"New Yorker" Reaper, circa 1852

01

Artifact Overview

The "New Yorker" Reaper was made between 1851 and 1853 by Seymour and Morgan, one of the earliest manufacturers of harvesting machinery, and is similar to Cyrus McCormick's "Virginia" reaper. Horse-drawn reapers like this greatly expanded the productivity of American farmers by reducing labor requirements over harvesting by hand with a sickle, while allowing the increase of land under cultivation.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Reaper

Date Made

circa 1852

Creator Notes

Made by Globe Iron Works, a division of Seymour & Morgan, in Brockport, New York.

Location

at Henry Ford Museum in Made in America

Object ID

00.1198.1

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Gifford Morgan.

Material

Wood (Plant material)
Iron (Metal)

Dimensions

Width: 9.416 ft (Width of reaper)
Length: 17.25 ft
Weight: 920 lbs
Width: 5 ft (Width of Cut)

"New Yorker" Reaper, circa 1852