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diff --git a/old/53057-0.txt b/old/53057-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 0d9fa54..0000000 --- a/old/53057-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,9971 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's Furniture of the Olden Time, by Frances Clary Morse - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Furniture of the Olden Time - -Author: Frances Clary Morse - -Release Date: September 15, 2016 [EBook #53057] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FURNITURE OF THE OLDEN TIME *** - - - - -Produced by Giovanni Fini, Suzanne Shell and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - - - - - - - TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES: - -—Obvious print and punctuation errors were corrected. - -—Bold text has been rendered ad =bold text=. - -—Superscript letters have been rendered as word^s. - - - - - FURNITURE - - OF THE OLDEN TIME - - - - - THE MACMILLAN COMPANY - - NEW YORK · BOSTON · CHICAGO · DALLAS - ATLANTA · SAN FRANCISCO - - MACMILLAN & CO., LIMITED - - LONDON · BOMBAY · CALCUTTA - MELBOURNE - - THE MACMILLAN CO. OF CANADA, LTD. - - TORONTO - -[Illustration] - - - FURNITURE - OF - THE OLDEN TIME - - BY - FRANCES CLARY MORSE - - NEW EDITION - WITH A NEW CHAPTER AND MANY NEW ILLUSTRATIONS - - - “_How much more agreeable it is to sit in the midst of old furniture - like Minott’s clock, and secretary and looking-glass, which have come - down from other generations, than amid that which was just brought - from the cabinet-maker’s, smelling of varnish, like a coffin! To sit - under the face of an old clock that has been ticking one hundred and - fifty years—there is something mortal, not to say immortal, about it; - a clock that begun to tick when Massachusetts was a province._” H. D. - THOREAU, “Autumn.” - - - New York - - THE MACMILLAN COMPANY - - 1926 - - _All rights reserved_ - - - - - COPYRIGHT, 1902 AND 1917, - BY THE MACMILLAN COMPANY. - - Set up and electrotyped November, 1902. Reprinted April, 1903; - July, 1905; February, 1908; September, 1910; September, 1913. - -New edition, with a new chapter and new illustrations, December, 1917. - - - Norwood Press - - _J. S. Cushing Co._—_Berwick & Smith Co._ - - _Norwood, Mass., U.S.A._ - - - - - To my Sister - - ALICE MORSE EARLE - - - - - Contents - - - PAGE - - INTRODUCTION 1 - - - CHAPTER I - - CHESTS, CHESTS OF DRAWERS, AND DRESSING-TABLES 10 - - - CHAPTER II - - BUREAUS AND WASHSTANDS 41 - - - CHAPTER III - - BEDSTEADS 64 - - - CHAPTER IV - - CUPBOARDS AND SIDEBOARDS 84 - - - CHAPTER V - - DESKS 117 - - - CHAPTER VI - - CHAIRS 154 - - - CHAPTER VII - - SETTLES, SETTEES, AND SOFAS 213 - - - CHAPTER VIII - - TABLES 242 - - - CHAPTER IX - - MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS 280 - - - CHAPTER X - - FIRES AND LIGHTS 315 - - - CHAPTER XI - - CLOCKS 348 - - - CHAPTER XII - - LOOKING-GLASSES 374 - - - CHAPTER XIII - - DOORWAYS, MANTELS, AND STAIRS 411 - - - GLOSSARY 451 - - INDEX OF THE OWNERS OF FURNITURE 459 - - GENERAL INDEX 465 - - - - -List of Illustrations - - - Lacquered Desk with Cabinet Top _Frontispiece_ - - ILLUS. PAGE - - Looking-glass, 1810-1825 10 - - 1. Oak Chest, about 1650 11 - - 2. Olive-wood Chest, 1630-1650 13 - - 3. Panelled Chest with One Drawer, about 1660 14 - - 4. Oak Chest with Two Drawers, about 1675 15 - - 5. Panelled Chest with Two Drawers, about 1675 16 - - 6. Carved Chest with One Drawer, about 1700 17 - - 7. Panelled Chest upon Frame, 1670-1700 18 - - 8. Panelled Chest upon Frame, 1670-1700 18 - - 9. Panelled Chest of Drawers, about 1680 19 - - 10. Panelled Chest of Drawers, about 1680 20 - - 11. Handles 21 - - 12. Six-legged High Chest of Drawers, 1705-1715 22 - - 13. Walnut Dressing-table, about 1700 23 - - 14. Lacquered Dressing-table, about 1720 24 - - 15. Cabriole-legged High Chest of Drawers with China - Steps, about 1720 26 - - 16. Lacquered High-boy, 1730 27 - - 17. Inlaid Walnut High Chest of Drawers, 1733 28 - - 18. Inlaid Walnut High Chest of Drawers, about 1760 29 - - 19. “Low-boy” and “High-boy” of Walnut, about 1740 30 - - 20. Walnut Double Chest, about 1760 32 - - 21. Double Chest, 1760-1770 33 - - 22. Block-front Dressing-table, about 1750 34 - - 23. Dressing-table, about 1760 35 - - 24. Chest of Drawers, 1740 36 - - 25. High Chest of Drawers, about 1765 37 - - 26. Dressing-table and Looking-glass, about 1770 39 - - 27. Walnut Dressing-table, about 1770 40 - - Looking-glass, 1810-1825 41 - - 28. Block-front Bureau, about 1770 42 - - 29. Block-front Bureau, about 1770 43 - - 30. Block-front Bureau, about 1770 45 - - 31. Kettle-shaped Bureau, about 1770 44 - - 32. Serpentine-front Bureau, about 1770 46 - - 33. Serpentine-front Bureau, about 1785 47 - - 34. Swell-front Inlaid Bureau, about 1795 48 - - 35. Handles 49 - - 36. Dressing-glass, about 1760 50 - - 37. Bureau and Dressing-glass, 1795 51 - - 38. Bureau and Dressing-glass, about 1810 52 - - 39. Bureau and Miniature Bureau, about 1810 53 - - 40. Dressing-table and Glass, about 1810 54 - - 41. Case of Drawers with Closet, 1810 55 - - 42. Bureau, about 1815 56 - - 43. Bureau, 1815-1820 57 - - 44. Empire Bureau and Glass, 1810-1820 58 - - 45. Basin Stand, 1770 59 - - 46. Corner Washstand, 1790 60 - - 47. Towel-rack and Washstand, 1790-1800 61 - - 48. Washstand, 1815-1830 62 - - 49. Night Table, 1785 62 - - 50. Washstand, 1800-1810 63 - - Looking-glass, about 1770 64 - - 51. Wicker Cradle, 1620 65 - - 52. Oak Cradle, 1680 65 - - 53. Bedstead and Commode, 1750 66 - - 54. Field Bedstead, 1760-1770 67 - - 55. Claw-and-ball-foot Bedstead, 1774 69 - - 56. Bedstead, 1780 70 - - 57. Bedstead, 1775-1780 71 - - 58. Bedstead, 1789 72 - - 59. Bedstead, 1795-1800 74 - - 60. Bedstead, 1800-1810 75 - - 61. Bedstead, 1800-1810 76 - - 62. Bedstead, 1800-1810 77 - - 63. Bedstead, 1800-1810 78 - - 64. Bedstead and Steps, 1790 79 - - 65. Low-post Bedstead, about 1825 80 - - 66. Low-post Bedstead, 1820-1830 81 - - 67. Low Bedstead, about 1830 82 - - Looking-glass, 1770-1780 84 - - 68. Oak Press Cupboard, 1640 85 - - 69. Press Cupboard, about 1650 87 - - 70. Carved Press Cupboard, 1680-1690 88 - - 71. Corner “Beaufatt,” 1740-1750 90 - - 72. Kas, 1700 92 - - 73. Chippendale Side-table, about 1755 93 - - 74. Chippendale Side-table, 1765 94 - - 75. Shearer Sideboard and Knife-box, 1792 97 - - 76. Urn-shaped Knife-box, 1790 99 - - 77. Urn-shaped Knife-box, 1790 99 - - 78. Knife-box, 1790 100 - - 79. Hepplewhite Sideboard with Knife-boxes, 1790 102 - - 80. Hepplewhite Serpentine-front Sideboard, 1790 104 - - 81. Hepplewhite Sideboard, about 1795 105 - - 82. Sheraton Side-table, 1795 106 - - 83. Sheraton Side-table, 1795 107 - - 84. Sheraton Sideboard with Knife-box, 1795 108 - - 85. Sheraton Sideboard, about 1800 109 - - 86. Sheraton Sideboard, about 1805 110 - - 87. Cellarets, 1790 111 - - 88. Sideboard, 1810-1820 113 - - 89. Empire Sideboard, 1810-1820 114 - - 90. Mixing-table, 1790 115 - - 91. Mixing-table, 1810-1820 116 - - Looking-glass, about 1760 117 - - 92. Desk-boxes, 1654 118 - - 93. Desk-box, 1650 118 - - 94. Desk, about 1680 119 - - 95. Desk, about 1680 120 - - 96. Desk, 1710-1720 121 - - 97. Cabriole-legged Desk, 1720-1730 124 - - 98. Cabriole-legged Desk, 1760 125 - - 99. Desk, 1760 126 - - 100. Desk, about 1770 127 - - 101. Block-front Desk, Cabinet Top, about 1770 128 - - 102. Block-front Desk, about 1770 129 - - 103. Desk with Cabinet Top, about 1770 130 - - 104. Block-front Desk, about 1770 133 - - 105. Kettle-front Secretary, about 1765 135 - - 106. Block-front Writing-table, 1760-1770 136 - - 107. Serpentine-front Desk, Cabinet Top, 1770 137 - - 108. Serpentine or Bow-front Desk, about 1770 138 - - 109. Bill of Lading, 1716 139 - - 110. Bookcase and Desk, about 1765 142 - - 111. Chippendale Bookcase, 1770 143 - - 112. Hepplewhite Bookcase, 1789 144 - - 113. Maple Desk, about 1795 146 - - 114. Desk with Cabinet Top, 1790 147 - - 115. Sheraton Desk, 1795 149 - - 116. Tambour Secretary, about 1800 150 - - 117. Sheraton Desk, 1800 151 - - 118. Sheraton Desk, about 1810 152 - - 119. Desk, about 1820 153 - - Looking-glass, 1720-1740 154 - - 120. Turned Chair, Sixteenth Century 155 - - 121. Turned High-chair, Sixteenth Century 156 - - 122. Turned Chair, about 1600 157 - - 123. Turned Chair, about 1600 157 - - 124. Wainscot Chair, about 1600 158 - - 125. Wainscot Chair, about 1600 159 - - 126. Leather Chair, about 1660 160 - - 127. Chair originally covered with Turkey Work, about 1680 160 - - 128. Flemish Chair, about 1690 161 - - 129. Flemish Chair, about 1690 161 - - 130. Cane Chair, 1680-1690 162 - - 131. Cane High-chair and Arm-chair, 1680-1690 163 - - 132. Cane Chair, 1680-1690 164 - - 133. Cane Chair, 1680-1690 166 - - 134. Cane Chair, 1680-1690 166 - - 135. Turned Stool, 1660 167 - - 136. Flemish Stool, 1680-1690 167 - - 137. Cane Chair, 1690-1700 168 - - 138. Queen Anne Chair, 1710-1720 168 - - 139. Banister-back Chair, 1710-1720 169 - - 140. Banister-back Chair, 1710-1720 169 - - 141. Banister-back Chair, 1710-1740 170 - - 142. Roundabout Chair, about 1740 170 - - 143. Slat-back Chairs, 1700-1750 171 - - 144. Five-slat Chair, about 1750 172 - - 145. Pennsylvania Slat-back Chair, 1740-1750 173 - - 146. Windsor Chairs, 1750-1775 174 - - 147. Comb-back Windsor Rocking-chair, 1750-1775 175 - - 148. High-back Windsor Arm-chair and Child’s Chair, - 1750-1775 176 - - 149. Windsor Writing-chair, 1750-1775 177 - - 150. Windsor Rocking-chairs, 1820-1830 178 - - 151. Dutch Chair, 1710-1720 179 - - 152. Dutch Chair, about 1740 180 - - 153. Dutch Chair, about 1740 180 - - 154. Dutch Chair, 1740-1750 181 - - 155. Dutch Chair, 1740-1750 181 - - 156. Dutch Chairs, 1750-1760 182 - - 157. Dutch Roundabout Chair, 1740 183 - - 158. Easy-chair with Dutch Legs, 1750 184 - - 159. Claw-and-ball-foot Easy-chair, 1750 185 - - 160. Chippendale Chair 186 - - 161. Chippendale Chair 186 - - 162. Chippendale Chair 187 - - 163. Chippendale Chair 187 - - 164. Chippendale Chair 189 - - 165. Chippendale Chairs 188 - - 166. Chippendale Chair 190 - - 167. Roundabout Chair 190 - - 168. Extension-top Roundabout Chair, Dutch 191 - - 169. Roundabout Chair 192 - - 170. Chippendale Chair 192 - - 171. Chippendale Chair 193 - - 172. Chippendale Chair 193 - - 173. Chippendale Chair 194 - - 174. Chippendale Chair 194 - - 175. Chippendale Chair in “Chinese Taste” 195 - - 176. Chippendale Chair 196 - - 177. Chippendale Chair 196 - - 178. Hepplewhite Chairs 198 - - 179. Hepplewhite Chair 197 - - 180. Hepplewhite Chair, 1785 199 - - 181. Hepplewhite Chair, 1789 199 - - 182. Hepplewhite Chair, 1789 200 - - 183. French Chair, 1790 201 - - 184. Hepplewhite Chair, 1790 201 - - 185. Arm-chair, 1790 202 - - 186. Transition Chair, 1785 202 - - 187. Hepplewhite Chair 203 - - 188. Hepplewhite Chair 203 - - 189. Hepplewhite Chair 204 - - 190. Hepplewhite Chair 204 - - 191. Sheraton Chair 205 - - 192. Sheraton Chairs 206 - - 193. Sheraton Chair 207 - - 194. Sheraton Chair 207 - - 195. Sheraton Chair 208 - - 196. Sheraton Chair 208 - - 197. Sheraton Chair 209 - - 198. Painted Sheraton Chair, 1810-1815 209 - - 199. Late Mahogany Chairs, 1830-1845 210 - - 200. Maple Chairs, 1820-1830 212 - - Looking-glass, 1770-1780 213 - - 201. Pine Settle, Eighteenth Century 214 - - 202. Oak Settle, 1708 215 - - 203. Settee covered with Turkey work, 1670-1680 216 - - 204. Flemish Couch, 1680-1690 217 - - 205. Dutch Couch, 1720-1730 218 - - 206. Chippendale Couch, 1760-1770 218 - - 207. Chippendale Settee, 1760 219 - - 208. Sofa, 1740 220 - - 209. Chippendale Settee 221 - - 