Objectives:

Students will

• examine and analyze culturally significant objects from colonial Boston.
• construct a story around the life and work of Nathaniel Hurd from a list of keywords excerpted from a passage about Nathaniel Hurd.
• learn about colonial trades and apprenticeships and create a representational sign in the manner of a colonial limner (sign painter).

Lesson times:

If you attend the About Face exhibit at the Memorial Art Gallery, this lesson could be a pre-visit or post-visit activity.

Vocabulary:

apprenticeship - a common way for young men to learn a trade during colonial times. Boys were often apprenticed to a master tradesman for a prescribed period of time to acquire the skills of the trade by watching and working with their experienced master.

cann - tulip-shaped mug popular in the 18^th century.

silversmith - one whose occupation is making and repairing articles of silver.

trade - another name for the occupations people had during the colonial era. Usually it required some prior training through an apprenticeship during which time the necessary skills would be learned.

Prior Knowledge:

Students should have begun study of colonial America, with some basic background in pre-Revolutionary Boston.

1. Images

Image #1
John Singleton Copley
American, 1737-1815
Nathaniel Hurd, ca. 1765
Oil on canvas, 29 3/8 x 24 5/8"

Memorial Art Gallery,
Marion Stratton Gould Fund, 44.2

Image 19:

Jacob Hurd
American, d. 1758
Teapot, ca. 1740
Silver with wood handle
97.6.3

Historic Deerfield Inc., Deerfield, Massachusetts
Gift of Janette F. Weber in memory of her husband, Frederick C. Weber, Jr., M.D.

Courtesy of Historic Deerfield, Inc.,
Photography by Amanda Merullo

Image 20:

Nathaniel Hurd
American, 1729/30-1777
Cann
Silver
54.457

Historic Deerfield Inc., Deerfield, Massachusetts

Courtesy of Historic Deerfield, Inc.,
Photography by Amanda Merullo

Image 21:

Nathaniel Hurd
American, 1729/30-1777
Teapot
Silver
60.1045

Courtesy, Winterthur Museum

2. Nathaniel Hurd: Silversmith in pre-Revolutionary Boston worksheet #1 (HTML or Word)
3. Nathaniel Hurd: Silversmith in pre-Revolutionary Boston worksheet #2 (HTML or Word)
4. Internet access for follow-up activity (optional)
5. Large pieces of paper to use for sign making
6. Markers/crayons/colored pencil

Lesson:

1. Look at images of silver pieces by Jacob and Nathaniel Hurd (Slides #19-21).
2. Begin by asking open-ended questions about the silver pieces.

• What are they?
• What are they decorated with?
• What are they made out of?
• What size are they?
• How much do you think they cost?
• How were things like this made in the 18th century?
• Who would have been responsible for making things like this?

3. Look at the image of the MAG's Hurd portrait (Image #1) alongside the image of Hurd's cann (Image #20).
4. Next give each student a copy of the list of words taken from the short story on Nathaniel Hurd's life. Give them 20-25 minutes to write a short story about Nathaniel Hurd and the silver pieces based on the words provided on the worksheet. Students have to include every word on the list in their story.
5. These stories can be funny or silly. Their participation in constructing a story about the past will pique their curiosity to find out the real story.
6. Students can share their stories with the class. Then give students the real historical story about Nathaniel Hurd (worksheet #2) and tell them to keep an eye out for the words they used to make a story. How is the real story different? Are there any words that you didn't expect to see used in a certain way?

Follow-up: (Option #1)
This activity will broaden the students' exposure to the kinds of trades that existed during colonial time. First the students will visit "Colonial Williamsburg Historical Almanack". Or, if Internet access is limited you can print out and photocopy the relevant pages prior to the class session. Under 'Experience Colonial Life', there are a number of trades listed with a description of each. After having read about the different types of trades, the students will choose one of the trades that existed during colonial times and make a representational sign that would be hung outside of a shop's window. Students may wish to see the Memorial Art Gallery's collection of trade signs from 19th century Rochester area.

When all the signs are complete hang them up and as a group, guess what each sign is meant to display. Ask students why signs are not as representational today as they were during colonial times. This activity is from http://www.mmhschool.com/teach/socialstud/grade3-6/wl549-2.html

Follow-up: (Option #2)
Show the video "Silversmith of Williamsburg; The Extraordinary work of a Skilled Craftsman" (available on loan from the Gallery's Teacher Resource Center).

Think about it:
For the most part, colonial American women worked in the home, but a small percentage of women were tradespeople, such as silversmiths and printers. How did women receive training for their trades in a culture that didn't approve of women working in the public sphere?

Evaluation:
Students will be assessed on their active participation in the discussions, writing, exploration at the Gallery visit, and their ability to read other students' signs. Students should have an understanding of the basic issues concerning colonial trades and apprenticeships.

Summary:
Students will examine culturally significant objects from colonial Boston, which will lead to exploration of colonial trades and apprenticeships through a creative writing assignment and creating their own colonial trade sign.