The Dutch Chamber
This room is an exhibition created by the Colonial Dames in 1918 to represent a typical 17th century dwelling in New Amsterdam, the Dutch colony established on Manhattan Island. An all-purpose chamber such as this would have provided cooking, eating, and sleeping space for a middle-class family. The traditional Dutch cabinet bed kept parents snug in the top compartment and children warm below by trapping their body heat inside.
A painted "priksled" owned by Jacob Hop was used by the child on ice and snow and propelled with short poles resembling ski poles can be found in the Dutch Room. The sled’s back panel is carved with the phrase Hoop Op Vreede which translates to hope for peace.