210. Double Chair, 1760 222 - - 211. Chippendale Double Chair and Chair in “Chinese Taste,” - 1760-1765 224 - - 212. Chippendale Double Chair, 1750-1750 225 - - 213. Chippendale Settee, 1770 226 - - 214. French Settee, 1790 227 - - 215. Hepplewhite Settee, 1790 228 - - 216. Sheraton Settee, 1790-1795 229 - - 217. Sheraton Sofa, 1790-1800 230 - - 218. Sheraton Sofa, about 1800 230 - - 219. Sheraton Settee, about 1805 231 - - 220. Sheraton Settee, 1805-1810 232 - - 221. Empire Settee, 1800-1810 232 - - 222. Empire Settee, 1816 233 - - 223. Sheraton Settee, 1800-1805 234 - - 224. Sofa in Adam Style, 1800-1810 235 - - 225. Sofa, 1815-1820 236 - - 226. Sofa, about 1820 237 - - 227. Cornucopia Sofa, about 1820 238 - - 228. Sofa and Miniature Sofa, about 1820 239 - - 229. Sofa about 1820 239 - - 230. Sofa and Chair, about 1840 240 - - 231. Rosewood Sofa, 1844-1848 241 - - Looking-glass, 1750-1780 242 - - 232. Chair Table, Eighteenth Century 243 - - 233. Oak Table, 1650-1675 244 - - 234. Slate-top Table, 1670-1680 245 - - 235. “Butterfly Table,” about 1700 245 - - 236. “Hundred-legged” Table, 1675-1700 246 - - 237. “Hundred-legged” Table, 1680-1700 247 - - 238. Gate-legged Table, 1680-1700 248 - - 239. Spindle-legged Table, 1740-1750 249 - - 240. “Hundred-legged” Table, 1680-1700 250 - - 241. Dutch Table, 1720-1740 251 - - 242. Dutch Card-table, 1730-1740 251 - - 243. Claw-and-ball-foot Table, about 1750 252 - - 244. Dutch Stand, about 1740 253 - - 245. “Pie-crust” Table, 1750 253 - - 246. “Dish-top” Table, 1750 254 - - 247. Tea-tables, 1750-1760 254 - - 248. Table and Easy-chair, 1760-1770 255 - - 249. Tripod Table, 1760-1770 256 - - 250. Chinese Fretwork Table, 1760-1770 256 - - 251. Stands, 1760-1770 258 - - 252. Tea-table, about 1770 258 - - 253. Chippendale Card-table, about 1765 259 - - 254. Chippendale Card-table, 1760 260 - - 255. Chippendale Card-table, about 1765 261 - - 256. Pembroke Table, 1760-1770 262 - - 257. Pembroke Table, 1780-1790 262 - - 258. Lacquer Tea-tables, 1700-1800 263 - - 259. Hepplewhite Card-table with Tea-tray, 1785-1790 264 - - 260. Hepplewhite Card-tables, 1785-1795 265 - - 261. Sheraton Card-table, 1800 266 - - 262. Sheraton Card-table, 1800-1810 266 - - 263. Sheraton “What-not,” 1800-1810 267 - - 264. Sheraton Dining-table and Chair, about 1810 267 - - 265. Sheraton Work-table, about 1800 268 - - 266. Sheraton Work-table, 1810-1815 268 - - 267. Maple and Mahogany Work-tables, 1810-1820 269 - - 268. Work-table, 1810 270 - - 269. Work-table, 1810 270 - - 270. Hepplewhite Dining-table, 1790 271 - - 271. Pillar-and-claw extension Dining-table, 1800 272 - - 272. Pillar-and-claw Centre-table, 1800 273 - - 273. Extension Dining-table, 1810 274 - - 274. Accordion Extension Dining-table, 1820 274 - - 275. Card-table, 1805-1810 275 - - 276. Phyfe Card-table, 1810-1820 275 - - 277. Phyfe Card-table, 1810-1820 276 - - 278. Phyfe Sofa-table, 1810-1820 277 - - 279. Pier-table, 1820-1830 278 - - 280. Work-table, 1810-1820 279 - - Looking-glass, 1760-1770 280 - - 281. Stephen Keene Spinet, about 1690 282 - - 282. Thomas Hitchcock Spinet, about 1690 284 - - 283. Broadwood Harpsichord, 1789 285 - - 284. Clavichord, 1745 288 - - 285. Clementi Piano, 1805 290 - - 286. Astor Piano, 1790-1800 292 - - 287. Clementi Piano, about 1820 293 - - 288. Combination Piano, Desk, and Toilet-table, about 1800 294 - - 289. Piano, about 1830 295 - - 290. Peter Erben Piano, 1826-1827 296 - - 291. Piano-stool, 1820-1830 298 - - 292. Piano, 1826 299 - - 293. Piano-stools, 1825-1830 300 - - 294. Table Piano, about 1835 301 - - 295. Piano, 1830 302 - - 296. Music-stand, about 1835 303 - - 297. Music-stand, about 1835 303 - - 298. Dulcimer, 1820-1830 304 - - 299. Harmonica or Musical Glasses, about 1820 305 - - 300. Music-stand, 1800-1810 306 - - 301. Music-case, 1810-1820 307 - - 302. Harp-shaped Piano, about 1800 308 - - 303. Cottage Piano, or Upright, 1800-1810 309 - - 304. Chickering Upright Piano, 1830 310 - - 305. Piano, about 1840 311 - - 306. Hawkey Square Piano, about 1845 312 - - 307. Harp, 1780-1790 313 - - Looking-glass, 1785-1795 315 - - 308. Kitchen Fireplace, 1760 316 - - 309. Andirons, Eighteenth Century 317 - - 310. Andirons, Eighteenth Century 317 - - 311. “Hessian” Andirons, 1776 318 - - 312. Fireplace, 1770-1775 319 - - 313. Steeple-topped Andirons and Fender, 1775-1790 320 - - 314. Andirons, Creepers and Fender, 1700-1800 321 - - 315. Brass Andirons, 1700-1800 322 - - 316. Brass-headed Iron Dogs, 1700-1800 322 - - 317. Mantel at Mount Vernon, 1760-1770 324 - - 318. Mantel with Hob-grate, 1776 325 - - 319. Franklin Stove, 1745-1760 327 - - 320. Iron Fire-frame, 1775-1800 328 - - 321. Betty Lamps, Seventeenth Century 329 - - 322. Candle-stands, First Half of Eighteenth Century 330 - - 323. Mantel with Candle Shade, 1775-1800 332 - - 324. Candlesticks, 1775-1800 333 - - 325. Crystal Chandelier, about 1760 334 - - 326. Silver Lamp from Mount Vernon, 1770-1800 335 - - 327. Glass Chandelier for Candles, 1760 336 - - 328. Embroidered Screen, 1780 338 - - 329. Sconce of “Quill-work,” 1720 340 - - 330. Tripod Screen, 1770 341 - - 331. Tripod Screen, 1765 341 - - 332. Candle-stand and Screen, 1750-1775 342 - - 333. Chippendale Candle-stand, 1760-1770 343 - - 334. Bronze Mantel Lamps, 1815-1840 344 - - 335. Brass Gilt Candelabra, 1820-1840 345 - - 336. Hall Lantern, 1775-1800 346 - - 337. Hall Lantern, 1775-1800 346 - - 338. Hall Lantern, 1760 347 - - Looking-glass, First Quarter of Eighteenth Century 348 - - 339. Lantern or Bird-cage Clock, First Half of Seventeenth - Century 349 - - 340. Lantern Clock, about 1680 350 - - 341. Friesland Clock, Seventeenth Century 350 - - 342. Bracket Clocks, 1780-1800 352 - - 343. Walnut Case and Lacquered Case Clocks, about 1738 354 - - 344. Gawen Brown Clock, 1765 356 - - 345. Gawen Brown Clock, 1780 356 - - 346. Maple Clock, 1770 357 - - 347. Rittenhouse Clock, 1770 357 - - 348. Tall Clock, about 1770 359 - - 349. Miniature Clock and Tall Clock, about 1800 360 - - 350. Tall Clock, 1800-1810 361 - - 351. Wall Clocks, 1800-1825 362 - - 352. Willard Clock, 1784 363 - - 353. Willard Clocks, 1800-1815 364 - - 354. Hassam Clock, 1800 366 - - 355. “Banjo” Clock, 1802-1820 367 - - 356. Presentation Clock, 1805 368 - - 357. Banjo Clock or Timepiece, 1802-1810 368 - - 358. Willard Timepiece, 1802-1810 369 - - 359. Lyre Clock, 1810-1820 369 - - 360. Lyre-shaped Clock, 1810-1820 370 - - 361. Eli Terry Shelf Clocks, 1824 371 - - 362. French Clock, about 1800 372 - - Looking-glass, First Quarter of the Eighteenth Century 374 - - 363. Looking-glass, 1690 375 - - 364. Looking-glass, 1690 376 - - 365. Looking-glass, about 1730 378 - - 366. Pier Glass in “Chinese Taste,” 1760 380 - - 367. Looking-glass, about 1760 382 - - 368. Looking-glass, 1770-1780 383 - - 369. Looking-glass, 1725-1750 384 - - 370. Looking-glass, 1770-1780 386 - - 371. Mantel Glass, 1725-1750 387 - - 372. Looking-glass, 1770 388 - - 373. Looking-glass, 1770 388 - - 374. Looking-glass, 1776 389 - - 375. Looking-glass, 1780 390 - - 376. Looking-glasses, 1750-1790 392 - - 377. Looking-glass, 1790 393 - - 378. Looking-glass, 1780 393 - - 379. Enamelled Mirror Knobs, 1770-1790 394 - - 380. Girandole, 1770-1780 395 - - 381. Looking-glass, Adam Style, 1780 396 - - 382. Looking-glass, 1790 397 - - 383. Hepplewhite Looking-glass, 1790 398 - - 384. Mantel Glass, 1783 399 - - 385. Looking-glass, 1790-1800 400 - - 386. “Bilboa Glass,” 1770-1780 402 - - 387. Mantel Glass, 1790 403 - - 388. Mantel Glass, 1800-1810 404 - - 389. Cheval Glass, 1830-1840 405 - - 390. Looking-glass, 1810-1825 406 - - 391. Looking-glass, 1810-1815 407 - - 392. Looking-glass, 1810-1825 408 - - 393. Pier Glass, 1810-1825 409 - - 394. Looking-glass, 1810-1825 410 - - Looking-glass 411 - - 395. Doorway and Mantel, Cook-Oliver House 413 - - 396. Doorway, Dalton House 414 - - 397. Mantel, Dalton House 416 - - 398. Mantel, Dalton House 417 - - 399. Hall and Stairs, Dalton House 418 - - 400. Mantel, Penny-Hallett House 419 - - 401. Doorway, Parker-Inches-Emery House 420 - - 402. Mantel, Lee Mansion 421 - - 403. Landing and Stairs, Lee Mansion 422 - - 404. Stairs, Harrison Gray Otis House 424 - - 405. Mantel, Harrison Gray Otis House 425 - - 406. Stairs, Robinson House 426 - - 407. Stairs, Allen House 427 - - 408. Balusters and Newel, Oak Hill 428 - - 409. Stairs, Sargent-Murray-Gilman House 429 - - 410. Mantel, Sargent-Murray-Gilman House 430 - - 411. Mantel, Kimball House 431 - - 412. Mantel, Lindall-Barnard-Andrews House 432 - - 413. Doorway, Larkin-Richter House 433 - - 414. Doorway, “Octagon” 434 - - 415. Mantel, “Octagon” 435 - - 416. Mantel, Schuyler House 436 - - 417. Mantel and Doorways, Manor Hall 438 - - 418. Mantel and Doorways, Manor Hall 439 - - 419. Mantel, Manor Hall 440 - - 420. Doorway, Independence Hall 441 - - 421. Stairs, Graeme Park 442 - - 422. Mantel and Doorways, Graeme Park 443 - - 423. Doorway, Chase House 445 - - 424. Entrance and Stairs, Cliveden 446 - - 425. Mantel, Cliveden 447 - - 426. Fretwork Balustrade, Garrett House 448 - - 427. Stairs, Valentine Museum 449 - - 428. Mantel, Myers House 450 - - - - - FURNITURE - - OF THE OLDEN TIME - - - - -Furniture of the Olden Time - - - - -INTRODUCTION - - -THE furniture of the American colonies was at first of English -manufacture, but before long cabinet-makers and joiners plied their -trade in New England, and much of the furniture now found there was -made by the colonists. In New Amsterdam, naturally, a different style -prevailed, and the furniture was Dutch. As time went on and the first -hardships were surmounted, money became more plentiful, until by the -last half of the seventeenth century much fine furniture was imported -from England and Holland, and from that time fashions in America were -but a few months behind those in England. - -In the earliest colonial times the houses were but sparsely furnished, -although Dr. Holmes writes of leaving— - - “The Dutchman’s shore, - With those that in the _Mayflower_ came, a hundred souls or more, - Along with all the furniture to fill their new abodes, - To judge by what is still on hand, at least a hundred loads.” - -If one were to accept as authentic all the legends told of various -pieces,—chairs, tables, desks, spinets, and even pianos,—Dr. Holmes’s -estimate would be too moderate. - -The first seats in general use were forms or benches, not more than one -or two chairs belonging to each household. The first tables were long -boards placed upon trestles. Chests were found in almost every house, -and bedsteads, of course, were a necessity. After the first chairs, -heavy and plain or turned, with strong braces or stretchers between the -legs, came the leather-covered chairs of Dutch origin, sometimes called -Cromwell chairs, followed by the Flemish cane chairs and couches. This -takes us to the end of the seventeenth century. During that period -tables with turned legs fastened to the top had replaced the earliest -“table borde” upon trestles, and the well-known “hundred legged” or -“forty legged” table had come into use. - -Cupboards during the seventeenth century were made of oak ornamented in -designs similar to those upon oak chests. Sideboards with drawers were -not used in this country until much later, although there is one of an -early period in the South Kensington Museum, made of oak, with turned -legs, and with drawers beneath the top. - -Desks were in use from the middle of the seventeenth century, made -first of oak and later of cherry and walnut. Looking-glasses were owned -by the wealthy, and clocks appear in inventories