Buttermilk Pedlar

William P. Chappel American

Not on view

The ever-growing network of farms and ferries that extended throughout the region supplied city residents with an array of foods, including buttermilk. Those who could not get to the market relied on peddlers for convenience. The Dutch-style brick residence and carriage house at right are commodious; though, the older Dutch style had fallen out of fashion with some. In 1806, a Philadelphian derided them as "uncouth," scoffing that one "might walk up the wall to the peak of the roof with tolerable safety, the mason having kindly built it so as to form steps of about ten inches in height. They were probably once thought handsome."

Buttermilk Pedlar, William P. Chappel (American, 1801–1878), Oil on slate paper, American

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.