Press Kit
The Crafts Center
| For Immediate Release |
Contact: Jennifer Monac
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(508) 746-1622 x8206
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The Crafts Center
At Plimoth Plantation, Plymouth, MA
Backgrounder
By the time the "Pilgrims" set sail from England in 1620, London was a major manufacturing center where cloth, leather, soap and glassware were made. It was also a leading European port through which these and other products flowed out of the country as exports. Imports were also part of the common commerce. Even ordinary folk living in England in the early 17th century were accustomed to having wine from France, linens from Holland, brass from Germany, tar from Russia and pepper from the East Indies. When the Plymouth colonists emigrated to America, and needed to concentrate their own efforts on feeding themselves, it was quite natural for them to look to their old sources of supply in London for goods they needed, but hadn't the time or resources to create from raw materials.
One of the many myths about the English colonists is that they made candles, wove cloth, built furniture and created other necessities with their own hands. The truth is, they were far too busy building houses, farming, raising children and doing what was necessary to survive to spend time making goods which they could import. For this reason, the making of such items is not represented in Plimoth Plantation'sł 1627 English Village.
In order to represent the origins of these 17th-century items, Plimoth Plantation created the Crafts Center. A modern day living exhibit, the Crafts Center is a place where visitors can see these goods being made, ask questions of the artisans (something not possible in the Village where interpreters never step out of their 1627 characters), and even purchase items made by the artisans.
Here, visitors can watch artisans create reproductions of the daily wardrobe and furnishings, which were imported from England and Europe. You can find a joiner preparing wood to make period style chairs, beds, cupboards and other furniture for use in Village houses. A potter may be making earthenware pitchers, three handled cups, cooking pots and other items for everyday household use within the living history exhibits. Nearby, a basket maker could be working with willow imported from England to create a wide variety of baskets.
After watching the artisans create these beautiful objects, visitors can walk into the adjacent museum shop and purchase these same items, or place a custom order for a basket or piece of furniture. Books on subjects ranging from handicrafts to horticulture are available with information about period goods and how to make them. In addition, the shop carries handcrafted objects made elsewhere, such as herbal salves or teas, handmade soaps, delft chargers and pewter porringers. Prices here span a broad range starting at under a dollar for a redware marble.
Plimoth Plantation is a non-profit, educational institution that is supported by admission fees, contributions, memberships, function sales, and revenue from our dining programs/services and museum shops. The museum receives support from private foundations, corporations, local businesses, and the Massachusetts Cultural Council.
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