From the museum’s permanent collection

by | Jul 23, 2021

conch shell

If you lived in what would become Amherst in the 18th century, this conch shell would have called you to the meetinghouse to worship. “Blowing the kunk,” as it was known, was an appointed job in the community, and the man responsible for blowing this kunk also swept out the meetinghouse and received for his troubles $3 a year.