Butter Churn

This device at Smith’s Tavern is a type of crank barrel butter churn.  A metal barrel lying sideways (less than a full barrel as the side is open) attached to a wooden support frame with a wooden crank handle on one side.  The open-top shows a wooden blender in a frame shape operated by a metal shaft turned by the crank. The device appears to be handmade vs mass manufactured.  Research was unable to discover any similar styled device.

 

A butter churn was a device used to convert cream into butter.  This was done through a mechanical process, frequently via a pole inserted vertically through the lid of the churn, or via a crank used to turn a rotating device inside the churn (latter is the style of the Smith Tavern device).  

 

Reference:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butter_churn

Catalog Items:

Item T49

Location:	Right Shelf - Bottom
Length:	35 cm
Width:	51 cm
Height:	43 cm
Weight:	6123 g