of the latter part of -the century. Virginals were mentioned during the seventeenth century, -and spinets were not uncommon in the century following. - -With the beginning of the eighteenth century came the strong influence -of Dutch fashions, and chairs and tables were made with the Dutch -cabriole or bandy leg, sometimes with the shell upon the knee, and -later with the claw-and-ball foot. Dutch high chests with turned legs -had been in use before this, and the high chest with bandy legs like -the chairs and tables soon became a common piece of furniture. With -other Dutch fashions came that of lacquering furniture with Chinese -designs, and tables, scrutoirs or desks, looking-glass frames, stands, -and high chests were ornamented in this manner. - -The wood chiefly used in furniture was oak, until about 1675, when -American black walnut came into use, and chests of drawers, tables, and -chairs were made of it; it was the wood oftenest employed in veneer at -that time. - -Sheraton wrote in 1803: “There are three species of walnut tree, the -English walnut, and the white and black Virginia. Hickory is reckoned -to class with the white Virginia walnut. The black Virginia was much in -use for cabinet work about forty or fifty years since in England, but -is now quite laid by since the introduction of mahogany.” - -Mahogany was discovered by Sir Walter Raleigh in 1595. The first -mention of its use in this country is in 1708. Mr. G. T. Robinson, in -the London _Art Journal_ of 1881, says that its first use in England -was in 1720, when some planks of it were brought to Dr. Gibbon by a -West India captain. The wood was pronounced too hard, and it was not -until Mrs. Gibbon wanted a candle-box that any use was made of the -planks, and then only because the obstinate doctor insisted upon it. -When the candle-box was finished, a bureau (_i.e._ desk) was made of -the wood, which was greatly admired, and as Mr. Robinson says, “Dr. -Gibbon’s obstinacy and Mrs. Gibbon’s candle-box revolutionized English -household furniture; for the system of construction and character of -design were both altered by its introduction.” It is probable that -furniture had been made in England of mahogany previous to 1720, but -that may be the date when it became fashionable. - -The best mahogany came from Santiago, Mexican mahogany being soft, and -Honduras mahogany coarse-grained. - -The earliest English illustrated book which included designs for -furniture was published by William Jones in 1739. Chippendale’s first -book of designs was issued in 1754. He was followed by Ince and -Mayhew, whose book was undated; Thomas Johnson—1758; Sir William -Chambers—1760; Society of Upholsterers—about 1760; Matthias -Lock—1765; Robert Manwaring—1766; Matthias Darly—1773; Robert and -J. Adam—1773; Thomas Shearer (in “The Cabinet-makers’ London Book of -Prices”)—1788; A. Hepplewhite & Co.—1789; Thomas Sheraton—1791-1793 -and 1803. - -Sir William Chambers in his early youth made a voyage to China, and it -is to his influence that we can attribute much of the rage for Chinese -furniture and decoration which was in force about 1760 to 1770. - -Thomas Chippendale lived and had his shop in St. Martin’s Lane, -London. Beyond that we know but little of his life. His book, “The -Gentleman’s and Cabinet-Maker’s Director,” was published in 1754, at -a cost of £3.13.6 per copy. The second edition followed in 1759, and -the third in 1762. It contains one hundred and sixty copper plates, -the first twenty pages of which are taken up with designs for chairs, -and it is largely as a chair-maker that Chippendale’s name has become -famous. His furniture combines French, Gothic, Dutch, and Chinese -styles, but so great was his genius that the effect is thoroughly -harmonious, while he exercised the greatest care in the construction of -his furniture—especially chairs. He was beyond everything a carver, -and his designs show a wealth of delicate carving. He used no inlay -or painting, as others had done before him, and as others did after -him, and only occasionally did he employ gilding, lacquer, or brass -ornamentation. - -Robert and James Adam were architects, trained in the classics. Their -furniture was distinctly classical, and was designed for rooms in the -Greek or Roman style. Noted painters assisted them in decorating the -rooms and the furniture, and Pergolesi, Angelica Kaufmann, and Cipriani -did not scorn to paint designs upon satinwood furniture. - -Matthias Lock and Thomas Johnson were notable as designers of frames -for pier glasses, ovals, girandoles, etc. - -Thomas Shearer’s name was signed to the best designs of those published -in 1788 in “The Cabinet-Makers’ Book of Prices.” His drawings -comprise tables of various sorts, dressing-chests, writing-desks, and -sideboards, but there is not one chair among them. He was the first to -design the form of sideboard with which we are familiar. - -As Chippendale’s name is used to designate the furniture of 1750-1780, -so the furniture of the succeeding period may be called Hepplewhite; -for although he was one of several cabinet-makers who worked together, -his is the best-known name, and his was probably the most original -genius. His chairs bear no resemblance to those of Chippendale, and -are lighter and more graceful; but because of the attention he paid -to those qualifications, strength of construction and durability were -neglected. His chair-backs have no support beside the posts which -extend up from the back legs, and upon these the shield or heart-shaped -back rests in such a manner that it could endure but little strain. - -Hepplewhite’s sideboards were admirable in form and decoration, and it -is from them and his chairs that his name is familiar in this country. -His swell or serpentine front bureaus were copied in great numbers here. - -His specialty was the inlaying or painting with which his furniture -was enriched. Satinwood had been introduced from India shortly before -this, and tables, chairs, sideboards, and bureaus were inlaid with this -wood upon mahogany, while small pieces were veneered entirely with it. -The same artists who assisted the Adam brothers painted medallions, -wreaths of flowers or arabesque work upon Hepplewhite’s satinwood -furniture. Not much of this painted furniture came to this country, -but the fashion was followed by our ancestresses, who were taught, -among other accomplishments, to paint flowers and figures upon light -wood furniture, tables and screens being the pieces usually chosen for -decoration. - -Thomas Sheraton published in 1791 and 1793, “The Cabinet-Maker and -Upholsterer’s Drawing Book”; in 1803, his “Cabinet Dictionary”; in -1804, “Designs for Household Furniture,” and “The Cabinet-Maker, -Upholsterer, and General Artist’s Encyclopedia,” which was left -unfinished in 1807. - -“The Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer’s Drawing Book” is largely taken -up with drawings and remarks upon perspective, which are hopelessly -unintelligible. His instructions for making the pieces designed are -most minute, and it is probably due to this circumstantial care that -Sheraton’s furniture, light as it looks, has lasted in good condition -for a hundred years or more. - -Sheraton’s chairs differ from Hepplewhite’s, which they resemble in -many respects, in the construction of the backs, which are usually -square, with the back legs extending to the top rail, and the lower -rail joining the posts a few inches above the seat. The backs were -ornamented with carving, inlaying, painting, gilding, and brass. The -lyre was a favorite design, and it appears in his chair-backs and in -the supports for tables, often with the strings made of brass wire. - -Sheraton’s sideboards are similar to those of Shearer and Hepplewhite, -but are constructed with more attention to the utilitarian side, with -sundry conveniences, and with the fluted legs which Sheraton generally -uses. His designs show sideboards also with ornamental brass rails at -the back, holding candelabra. - -His desks and writing-tables are carefully and minutely described, so -that the manifold combinations and contrivances can be accurately made. - -Sheraton’s later furniture was heavy and generally ugly, following the -Empire fashions, and his fame rests upon the designs in his first book. -He was the last of the great English cabinet-makers, although he had -many followers in England and in America. - -After the early years of the nineteenth century, the fashionable -furniture was in the heavy, clumsy styles which were introduced with -the Empire, until the period of ugly black walnut furniture which is -familiar to us all. - -While there have always been a few who collected antique furniture, -the general taste for collecting began with the interest kindled by -the Centennial Exposition in 1876. Not many years ago the collector of -old furniture and china was jeered at, and one who would, even twenty -years since, buy an old “high-boy” rather than a new black walnut -chiffonier, was looked upon as “queer.” All that is now changed. The -chiffonier is banished for the high-boy, when the belated collector can -secure one, and the influence of antique furniture may be seen in the -immense quantity of new furniture modelled after the antique designs, -but not made, alas, with the care and thought for durability which were -bestowed upon furniture by the old cabinet-makers. - -Heaton says: “It appears to require about a century for the wheel of -fashion to make one complete revolution. What our great-grandfather -bought and valued (1750-1790); what our grandfathers despised and -neglected (1790-1820); what our fathers utterly forgot (1820-1850), we -value, restore, and copy!” - -Since the publication of this book in 1902, many old houses in this -country have been restored by different societies interested in the -preservation of antiquities. These historic houses have been carefully -and suitably furnished, thus carrying out what should be our patriotic -duty, the gathering and preserving of everything connected with our -history and life. Thus much furniture has been rescued, not only from -unmerited oblivion, but from probable destruction. - - - - -CHAPTER I - -CHESTS, CHESTS OF DRAWERS, AND DRESSING-TABLES - - -[Illustration] - -THE chest was a most important piece of furniture in households of -the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. It served as table, seat, or -trunk, besides its accepted purpose to hold valuables of various kinds. - -Chests are mentioned in the earliest colonial inventories. Ship chests, -board chests, joined chests, wainscot chests with drawers, and carved -chests are some of the entries; but the larger portion are inventoried -simply as chests. - -All woodwork—chests, stools, or tables—which was framed together, -chiefly with mortise and tenon, was called joined, and joined chests -and wainscot chests were probably terms applied to panelled chests to -distinguish them from those of plain boards, which were common in every -household, and which were brought to this country on the ships with the -colonists, holding their scanty possessions. - -The oldest carved chests were made without drawers beneath, and were -carved in low relief in designs which appear upon other pieces of oak -furniture of the same period. - -[Illustration: Illus. 1.