The first shots of the Battle of Brooklyn were fired into a watermelon patch outside the Red Lion Inn. Two British soldiers were checking out the patch when they were shot on by the Americans. In doing so the Americans inadvertently revealed their position. A few hours later they were stormed by the British. The watermelon patch had been planted by the Inn’s owner to further entice tourists who came to see an nearby rock formation known as the “devils footprint” Watermelon at the time was considered an American delicacy, but it’s actually not native to North America. How did it end up here? The watermelon drawer contains a map of the migration of the watermelon from Africa to Asia to Europe and finally to the Americas. The drawer also contains a jar of pickled watermelons, seed packets of various heirloom varieties which viewers are welcome to take. And a silly visual joke — a fully grown watermelon sitting under a grow lamp in the darkened back of the the drawer.
