Cranberry Rake

THF197456 / Cranberry Rake
01

Artifact Overview

Cranberries grow on vines in sandy bogs. Historically, pickers harvested the fruit by hand during dry conditions. Commercial production required managed wetlands with ditches and flumes to flood the cranberry bogs. Pickers then knocked the fruit from the vines with a toothed rake or scoop. The fruit fell into the tool's receptacle or floated on the surface, where harvesters scooped them up.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Cranberry rake

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

2022.0.22.348

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Wood (Plant Material)
Metal

Color

Brown
Black (Color)

Dimensions

Height: 8.5 in
Width: 10 in
Length: 44.5 in

Inscriptions

stenciled on back: PARKER & GANNETT / AGRICULTURAL WAREHOUSE / [obscured] / SEED STORE / NO 8 / [worn off] MARKET ST / [worn off] MERCHANT / BOSTON MASS / 4