Chestnutting

Label

During the 19th century, edible chestnuts were an important crop produced in great abundance that sustained people, wildlife, and livestock. The nuts were shipped in large quantities along the eastern seaboard, where they were roasted and sold by street vendors in
major cities. In this print, multiple groups of children gather around chestnut trees to shake down and collect the nuts. A favorite autumn activity of rural children, chestnutting provided both entertainment and sustenance. It faced a steep decline in the early 20th century due to a tree fungus that spread from East Asia to North America and Europe. Today, scientists, federal agencies, and Indigenous
conservationists are working together to produce a blightresistant chestnut and return the tree to our landscape.

Course History

Anthropology 3.01, Introduction to Cultural Anthropology, Charis Boke, Summer 2024

First Year Student Enrichment Program, Rachel Obbard, Summer 2024

Exhibition History

From the Field: Tracing Foodways Through Art, Owen Robertson Cheatham Gallery, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, June 8-November 3, 2024.

Provenance

Cora McDevitt Wilson (1880-1975), The Book & Print Shop, Hanover, New Hampshire; sold to present collection, 1943.

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Subjects