Plymouth Rock

Object NamePaper weight

Manufacturer Providence Inkstand Co. (American (Providence, RI))

Manufacturer New England Glass Company (American (Cambridge, MA), 1817 - 1880)

Datec. 1876

MediumNon-flint clear pressed glass

Dimensions4 x 2 3/4 x 1 5/8 in. (10.2 x 7 x 4.1 cm)

ClassificationsDecorative Arts, Glass

Credit LineGift of Kay Beckett in memory of Neta Snook. In the Iowa Quester Glass Collection, Brunnier Art Museum, University Museums, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.

Object numberUM2003.79

Status

On view

Collections

CultureAmerican

Label TextPlymouth Rock is a traditional symbol of the landing of the Pilgrims in 1620 and the founding of Plymouth Colony in present-day Massachusetts. Although there is no contemporary evidence that the Pilgrims actually stepped on the rock when they came ashore from the Mayflower, it became associated with the event in the 18th century as Americans sought tangible symbols of their colonial origins. Over time, Plymouth Rock came to represent endurance, faith, and the beginnings of self-government in America. Despite being moved, broken, and reassembled, the rock remains a powerful emblem of national origins and collective memory, drawing visitors as a monument to the early settlers and the ideals they are believed to have brought with them. Seelye, John (1998). Memory’s Nation: The Place of Plymouth Rock. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press.

Locations