—Oak Chest, about 1650.] - -Illustration 1 shows a chest now in Memorial Hall, at Deerfield, which -was taken from the house where the Indians made their famous attack -in 1704. The top of the chest is missing, and the feet, which were -continuations of the stiles, are worn away or sawed off. The design -and execution of the carving are unusually fine, combining several -different patterns, all of an early date. Chests were carved in the -arch design with three or four panels, but seldom as elaborately as -this, which was probably made before 1650. - -Illustration 2 shows a remarkable chest now owned by Mrs. Caroline -Foote Marsh of Claremont-on-the-James, Virginia. Until recently it has -remained in the family of D’Olney Stuart, whose ancestor, of the same -name, was said to be of the royal Stuart blood, and who brought it with -him when he fled to Virginia after the beheading of Charles I. - -The feet have been recently added, and should be large balls; -otherwise the chest is original in every respect. It is made entirely -of olive-wood, the body being constructed of eight-inch planks. The -decoration is produced with carving and burnt work. Upon the inside -of the lid are three panels, the centre one containing a portrait in -burnt work of James I. with his little dog by his side. The two side -panels portray the Judgment of Solomon, the figures being clad in -English costumes; in the left panel the two kneeling women claim the -child; in the right the child is held up for the executioner to carry -out Solomon’s command to cut it in two. The outside of the lid has the -Stuart coat of arms burnt upon it. Upon the front of the chest are four -knights, and between them are three panels, surrounded by a moulding, -which is now missing around the middle panel. These three panels are -carved and burnt with views of castles; and around the lock, above the -middle panel, are carved the British lions supporting the royal coat of -arms. The chest measures six feet in length and is twenty-four inches -high. - -Chests with drawers are mentioned as early as 1650, and the greater -number of chests found in New England have one or two drawers. - -[Illustration: Illus. 2.—Olive-wood Chest, 1630-1650.] - -Illustration 3 shows a chest with one drawer owned by the Connecticut -Historical Society, made about 1660. There is no carving upon this -chest, which is panelled and ornamented with turned spindles and drops. -The stiles are continued below the chest to form the feet. - -[Illustration: Illus. 3.—Panelled Chest with One Drawer, about 1660.] - -A chest with two drawers is shown in Illustration 4, made probably -in Connecticut, as about fifty of this style have been found there, -chiefly in Hartford County. The top, back, and bottom are of pine, the -other portions of the chest being of American oak. The design of the -carving is similar upon all these chests, and the turned drop ornament -upon the stiles, and the little egg-shaped pieces upon the drawers, -appear upon all. They have been found with one or two drawers or none, -but usually with two. This chest is in Memorial Hall, at Deerfield. - -A chest with two drawers owned by Charles R. Waters, Esq., of Salem, -is shown in Illustration 5. The mouldings upon the front of the frame -are carved in a simple design. The wood in the centre of the panels is -stained a dark color, the spindles and mouldings being of oak like the -rest of the chest. - -[Illustration: Illus. 4.—Oak Chest with Two Drawers, about 1675.] - -A number of chests carved in a manner not seen elsewhere have been -found in and about Hadley, Massachusetts, and this has given them the -name of Hadley chests. The carving in all is similar, upon the front -only, the ends being panelled, and all have three panels above the -drawers, with initials carved in the middle panel. The other two -panels have a conventionalized tulip design, which is carved upon the -rest of the front, in low relief. The carving is usually stained while -the background is left the natural color of the wood. - -Illustration 6 shows a Hadley chest with one drawer owned by Dwight M. -Prouty, Esq., of Boston. - -[Illustration: Illus. 5.—Panelled Chest with Two Drawers, about 1675.] - -Carved chests with three drawers are rarely found in any design, -although the plain board chests were made with that number. - -Illustration 7 and Illustration 8 show chests mounted upon frames. -Illustration 8 stands thirty-two inches high and is thirty inches wide, -and is made of oak, with one drawer. It is in the collection of Charles -R. Waters, Esq., of Salem. Illustration 7 is slightly taller, with one -drawer. This chest is in the collection of the late Major Ben: Perley -Poore, at Indian Hill. Such chests upon frames are rarely found, and by -some they are supposed to have been made for use as desks; but it seems -more probable that they were simple chests for linen, taking the place -of the high chest of drawers which was gradually coming into fashion -during the latter half of the seventeenth century, and possibly being -its forerunner. Chests continued in manufacture and in use until after -1700, but they were probably not made later than 1720 in any numbers, -as several years previous to that date they were inventoried as “old,” -a word which was as condemnatory in those years as now, as far as the -fashions were concerned. - -[Illustration: Illus. 6.—Carved Chest with One Drawer, about 1700.] - -Chests of drawers appear in inventories about 1645. They were usually -made of oak and were similar in design to the chests of that period. - -The oak chest of drawers in Illustration 9 is owned by E. R. Lemon, -Esq., of the Wayside Inn, Sudbury. It has four drawers, and the -decoration is simply panelling. The feet are the large balls which were -used upon chests finished with a deep moulding at the lower edge. The -drop handles are of an unusual design, the drop being of bell-flower -shape. This chest of drawers was found in Malden. - -[Illustration: Illus. 7 and Illus. 8—Panelled Chests upon Frames, -1670-1700.] - -Illustration 10 shows a very fine oak chest of four drawers, owned by -Dwight M. Prouty, Esq., of Boston. The spindles upon this chest are -unusually good, especially the large spindles upon the stiles. There is -a band of simple carving between the drawers. The ends are panelled and -the handles are wooden knobs. - -[Illustration: Illus. 9.—Panelled Chest of Drawers, about 1680.] - -From the time that high chests of drawers were introduced, during the -last part of the seventeenth century, the use of oak in furniture -gradually ceased, and its place was taken by walnut or cherry, and -later by mahogany. With the disuse of oak came a change in the style of -chests, which were no longer made in the massive panelled designs of -earlier years. - -The moulding around the drawers is somewhat of a guide to the age of a -piece of furniture. The earliest moulding was large and single, upon -the frame around the drawers. The next moulding consisted of two -strips, forming a double moulding. These strips were in some cases -separated by a plain band about half an inch in width. - -[Illustration: Illus. 10.—Panelled Chest of Drawers, about 1680.] - -Later still, upon block front pieces a small single moulding bordered -the frame around the drawers, while upon Hepplewhite and Sheraton -furniture the moulding was upon the drawer itself. Early in the -eighteenth century, about 1720, high chests were made with no moulding -about the drawers, the edges of which lapped over the frame. - -[Illustration: Illustration 11.] - -Another guide to the age of a piece of furniture made with drawers is -found in the brass handles, which are shown in Illustration 11 in the -different styles in use from 1675. The handle and escutcheon lettered -A, called a “drop handle,” was used upon six-legged high chests, and -sometimes upon chests. The drop may be solid or hollowed out in the -back. The shape of the plate and escutcheon varies, being round, -diamond, or shield shaped, cut in curves or points upon the edges, and -generally stamped. It is fastened to the drawer front by a looped wire, -the ends of which pass through a hole in the wood and are bent in the -inside of the drawer. - -A handle and escutcheon of the next style are lettered B. They are -found upon six-legged and early bandy-legged high chests. The plate of -the handle is of a type somewhat earlier than the escutcheon. Both are -stamped, and the bail of the handle is fastened with looped wires. - -[Illustration: Illus. 12.—Six-legged High Chest of Drawers, 1705-1715.] - -Letter C shows the earliest styles of handles with the bail fastened -into bolts which screw into the drawer. Letters D, E, and F give the -succeeding styles of brass handles, the design growing more elaborate -and increasing in size. These are found upon desks, chests of drawers, -commodes, and other pieces of furniture of the Chippendale period. - -The earliest form of high chest of drawers had six turned legs, four -in front and two in the back, with stretchers between the legs, and -was of Dutch origin, as well as the high chest with bandy or cabriole -legs, which was some years later in date. Six-legged chests were made -during the last quarter of the seventeenth century, and were usually of -walnut, either solid or veneered upon pine or whitewood; other woods -were rarely employed. - -[Illustration: Illus. 13.—Walnut Dressing-table, about 1700.] - -The earliest six-legged chests were made with the single moulding upon -the frame about the drawers, and with two drawers at the top, which was -always flat, as the broken arch did not appear in furniture until about -1730. The lower part had but one long drawer, and the curves of the -lower edge were in a single arch. - -The six-legged high chest of drawers in Illustration 12 belongs to F. -A. Robart, Esq., of Boston. It is veneered with the walnut burl and is -not of the earliest type of the six-legged chest, but was made about -1705-1715. The handles are the drop handles shown in letter A, and -the moulding upon the frame around the drawers is double. There is a -shallow drawer in the heavy cornice at the top, and the lower part -contains three drawers. - -Dressing-tables were made to go with these chests of drawers, but with -four instead of six legs. Their tops were usually veneered, and they -were, like the high chests, finished with a small beading around the -curves of the lower edge. - -The dressing-table in Illustration 13 also belongs to Mr. Robart, and -shows the style in which that piece of furniture was made. - -The names “high-boy” and “low-boy” or “high-daddy” and “low-daddy” -are not mentioned in old records and were probably suggested by the -appearance of the chests mounted upon their high legs. - -[Illustration: Illus. 14.—Dressing-table, 1720.] - -High chests, both six-legged and bandy-legged, with their -dressing-tables were sometimes decorated with the lacquering which was -so fashionable during the first part of the eighteenth century. - -Illustration 14 shows a dressing-table or low-boy from the Bolles -collection in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is covered with -japanning, in Chinese designs. This dressing-table is the companion -to a lacquered high-boy, with a flat top, in the Bolles collection. -The handle is like letter C, in Illustration 11. That and the moulding -around the drawers place its date about 1720. - -Coming originally from the Orient, japanned furniture became -fashionable, and consequently the process of lacquering or japanning -was practised by cabinet-makers in France and England about 1700, and -soon after in this country. - -The earliest high chests with cabriole or bandy legs are flat-topped, -and have two short drawers, like the six-legged chests, at the top. -They are made of walnut, or of pine veneered with walnut. The curves -at the lower edge are similar to those upon six-legged chests and are -occasionally finished with a small bead-moulding. - -[Illustration: Illus. 