(c) Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Deerfield MA. All rights reserved. Contact us for information about using this image.
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This tile depicts an event that had already attained mythical status by the early 19th century: the landing of the Pilgrims on Cape Cod in 1620. The earthenware tile with a blue transfer print communicates what were, by the 19th century, the key elements of the story. The tiny Mayflower lies anchored offshore while a small party debarks from a shore boat onto Plymouth Rock. The forbidding, snowy coastline presages the hardships of the first winter and the country's native inhabitants observe watchfully.