern kitchen

Experience the sights, sounds, and aromas of hearth cooking while learning about colonial foods and diet.  See what’s growing when you visit the Cooks’ Garden dedicated in memory of Margaret Quinn Orloske.  Included with general admission.

 

June 14–15  *  Conference

New England and the Caribbean

The annual meeting of the Dublin Seminar for New England Folklife will take place in Deerfield, with a program of approximately seventeen lectures and workshops.  For more information and to register, please contact Peter Benes at dublsem@bu.edu. 

JULY 2008

July 5–July 31  *  Daily Family Activities

Insect Investigations

12 noon–4 p.m., History Workshop

Put away your flyswatter and come learn about the many contributions of insects to the lives of early Americans.  We have all enjoyed the honey that bees make, but did you know that insects have been used to make ink, red dye, and cloth?  Some of the tiniest insects play some very big roles:  for example, we wouldn’t have chocolate without the tiny midge insects that pollinate the flowers of the cacao tree.  Our “Insect Lab” will introduce some of these important insects.  Visitors can search for the good works of insects in our historic houses and galleries, using a printed guide.  Make an insect journal to take home.  Included with general admission.

 

July 5, 12, 19, 26  *  Demonstrations

Summer Cooking

9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Hall Tavern kitchen

During the hot summer months, come learn how people in early New England kept cool, and preserved summer produce.  Our open hearth cooks will demonstrate how to make cooling beverages including lemonade and switchel (a drink made with molasses, ginger, sugar and water).  See how people preserved summer vegetables like cucumbers or beets.  See what’s growing when you visit the Cooks’ Garden dedicated in memory of Margaret Quinn Orloske.  Included with general admission.

 

July 10  *  Summer Lecture Series

Understanding Wood in Early American Furniture

7:30 p.m., Flynt Center of Early New England Life (air-conditioned)

Bruce Hoadley, professor of Building Materials and Wood Technology in the Department of Natural Resources Conservation at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, will present the first of three talks in the series "Seeing the Forest for the Trees: The History of New England Woodlands," related to the new exhibition Into the Woods: Crafting Early American Furniture.  Free.

 

July 17  *  Summer Lecture Series

The Mahogany Connection: From American Rainforests to New England Parlors

7:30 p.m., Flynt Center of Early New England Life (air-conditioned)

Jennifer L. Anderson, assistant professor of Atlantic History at the State University of New York Stony Brook, will present the second talk in the series.  Free.

 

July 24  *  Summer Lecture Series

From Logs to Lumber: A History of People & Rule Making in New England

7:30 p.m., Flynt Center of Early New England Life (air-conditioned)

Tom Whalen, author, will present the final talk in the series.  Free.

 

AUGUST 2008

August 1–17  *  Daily Family Activities

Insect Investigations

12 noon–4 p.m., History Workshop

Put away your flyswatter and come learn about the many contributions of insects to the lives of early Americans.  We have all enjoyed the honey that bees make, but did you know that insects have been used to make ink, red dye, and cloth?  Some of the tiniest insects play some very big roles:  for example, we wouldn’t have chocolate without the tiny midge insects that pollinate the flowers of the cacao tree.  Our “Insect Lab” will introduce some of these important insects.  Visitors can search for the good works of insects in our historic houses and galleries, using a printed guide.  Make an insect journal to take home.  Included with general admission.

 

August 30  *  New Exhibition Opening

What’s New:  Recent Acquisitions at Historic Deerfield, 2007-2008

Opening August 30, 2008

Check out some of Historic Deerfield's newest additions to the collection!  On view will be an exquisitely decorated pole screen dated 1810.  The wooden elements are attributed to Greenfield cabinetmaker Daniel Clay (1770–1848).  From 1798 to 1826, Clay produced a wide variety of furniture forms such as Windsor chairs, carriages, and wooden tablewares before he left the trade and became a pharmacist in New York City. On view through February 1, 2009.

 

Schedule subject to change without notice.