It’s Tuesday! Enjoy another peek into Midway’s Permanent Collection.

This hickory bentwood cradle was used by farmers to carry their infants with them into the fields while they worked. It could be pulled along behind them by its curved handle and the wood slats curve down and create a flat bottom. The cradle is suspended with two rings that hook on each end, allowing it to sway back and forth to keep babies calm and happy while mom and dad work in the field.

This cradle was donated to Midway Village Museum in 1975 by four grandchildren of George W. Marsh – the same family that built and lived in one of the houses that is located in our Victorian Village! The cradle still features the original red paint with gold stenciling. It was manufactured by Ford Johnson & Company in Michigan City, Indiana, and was patented by Abner Woodward on October 17, 1876.

#MuseumSurvivalKit