Focus On Cooking

Although no battle of the American Revolution occurred on Deerfield’s soil, the town experienced conflict of another sort. Scarred by external forces in the town’s early years, the community now saw danger within. A once close-knit village of residents bound together by blood, who practiced the same faith and farmed and served on town offices alongside one another, was torn asunder in the 1770s by the growing political crisis. Relatives and neighbors found themselves navigating a new divide, with some vocal and steadfast in their beliefs. Others were caught between sides, either unsure or unwilling to declare loyalties. Tensions continued to intensify and affected every single person throughout this small community.

To bring this lost aspect of print culture into our new exhibition, Picturing the Revolution, we created a reproduction of one such spectacle: the theatrical obelisk created in 1766 by the Sons of Liberty to celebrate the repeal of the deeply unpopular Stamp Act.

Created to celebrate the Marquis de Lafayette’s 1826 visit during the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, this painted sign—originally from South Hadley and measuring 36 × 56 inches​​—is a remarkable expression of early American patriotism.