Peter K. Meier Cranberry Collection

or

Peter K. Meier (b. July 3, 1954, Whitman, Massachusetts) was a business owner and operator of heavy agricultural equipment and a cranberry grower. He has been a lifelong collector. The Peter K. Meier Cranberry Collection at Heritage Museums & Gardens focuses on the history of Massachusetts’ cranberry culture from 1830 to the 2000s. Items include barrel stencils, barrel labels, photographs, postcards, product packaging, advertisements, signage, ephemera, newspaper clippings, correspondence, and business records of people and companies in the cranberry industry, such as growers, vine dealers, barrel makers, equipment manufacturers, distributors, and fruit merchants. Prominent names in the collection include Marcus Urann (co-founder of Ocean Spray), A.D. Makepeace, Eatmor, H.R. Bailey, Hayden Manufacturing Co., E.P. Washburn, H. Clayton "Clate" McFarlin, and others. The collection also includes books, periodicals, artwork, and tools and equipment for cultivation and harvesting (e.g., scoops, barrels, boxes, sorting tables, and separators).

The Peter K. Meier Cranberry Collection was purchased with funds given in memory of Mary Ann and Edward Gelsthorpe by Cynthia and John Fish.