Printing Woodblock with Image of a Peacock      

This small printing block still retains traces of the blue dye used in textile printing, evidence of the process of dipping the block in dye then pressing it into fabric or paper to create intricate patterns. This woodblock was carved by Richard Brunton, a Hessian soldier hired by the British to fight the Continental Army. He eventually came to Groton, and despite being escorted out of town at his first arrival due to his less-than-patriotic past, he eventually found work in Groton as a textile printer, artist, and counterfeiter.