15.—Cabriole-legged High Chest of Drawers with -China Steps, about 1720.] - -The bandy-legged high-boy in Illustration 15 is owned by Dwight Blaney, -Esq. It is veneered with walnut and has a line of whitewood inlaid -around each drawer. The moulding upon the frame surrounding the drawers -is the separated double moulding, and the handles are of the early -stamped type shown in Illustration 11, letter B. The arrangement of -drawers in both lower and upper parts is the same as in six-legged -chests. A reminder of the fifth and sixth legs is left in the turned -drops between the curves of the lower edge. - -Steps to display china or earthenware were in use during the second -quarter of the eighteenth century. - -They were generally movable pieces, made like the steps in Illustration -15, in two or three tiers, the lower tier smaller than the top of the -high chest, forming with the chest-top a set of graduated shelves upon -the front and sides. - -The broken arch, which had been used in chimney pieces during the -seventeenth century, made its appearance upon furniture in the early -years of the eighteenth century, and the handsomest chests were made -with the broken arch top. - -A lacquered or japanned high-boy in the Bolles collection, owned by the -Metropolitan Museum of Art, is shown in Illustration 16. It is of later -date than the lacquered dressing-table in Illustration 14, having the -broken arch. The lacquering is inferior in design to that upon the -dressing-table, and at the top is a scroll design following the outline -of the top drawers and the moulding of the broken arch. - -[Illustration: Illus. 16.—Lacquered High-boy, 1730.] - -A large and a small fan are lacquered upon the lower middle drawer, and -on the upper one is a funny little pagoda top, with a small fan, both -in lacquer. The handles are of an early type, and the moulding around -the drawers is a double separated one. Such japanned pieces are rare -and of great value. - -A fine high chest is shown in Illustration 17, from the Warner house in -Portsmouth. It is of walnut and is inlaid around each drawer. The upper -middle drawer is inlaid in a design of pillars with the rising sun -between them, and below the sun are inlaid the initials J. S. and the -date 1733. - -[Illustration: Illus. 17.—Inlaid Walnut High Chest of Drawers, 1733.] - -The lower drawer has a star inlaid between the pillars, and a star is -inlaid upon each end of the case. The knobs at the top are inlaid with -the star, and the middle knob ends in a carved flame. - -J. S. was John Sherburne, whose son married the daughter of Colonel -Warner. The legs of this chest were ruthlessly sawed off many years -ago, in order that it might stand in a low-ceilinged room, and it is -only in comparatively recent years that it has belonged to the branch -of the family now owning the Warner house. A double moulding runs upon -the frame around the drawers, and the original handles were probably -small, of the type in Illustration 11, letter C. - -[Illustration: Illus. 18.—Inlaid Walnut High Chest of Drawers, about -1760.] - -A walnut high chest of a somewhat later type is shown in Illustration -18, belonging to Mrs. Rufus Woodward of Worcester. It is of walnut -veneered upon pine, and the shells upon the upper and lower middle -drawers are gilded, for they are, of course, carved from the pine -beneath the veneer. The frame has the separated double moulding around -the drawers. A row of light inlaying extends around each drawer, and -in the three long drawers of the upper part the inlaying simulates the -division into two drawers, which is carried out in the top drawers -of both the upper and lower parts. The large handles and the fluted -columns at the sides would indicate that this chest was made about -1760-1770. - -Illustration 19 shows a “high-boy” and “low-boy” of walnut, owned by -the writer. The drawers, it will be seen, lap over the frame. The -“high-boy” is original in every respect except the ring handles, which -are new, upon the drawers carved with the rising sun or fan design. - -It was found in the attic of an old house, with the top separate from -the lower part and every drawer out upon the floor, filled with seeds, -rags, and—kittens, who, terrified by the invasion of the antique -hunter, scurried from their resting-places, to the number of nine or -ten, reminding one of Lowell’s lines in the “Biglow Papers”:— - - “But the old chest won’t sarve her gran’son’s wife, - (For ’thout new furnitoor what good in life?) - An’ so old claw foot, from the precinks dread - O’ the spare chamber, slinks into the shed, - Where, dim with dust, it fust and last subsides - To holdin’ seeds an’ fifty other things besides.” - -[Illustration: Illus. 19.—“Low-boy” and “High-boy” of Walnut, about -1740.] - -But carefully wrapped up and tucked away in one of the small drawers -were the torches for the upper and the acorn-shaped drops for the lower -part. These drops were used as long as the curves followed those of the -lower part of six-legged chests, but were omitted when more graceful -curves and lines were used, as the design of high chests gradually -differed from the early types. - -[Illustration: Illus. 20.—Walnut Double Chest, about 1760.] - -The “low-boy,” or dressing-table, was made to accompany every style of -high chest. The low-boy in Illustration 19 shows the dressing-table -which was probably used in the room with the bandy-legged high-boy, -flat-topped or with the broken arch cornice. It is lower than the under -part of the high-boy, which is, however, frequently supplied with a -board top and sold as a low-boy, but which can be easily detected from -its height and general appearance. The measurements of this high-boy -and low-boy are - - HIGH-BOY, lower part LOW-BOY - - 3 feet high 2 feet 4 inches high - 3 feet 1½ inches long 2 feet 6 inches long - 21 inches deep 18 inches deep - -The high-boy measures seven feet from the floor to the top of the -cornice. - -High chests and dressing-tables were made of maple, often very -beautifully marked, in the same style as the chests of walnut and -cherry. The high chest was sometimes made with the drawers extending -nearly to the floor, and mounted upon bracket, ogee, or claw-and-ball -feet. This was called a double chest, or chest-upon-chest. - -The double chest in Illustration 20 is in the Warner house at -Portsmouth. It is of English walnut, and the lower part is constructed -with a recessed cupboard like the writing-table in Illustration 106. -The handles upon this chest are very massive, and upon the ends of both -the upper and lower parts are still larger handles with which to lift -the heavy chest. - -[Illustration: Illus. 21.—Mahogany Double Chest, 1765.] - -A double chest which was probably made in Newport, Rhode Island, -about 1760-1770, is shown in Illustration 21. The lower part is -blocked and is carved in the same beautiful shells as Illustration 31 -and Illustration 106. This double chest was made for John Brown of -Providence, the leader of the party who captured the _Gaspee_ in 1772, -and one of the four famous Brown brothers, whose name is perpetuated -in Brown University. This chest is now owned by a descendant of John -Brown, John Brown Francis Herreshoff, Esq., of New York. - -[Illustration: Illus. 22.—Block-front Dressing-table, about 1750.] - -A low-boy of unusual design, in the Warner house, is shown in -Illustration 22. The front is blocked, with a double moulding upon -the frame around the drawers. The bill of lading in Illustration 109 -specified a dressing-table, brought from England to this house in 1716, -but so early a date cannot be assigned to this piece, although it is -undoubtedly English, like the double chair in Illustration 212, which -has similar feet, for such lions’ feet are almost never found upon -furniture made in this country. - -[Illustration: Illus. 23.—Dressing-table, about 1760.] - -The shape of the cabriole leg is poor, the curves being too abrupt, -but the general effect of the low-boy is very rich. The handles are -the original ones, and they with the fluted columns and blocked front -determine the date of the dressing-table to be about 175O. - -The low-boy in Illustration 23 is probably of slightly later date. It -has the separated double moulding upon the frame around the drawers, -and the curves of the lower part are like the early high chests, but -the carving upon the cabriole legs, and the fluted columns at the -corners, like those in Chippendale’s designs, indicate that it was made -after 1750. Upon the top are two pewter lamps, one with glass lenses -to intensify the light; a smoker’s tongs, and a pipe-case of mahogany, -with a little drawer in it to hold the tobacco. This dressing-table is -owned by Walter Hosmer, Esq. - -[Illustration: Illus. 24.—Chest of Drawers, 1740.] - -The little chest of drawers in Illustration 24 belongs to Daniel -Gilman, Esq., of Exeter, New Hampshire, and was inherited by him. It -is evidently adapted from the high-boy, in order to make a smaller and -lower piece, and it is about the size of a small bureau. The upper part -is separate from the lower part, and is set into a moulding, just as -the upper part of a high-boy sets into the lower. The handles and the -moulding around the drawers are of the same period as the ones upon the -chest in Illustration 20. - -[Illustration: Illus. 25.—High Chest of Drawers, about 1765.] - -The furniture made in and around Philadelphia was much more elaborately -carved and richly ornamented than that of cabinet-makers further -north, and the finest tables, high-boys, and low-boys that are found -were probably made there. They have large handles, like letter F, in -Illustration 11, and finely carved applied scrolls. - -The richest and most elaborate style attained in such pieces of -furniture is shown in the high chest in Illustration 25, which is one -of the finest high chests known. The proportions are perfect, and -the carving is all well executed. This chest was at one time in the -Pendleton collection, and is now owned by Harry Harkness Flagler, Esq., -of Millbrook, New York. - -[Illustration: Illus. 26.—Dressing-table and Looking-glass, about -1770.] - -Such a chest as this was in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s mind when he wrote: -“After all, the moderns have invented nothing better in chamber -furniture than those chests which stand on four slender legs, and send -an absolute tower of mahogany to the ceiling, the whole terminating in -a fantastically carved summit.” - -The dressing-table and looking-glass in Illustration 26 are also owned -by Mr. Flagler. The looking-glass is described upon page 385. The -dressing-table is a beautiful and dainty piece of furniture of the -same high standard as the chest last described. The carving upon the -cabriole legs is unusually elaborate and well done. It will be noticed -that the lower edge of these pieces is no longer finished in the simple -manner of the earlier high-boys and low-boys, but is cut in curves, -which vary with each piece of furniture. - -In Illustration 365 upon page 378 is a low-boy of walnut, owned by -the writer, of unusually graceful proportions, the carved legs being -extremely slender. The shell upon this low-boy is carved in the frame -below the middle drawer instead of upon it, as is usual. - -The dressing-table in Illustration 27 also belongs to the writer. -It is of walnut, like the majority of similar pieces, and is finely -carved but is not so graceful as Illustration 365. The handles are the -original ones and are very large and handsome. - -High chests and the accompanying dressing-tables continued in use until -the later years of the eighteenth century. - -[Illustration: Illus. 