Atherton Chaffee, Westminster, Vermont, 1776 1963

Editor: This is Ann Parker’s “Atherton Chaffee, Westminster, Vermont, 1776,” from the Harvard Art Museums. It looks like a rubbing from a gravestone! What can you tell me about it? Curator: This work speaks volumes about the materiality of memory. Think about the labor involved in creating the original stone, the tools used, and now, the process of rubbing to create this print. Editor: So, you are thinking about how the artist and the original artisan used their hands to make the work? Curator: Exactly! Consider the social context of gravestones, mass production, and how the act of rubbing democratizes access to these historical markers. Editor: I never thought about the social implications of making a rubbing! Curator: It makes you consider the value we place on craftsmanship versus mechanical reproduction, doesn't it?