Eunice Williams Being Carried in Pageant of Old Deerfield
Historic pageants at Deerfield, Massachusetts, in the early 20th century reflected American interest in the colonial period by concentrating on scenes of Deerfield's English forefathers overpowering Native Americans. Each pageant featured reenactments of the sacking of Deerfield in 1704, including a moving scene of little Eunice Williams being carried away by darkly painted “Indians.” The pageants depicted the Puritans as a righteous and suffering people, and the Native Americans as savages in an inevitable societal decline. In acting out these conflicts, Deerfield residents portrayed their ancestors' (and by association, their own) sacrifices for the town. The photograph was taken by Frances and Mary Allen.
Date: 1913
Topic: Portraits
Materials: Photograph
Dimensions: n.a.
Accession #: 1996.14.1430