27.—Walnut Dressing-table, about 1770.] - -Hepplewhite’s book, published in 1789, contains designs for chests of -drawers, extending nearly to the floor, with bracket feet, one having -fluted columns at the corners, and an urn with garlands above the flat -top. It is probable, however, that high chests of drawers were not made -in any number after 1790. - - - - -CHAPTER II - -BUREAUS AND WASHSTANDS - - -[Illustration] - -THE word “bureau” is now used to designate low chests of drawers. -Chippendale called such pieces “commode tables” or “commode bureau -tables.” As desks with slanting lids for a long period during the -eighteenth century were called “bureaus” or “bureau desks,” the -probability is that chests of drawers which resembled desks in the -construction of the lower part went by the name of “bureau tables” -because of the flat table-top. Hepplewhite called such pieces -“commodes” or “chests of drawers.” As the general name by which they -are now known is “bureau,” it has seemed simpler to call them so in -this chapter. - -Bureaus were made of mahogany, birch, or cherry, and occasionally of -maple, while a few have been found of rosewood. Walnut was not used -in serpentine or swell front bureaus, although walnut chests of -drawers are not uncommon, which look like the top part of a high chest, -with bracket feet, and handles of an early design; and so far as the -writer’s observation goes, few bureaus with three or four drawers were -made of walnut. - -[Illustration: Illus. 28.—Block-front Bureau, about 1770.] - -The wood usually employed in the finest bureaus is mahogany, and the -earliest ones are small, with the serpentine, block, or straight front, -and with the top considerably larger than the body, projecting nearly -an inch and a half over the front and sides, the edge shaped like -the drawer fronts. The early handles are large and like letter E in -Illustration 11. - -The block front is, like the serpentine or yoke front, carved from -one thick board. It is found more frequently in this country than in -England. The block-front bureau in Illustration 28 is owned by Dwight -M. Prouty, Esq., of Boston, and is a very good example, with the -original handles. - -[Illustration: Illus. 29.—Block-front Bureau, about 1770.] - -The small bureau in Illustration 29 is in the Warner house in -Portsmouth. It is of mahogany, with an unusual form of block front, the -blocking being rounded. The shape of the board top corresponds to the -curves upon the front of the drawers. The handles are large, and upon -each end is a massive handle to lift the bureau by. - -Illustration 30 shows a block-front bureau owned by the writer. -Chippendale gives a design of a bureau similar to this, with three -drawers upon rather high legs, under the name of “commode table.” - -[Illustration: Illus. 31.—Kettle-shaped Bureau, about 1770.] - -The height of the legs brings the level of the bureau top about the -same as one with four drawers. One handle and one escutcheon were -remaining upon this bureau, and the others were cast from them. The -block front with its unusually fine shells would indicate that this -piece, which came from Colchester, Connecticut, was made by the same -Newport cabinet-maker as the writing-table in Illustration 106, and -the double chest in Illustration 21, which were made about 1765. The -looking-glass in the illustration is described upon page 410. - -[Illustration: Illus. 30.—Block-front Bureau, about 1770.] - -Illustration 31 shows a mahogany bureau of the style known as -“kettle” shape, owned by Charles R. Waters, Esq., of Salem. Desks and -secretaries were occasionally made with the lower part in this style, -and many modern pieces of Dutch marqueterie with kettle fronts are -sold as antiques. But little marqueterie furniture was brought to this -country in old times, and even among the descendants of Dutch families -in New York State it is almost impossible to find any genuine old -pieces of Dutch marqueterie. - -[Illustration: Illus. 32.—Serpentine-front Bureau, about 1770.] - -A bureau with serpentine front is shown in Illustration 32. It is -made in two sections, the upper part with four drawers being set into -the moulding around the base in the same manner as the top part of -a high-boy sets into the lower part. The bureau is owned by Charles -Sibley, Esq., of Worcester. - -The bureaus described so far all have the small single moulding upon -the frame around the drawer. From the time when the designs of Shearer -and Hepplewhite became fashionable, bureaus were made with a fine bead -moulding upon the edge of the drawer itself or without any moulding. - -The serpentine-front bureau in Illustration 33 belongs to Mrs. -Johnson-Hudson of Stratford, Connecticut. The corners are cut off so as -to form the effect of a narrow pillar, which is, like the drawers and -the bracket feet, inlaid with fine lines of holly. The bracket feet and -the handles would indicate that this bureau was made before 1789. - -[Illustration: Illus. 33.—Serpentine-front Bureau, about 1785.] - -A bureau of the finest Hepplewhite type is shown in Illustration -34, owned by Mrs. Charles H. Carroll of Worcester. The base has the -French foot which was so much used by Hepplewhite, which is entirely -different from Chippendale’s French foot. The curves of the lower edge, -which are outlined with a line of holly, are unusually graceful; the -knobs are brass. - -[Illustration: Illus. 34.—Swell-front Inlaid Bureau, about 1795.] - -Illustration 35 shows the styles of handles chiefly found upon -pieces of furniture with drawers, after 1770. A is a handle which -was used during the last years of the Chippendale period, and the -first years of the Hepplewhite. B and C are the oval pressed brass -handles found upon Hepplewhite furniture. They were made round as -well as oval, and were in various designs; the eagle with thirteen -stars, a serpent, a beehive, a spray of flowers, or heads of historic -personages—Washington and Jefferson being the favorites. - -[Illustration: Illustration 35.] - -D is the rosette and ring handle, of which E shows an elaborate -form. These handles were used upon Sheraton pieces and also upon the -heavy veneered mahogany furniture made during the first quarter of -the nineteenth century. F is the brass knob handle used from 1800 to -1820. G is the glass knob which, in clear and opalescent glass, came -into use about 1815 and which is found upon furniture made for twenty -years after that date, after which time wooden knobs were used, often -displacing the old brass handles. - -Looking-glasses made to swing in a frame are mentioned in inventories -of 1750, and about that date may be given to the dressing-glass with -drawers, shown in Illustration 36. It was owned by Lucy Flucker, who -took it with her when, in opposition to her parents’ wishes, she -married in 1774 the patriot General Knox. It is now in the possession -of the Hon. James Phinney Baxter, Esq., of Portland, Maine. Such -dressing-glasses were intended to stand upon a dressing-table or bureau. - -[Illustration: Illus. 36.—Dressing-glass, about 1760.] - -A bureau and dressing-glass owned by the writer are shown in -Illustration 37. The bureau is of cherry, with the drawer fronts -veneered in mahogany edged with satinwood. A row of fine inlaying runs -around the edge of the top and beneath the drawers. This lower line of -inlaying appears upon inexpensive bureaus of this period, and seems -to have been considered indispensable to the finish of a bureau. The -dressing-glass is of mahogany and satinwood with fine inlaying around -the frame of the glass and the edge of the stand. The base of the -bureau is of a plain type, while that of the dressing-glass has the -same graceful curves that appear in Illustration 34. - -[Illustration: Illus. 37.—Bureau and Dressing-glass, 1795.] - -The bureaus in Illustration 34 and Illustration 37 are in the -Hepplewhite style. The bureau and dressing-glass in Illustration 38 -are distinctly Sheraton, of the best style. They are owned by Dwight -Blaney, Esq., of Boston, and were probably made about 1810. The carving -upon the bureau legs and upon the corners and side supports to the -dressing-glass is finely executed. The handles to the drawers are brass -knobs. - -A bureau of the same date is shown in Illustration 39. It was owned -originally by William F. Lane, Esq., of Boston. Mr. Lane had several -children, for whom he had miniature pieces of furniture made, the -little sofa in Illustration 228 being one. The small bureau upon the -top of the large one was part of a bedroom set, which included a tiny -four-post bedstead. - -[Illustration: Illus. 38.—Bureau and Dressing-glass, about 1810.] - -This miniature furniture was of mahogany like the large pieces. The -handles upon the large bureau are not original. They should be rosette -and ring, or knobs similar to those upon the small bureau. The bureaus -are now owned by a daughter of Mr. Lane, Mrs. Thomas H. Gage of -Worcester. - -[Illustration: Illus. 39.—Bureau and Miniature Bureau, about 1810.] - -Bureaus of this style were frequently made of cherry with the drawer -fronts of curly or bird’s-eye maple, the fluted pillars at the corner -and the frame around the drawers being of cherry or mahogany. - -There was added to the bureau about this time—perhaps evolved from the -dressing-glass with drawers—an upper tier of shallow drawers, usually -three. The dressing-table shown in Illustration 40 is owned by Charles -H. Morse, Esq., of Charlestown, New Hampshire. It stands upon high legs -turned and reeded, and a dressing-glass is attached above the three -little drawers. The handles should be rings or knobs. - -The case of drawers with closet above, in Illustration 41, is owned -by Mrs. Thomas H. Gage, of Worcester. It is of mahogany, the doors of -the closet being of especially handsome wood. The carving at the top -of the fluted legs is fine, and the piece of furniture is massive and -commodious. - -[Illustration: Illus. 40—Dressing-table and Glass, 1810.] - -[Illustration: Illus. 41.—Case of Drawers with Closet, 1810.] - -The bureau in Illustration 42 is also owned by Mrs. Gage, and is a -very good specimen of the furniture in the heavy style fashionable -during the first quarter of the nineteenth century. - -It was probably made to match a four-post bedstead with twisted posts -surmounted by pineapples. The drawer fronts are veneered, like those of -all the bureaus illustrated in this chapter except the first four, and -there is no moulding upon the edge of the drawers. - -Illustration 43 shows the heaviest form of bureau, made about the same -time as the last one shown, with heavily carved pillars and bears’ -feet. The drawer fronts are veneered and have no moulding upon the -edge. This bureau is owned by Mrs. S. B. Woodward of Worcester, and it -is a fine example of the furniture after the style of Empire pieces. - -The bureau in Illustration 44 is owned by Charles H. Morse, Esq., of -Charlestown, and shows the latest type of Empire bureau, with ball -feet, and large round veneered pillars. The three Empire bureaus shown -have the last touch that could be added, a back piece above the tier of -small drawers. - -[Illustration: Illus. 