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(c) Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Deerfield MA. All rights reserved.
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Taken in Deerfield, Massachusetts, in the very early years of the 20th century, the Allen Sisters photograph illustrates the care given a piece of farm equipment to allow it to function most efficiently. The scythe, a long blade with handle attached at a right angle, must be razor-sharp so that, when swung in an arc, it will cut the grain or the brush deftly. The bearded man dressed in work clothes is using a whetstone to sharpen the blade of his scythe. He is set to cut the grass in the apple orchard, illustrating the multiple use of a piece of land in this hand-tool era.

 

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"Sharpening the Scythe"

photographer   Frances and Mary Allen
date   c. 1900
location   Deerfield, Massachusetts
height   8.25"
width   6.25"
process/materials   platinum print
item type   Photograph/Photograph
accession #   #1996.14.0308.01-.03


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See Also...

"Last Furrow"

"Haying"

Harvest Time


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