Split Birch Broom

From the collections of PVMA • Digital image © Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Assoc. • Image use information

About this item

To make a birch broom, a small birch tree was harvested, the bark was removed, and by making small slices along the length at one end, the broommaker could peel back thin ribbons of wood.  Once enough had been peeled, the thin center core of the tree was cut off and the ribbons were folded away from the handle (the tree trunk) and tied together in a bundle. This  broom was one of the first objects gathered for the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association’s Memorial Hall Museum in Deerfield, Massachusetts.

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Details

Item typeHousehold Objects
Tools & Equipment
Basket, Broom, Brush Making
CreatorField, Deacon Phineas
Date1875
PlaceCharlemont, Massachusetts
TopicHome Life, Household Items, Furniture
Industry, Occupation, Work
EraCivil War and Reconstruction, 1861–1877
MaterialWood
Dimension detailsLength: 49.00 in
Catalog #1878.11.02
View this item in our curatorial database →
Field, Deacon Phineas. Split Birch Broom. 1875. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/1878-11-02/. Accessed on December 5, 2024.

Please note: Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.