42.—Bureau, about 1815.] - -The bureaus have the top drawer of the body projecting beyond the three -lower drawers, and supported by the pillars at the sides. This and the -shallow tier of small drawers, and the back piece are typical features -of the Empire bureau, which may have the rosette and ring handle or the -knob of brass or glass. - -[Illustration: Illus. 43.—Bureau, 1815-1820.] - -The toilet conveniences of our ancestors seem to our eyes most -inadequate, and it is impossible that a very free use of water was -customary, with the tiny bowls and pitchers which were used and the -small and inconvenient washstands. A “bason frame” appears in an -inventory of 1654. Chippendale designed “bason stands” which were -simply a tripod stand, into the top of which the basin fitted. - -[Illustration: Illus. 44.—Empire Bureau and Glass, 1810-1820.] - -They were also called wig stands because they were kept in the -dressing-room where the fine gentleman halted to remove his hat, and -powder his wig. The basin rested in the opening in the top, and in -the little drawers were kept the powder and other accessories of the -toilet. The depression in the shelf was for the ewer, probably bottle -shaped, to rest in, after the gentleman had poured the water into the -basin, to dip his fingers in after powdering his wig. - -[Illustration: Illus. 45.—Basin Stand, 1770.] - -The charming little basin or wig stand in Illustration 45 is in the -Metropolitan Museum of Art. The wood is mahogany and the feet are a -flattened type of claw and ball, giving the little stand, with its -basin and ewer, some stability, unless an unwary pointed toe should be -caught by the spreading legs. The acanthus leaf is carved on the knees, -and the chamfered corners above have an applied fret. - -The drawings of Shearer, Hepplewhite and Sheraton show both square and -corner washstands of mahogany with slender legs. - -The washstand in Illustration 46 is of mahogany, and differs from the -usual corner stand in having the enclosed cupboard. It was made from -a Hepplewhite design and is owned by Francis H. Bigelow, Esq., of -Cambridge. - -The corner washstand in Illustration 47 is owned by the writer. It -is of mahogany, and the drawers are finely inlaid, probably after a -Sheraton design. - -[Illustration: Illus. 46.—Corner Washstand, 1790.] - -The little towel-rack is of somewhat later date and is made of maple, -stained. The washbowl and pitcher are dark-blue Staffordshire ware, -with the well-known design of the “Tomb of Franklin” upon them. - -While the corner washstand possessed the virtues of taking up but -little room, and being out of the way, the latter consideration must -have been keenly felt by those who, with head thrust into the corner, -were obliged to use it. - -A square washstand of more convenient shape, but still constructed -for the small bowl and pitcher, is shown in Illustration 48. It is of -mahogany and is in the style that was used from 1815 to 1830. This -washstand is owned by Mrs. E. A. Morse of Worcester. - -Both corner and square washstands have an opening in the top, into -which was set the washbowl, and two—sometimes three—small openings -for the little cups which were used to hold the soap. - -Hepplewhite’s book, published in 1789, shows designs of “night tables” -like the one in Illustration 49, but they are not often found in this -country. - -[Illustration: Illus. 47.—Towel-rack and Washstand, 1790-1800.] - -This table is of mahogany, with tambour doors, and a carved rim around -the top, pierced at each side to form a handle. The wood of the -interior of the drawer is oak, showing that the table was probably made -in England. It is owned by the writer. - -[Illustration: Illus. 48.—Washstand, 1815-1830.] - -There are several drawings in the books of Hepplewhite and Sheraton -of washstands and toilet-tables with complicated arrangements for -looking-glasses and toilet appurtenances, but such pieces of furniture -could not have been common even in England, and certainly were not in -this country. - -[Illustration: Illus. 49.—Night Table, 1785.] - -In Illustration 288 upon page 294 is shown a piano which can be -used as a toilet-table, with a looking-glass and trays for various -articles, but it must have been, even when new, regarded less from -the utilitarian side, and rather as a novel and ornamental piece of -furniture. - -[Illustration: Illus. 50.—Washstand, 1800-1810.] - -A washstand of different design is shown in Illustration 50. The front -is of bird’s-eye maple and mahogany, and the top is of curly maple with -mahogany inlay around the edge. The sides are mahogany. The two drawers -are shams, and the top lifts on a hinge disclosing a compartment for a -pitcher and bowl. The tapering legs end in a spade foot, and a large -brass handle is upon each side. The other handles are brass knobs. -This stand was made after instructions given by Sheraton thus, “The -advantage of this kind of basin stand is, that they may stand in a -genteel room, without giving offense to the eye, their appearance being -somewhat like a cabinet.” The washstand is owned by the writer. - - - - -CHAPTER III - -BEDSTEADS - - -[Illustration] - -ONE of the most valuable pieces of furniture in the household of -the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries was the bedstead with its -belongings. Bedsteads and beds occupy a large space in inventories, -and their valuation was often far more than that of any other article -in the inventory, sometimes more than all the others. In spite of the -great value placed upon them, none have survived to show us exactly -what was meant by the “oak Marlbrough bedstead” or the “half-headed -bedstead” in early inventories. About the bedstead up to 1750 we -know only what these inventories tell us, but the inference is that -bedsteads similar to those in England at that time were also in use in -the colonies. The greater portion of the value of the bedstead lay in -its furnishings,—the hangings, feather bed, bolster, quilts, blankets, -and coverlid,—the bedstead proper, when inventoried separately, being -placed at so low a sum that one concludes it must have been extremely -plain. - -[Illustration: Illus. 51.—Wicker Cradle, 1620.] - -Several cradles made in the seventeenth century are still in existence. -Illustration 51 shows one which is in Pilgrim Hall, Plymouth, and which -is said to have sheltered Peregrine White, the first child born in this -country to the Pilgrims. It is of wicker and of Oriental manufacture, -having been brought from Holland upon the _Mayflower_, with the -Pilgrims. - -[Illustration: Illus. 52.—Oak Cradle, 1680.] - -The cradle in Illustration 52 is of more substantial build. It is of -oak, and was made for John Coffin, who was born in Newbury, January 8, -1680. Sergeant Stephen Jaques, “who built the meeting house with great -needles and little needles pointing downward,” fashioned this cradle, -whose worn rockers bear witness to the many generations of babies who -have slept within its sturdy frame. It is now in the rooms of the -Newburyport Historical Society. - -Another wooden cradle is in Pilgrim Hall, made of oak and very similar, -with the turned spindles at the sides of its wooden hood, to a cradle -dated 1691, in the South Kensington Museum. - -[Illustration: Illus. 53.—Bedstead and Commode, 1750.] - -“Cupboard bedsteads” and “presse bedsteads” are mentioned in the -inventories. They were probably the same as the Dutch “slaw-bank,” and -when not in use they were fastened up against the wall in a closet made -to fit the bed, and the closet doors were closed or curtains were drawn -over the bedstead. There is a slaw-bank in the old Sumner house in -Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, built in 1797. - -[Illustration: Illus. 54.—Field Bedstead, 1760-1770.] - -Illustration 53 shows a curious bedstead made about 1750, when it was -used by Dr. Samuel Johnson, president of King’s College, New York. -It is now owned by his descendant, Mrs. Johnson-Hudson of Stratford, -Connecticut. The slanting back of the bedstead is like the back of -an early Chippendale chair, and the effect is similar to that of the -couches shown in Illustration 205 and Illustration 206; but this piece -was evidently intended for a bed, as it is considerably wider than the -couches, which were “day beds.” The wood of this bedstead is mahogany. -The commode which stands beside the bed is of a slightly later date. -It is also of mahogany, with massive brass handles. - -Illustration 54 shows a bedstead of about 1760-1770. It is what was -called a field bed, the form of its top suggesting a tent. The frames -for the canopy top were made in different shapes, but the one in the -illustration was most common. The drapery is made of the netted fringe -so much used in those days for edging bedspreads, curtains, and covers. -This deep fringe was made especially for canopy tops for bedsteads. -Its manufacture has been revived by several Arts and Crafts Societies. -The slat-back chair is one of the rush-bottomed variety common during -the eighteenth century. This room, with its wooden rafters, is in the -Whipple house at Ipswich, built in 1650. - -The claw-and-ball foot bedstead in Illustration 55 was a part of the -wedding outfit of Martha Tufts, who was married in 1774, in Concord. It -was then hung with the printed cotton draperies, hand spun and woven, -which still hang from the tester, albeit much darned and quite dropping -apart with age. The draperies are of a brownish color, possibly from -age, but at all events they are now dingy and unattractive, whatever -they may have been in 1774. The posts above the cabriole legs are -small and plain, and there is no headboard. The wood is mahogany. This -bedstead is now owned by the Concord Antiquarian Society. Although -Chippendale’s designs do not show a bedstead with claw-and-ball -feet, he probably did make such bedsteads, and this may be called -Chippendale, as it belongs to that period. - -[Illustration: Illus. 55.—Claw-and-Ball Foot Bedstead, 1774.] - -A bedstead with plain, simple posts, with the cover and hangings of old -netting, is shown in Illustration 56. There is a good comb-back Windsor -arm-chair and a mahogany cradle of the period in the room, which is a -bedroom in the Lee Mansion, Marblehead, Mass. - -[Illustration: Illus. 56.—Bedstead, 1780.] - -A splendid bedstead found in Charleston, S. C., and now owned by J. -J. Gilbert, Esq., of Baltimore, is shown in Illustration 57. All four -posts are carved and reeded, and are after the manner of Chippendale. -The tester and headboard show the Adam influence, placing the date of -the bedstead about 1770. - -[Illustration: Illus. 57.—Bedstead, 1775-1785.] - -Illustration 58 shows a bedstead made from one of Hepplewhite’s -designs, about 1789. The lower posts are slender and fluted, and end in -a square foot. - -[Illustration: Illus. 58.