Laundry

Among the most treasured works in The Orton Collection are several paintings of old homesteads that depict clothes, towels, and bed linens hung out to dry on a clothesline strung across the front porch or out by the barn. In Lyman’s words, “There is nothing more consistent with a Vermonter’s heritage of practicality, frugality, and common sense than hanging the washing outside and letting Mother Nature dry it with absolutely no use of energy. Sunshine and the breeze are free! It just doesn’t make sense not to use them! After all, clothes dryers use more energy than any other household appliance.”

Excerpt from the book For the Love of Vermont: The Lyman Orton Collection