—Bedstead, 1789.] - -The cornice is japanned after the fashion which Hepplewhite made so -popular, and the style in which this bedstead is draped is extremely -attractive. It is at Indian Hill, the residence of the late Major Ben -Perley Poore. - -The four-post bedsteads had sometimes canvas stretched across the frame -and laced with ropes, similar to the seat of the couch in Illustration -206, and in other cases they were corded entirely with ropes. Mrs. -Vanderbilt in her “Social History of Flatbush” thus describes the -process of cording a bed: “It required a man’s strength to turn the -machine that tightened the ropes, in cording these beds when they were -put together. Some one was stationed at each post to keep it upright, -while a man was exhausting his strength and perhaps his stock of -patience and good temper, in getting the ropes sufficiently tight to -suit the wife or mother. When the bedstead was duly corded and strung -to the tension required, then a straw bed, in a case of brown home-made -linen, was first placed over these cords, and upon this were piled -feather beds to the number of three or four, and more if this was the -spare-room bed.” The height of the top one of these feather beds from -the floor was so great that steps were required to mount into it, and -sets of mahogany steps are sometimes found now, which were made for -this purpose. A set is shown in Illustration 64. - -Illustration 59 shows one of the finest bedsteads known in this -country. It is in the house of Charles R. Waters, Esq., of Salem. The -two lower posts are exquisitely carved with garlands of flowers, and -every detail is beautiful; the upper posts are plain. The size of the -posts is somewhat larger than during the previous years, and the style -of the lower part with the fluted leg would place the date of the -bedstead about 1795-1800, when the influence of Sheraton was strong. -The cornice is painted with flowers in colors, and the painted band -is framed in gilt; the ornaments at the corners, the basket with two -doves, and the ropes and tassels are all of gilt. - -[Illustration: Illus. 59.—Bedstead, 1795-1800.] - -About 1800, when the Empire styles commenced to influence the makers -of furniture, the posts of bedsteads became larger, and they were more -heavily carved, with acanthus leaves twining around the post, or a -heavy twist or fluting, with pineapples at the top. - -[Illustration: Illus. 60—Bedstead, 1800-1810.] - -Illustration 60 shows a bedstead at Indian Hill, with the heavy posts -and tester, the lower posts being fluted. The bedstead is draped on the -side and foot with curtains which could be let down at night in cold -weather, thus shutting out the bitter draughts. The coverlid for this -bed is made of linen, spun and woven by hand, and embroidered in shades -of blue with a quaint design. The easy-chair at the foot of the bed is -covered with old chintz, printed in figures that would afford a child -unlimited entertainment. - -[Illustration: Illus. 61.—Bedstead, 1800-1810.] - -A bedstead with massive twisted posts is shown in Illustration 61. The -lower posts only are carved, as was usual, the draperies at the head -of the bed concealing the plain upper posts. Twisted posts were quite -common during the early years of the nineteenth century, and more -bedposts are found that are carved in a twist than in any other design. -The coverlid is similar to the one in Illustration 63. This bedstead -stands in one of the panelled rooms of the Warner house in Portsmouth. - -[Illustration: Illus. 62.—Bedstead, 1800-1810.] - -Illustration 62 shows a fine example of the four-post bedstead made -from 1805 to 1810. It is unusual in having all four posts carved, and -for its splendid feet, which are carved in massive lions’ claws. - -Each post is carved with festoons of drapery, and is surmounted with a -pineapple The headboard is elaborately carved with a basket of fruit. -This mahogany bedstead is owned by Mrs. E. A. Morse of Worcester. - -Illustration 63 shows another bedstead with all four mahogany posts -carved in the acanthus leaf and pineapple design. Each post is finished -at the top with a pineapple, and the bases are set into brass sockets. -Upon the plain sections of the posts may be seen pressed brass -ornaments, of which there are six, two for each lower post and one for -each upper one. These ornaments cover the holes through which the -bed-screws are put in to hold the frame together. - -[Illustration: Illus. 63.—Bedstead, 1800-1810.] - -There is a headboard of simple design upon this bedstead. The coverlid -is an old, handspun and woven, cotton one, with a design of stars in -little cotton tufts. Such coverlids were made about 1815 to 1830. This -bedstead is owned by the writer. - -[Illustration: Illus. 64.—Bedstead and Steps, 1790.] - -Illustration 64 shows a bed owned by the Colonial Dames, in their -house, “Stenton,” in Philadelphia. It has the large, plain and heavy -posts found in the South. The hangings are the original ones. Beside -the bed is a set of steps used to assist in mounting to the top of the -feather beds used in those days. The cradle is of about the same date. - -[Illustration: Illus. 65.—Low-post Bedstead, about 1825.] - -Illustration 65 shows a low-post mahogany bedstead which is owned by -Dr. S. B. Woodward of Worcester, having been inherited by him. It was -made about 1825. The four posts are carved with the acanthus leaf, and -both head and foot board are elaborately carved. It can be seen that -the bed in this illustration is not so high from the floor as those of -earlier date. The low French bedstead became fashionable soon after -this time, and the high four-poster was relegated to the attic, from -which it has of late years been rescued, and set up, draped with all of -its old-time hangings. - -[Illustration: Illus. 66.—Low-post Bedstead, 1820-1830.] - -The latest style of low-post bedsteads is shown Illustration 66. It -was probably made about 1820-1830, when the light woods, maple and -birch, were, with cherry, largely used for such bedsteads. The wood -of this bed is curly birch, and all four posts are carved alike with -the pineapple and acanthus design, similar to the tall posts of the -previous period. Low-post bedsteads are often found with posts plainly -turned, of curly maple, beautifully marked. - -[Illustration: Illus. 67.—Low Bedstead, about 1830.] - -Illustration 67 shows a low French bedstead, found in Canada and owned -by George Corbett, Esq., of Worcester. The bedstead is made of finely -grained old walnut, the rounding top of the head and foot boards and -the face of the large drawer under the footboard being veneered. This -drawer may have been intended to use to keep blankets in. It has a -little foot so that it remains firm when pulled out. At each side of -the low bed is a carved shell, which slides out, showing a covered -rest, perhaps for kneeling upon to pray. Both the head and foot boards -are covered with canvas, which was probably, when the bedstead was -new, about 1830, covered with a rich brocade. All the lines of the -bedstead are most graceful, and the carving is unusually well done. -Plainer bedsteads in this style were made, veneered with mahogany, and -they are sometimes called sleigh beds, on account of their shape. These -bedsteads were fashionable from 1830 to 1850, when they were superseded -by the black walnut bedsteads familiar to everybody. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -CUPBOARDS AND SIDEBOARDS - -[Illustration] - -CUPBOARDS appear in English inventories as early as 1344. Persons of -rank in England had their cupboards surmounted by a set of shelves to -display the silver and gold plate. Each shelf was narrower than the one -beneath, like a set of steps, and the number of shelves indicated the -rank of the owner, five being the greatest number, to be used by the -king only. - -The first cupboard consisted of an open framework, a “borde” upon which -to set cups, as the name implies. Later it was partially enclosed -below, and this enclosed cupboard was used to hold valuables, or -sometimes the food which was afterward distributed by the lady of the -house. This was known as an almery or press cupboard, the former name -corresponding to the French word _armoire_. - -[Illustration: Illus. 68.—Oak Press Cupboard, 1640.] - -The names “court cupboard” or “livery cupboard” were used to designate -a piece of furniture without an enclosed cupboard, low or short, as -the French word _court_ implies, and intended for a serving-table, as -the word “livery,” from the French _livrer_, to deliver, indicates. In -Europe such pieces were called _dressoirs_. - -Cupboards abound in colonial inventories, under various names—“small -cupboard,” “great cupboard,” “press cupboard,” “wainscot cupboard,” -“court cupboard,” “livery cupboard,” “hanging cupboard,” “sideboard -cupboard.” The cupboard formed an important part of the furniture owned -by men of wealth and position in the colonies. - -These cupboards were generally of oak, but those made in this country -have the backs and bottoms of the cupboards and drawers of pine. The -interior is similar in all, the lower cupboard usually having shelves, -which seldom appear in the upper cupboard. Sometimes the lower part of -the piece is divided into drawers for holding linen. - -[Illustration: Illus. 69.—Press Cupboard, about 1650.] - -Such a cupboard is shown in Illustration 68. This fine example is known -as the “Putnam cupboard.” It is now owned by the Essex Institute, of -Salem, to which it was presented by Miss Harriet Putnam Fowler of -Danvers, Massachusetts. It descended to her from John Putnam, who -brought it from England about 1640. Upon the back may be seen marks of -a fire which two hundred years ago destroyed the house in which the -cupboard stood. The wood is English oak, and the mouldings used in the -panelling are of cedar. The cupboard is in two parts, the upper section -with the enclosed cupboard resting upon the lower section with its -three drawers. - -Another panelled cupboard is shown in Illustration 69, in which both -the upper and lower parts are made with a recessed cupboard, enclosed, -with a drawer below. The wood is oak, with the turned pieces painted -black. This cupboard is in the house of Charles R. Waters, Esq., of -Salem. Upon the top are displayed some good pieces of old glass. - -Many press cupboards were carved in designs similar to those upon the -early chests. Illustration 70 shows a carved press cupboard owned by -Walter Hosmer, Esq., of Wethersfield. - -[Illustration: Illus. 70.—Carved Press Cupboard, 1680-1690.] - -The wood is American oak and the cupboard was probably made in -Connecticut, where there must have been unusually good cabinet-makers -during the last half of the seventeenth century, for many of the -best oak chests and cupboards existing in this country were made in -Connecticut. This cupboard is very large, measuring five feet in -height and four feet in width. - -All cupboards were provided with cupboard cloths or cushions, the -latter probably made somewhat thicker than the simple cloth, by the use -of several layers of goods or of stuffing. These cloths or cushions -were placed on the top of the cupboard, to set the glass or silver -upon, and the early inventories have frequent mention of them. By 1690 -the press cupboard had gone out of fashion, and but few were made after -1700, although they continued to be used by those who already owned -them. - -About 1710 the corner cupboard made its appearance, often under the -name “beaufet” or “beaufatt.” It was generally built into the corner, -and was finished to correspond with the panelling around the room. -The lower part was closed by panelled doors, and the upper part had -sometimes one glass door, sometimes two, opening in the middle; but -more often it was left without a door. The top of the beaufatt was -usually made in the form of an apse, and in the finest specimens the -apse was carved in a large shell. The shelves were not made to take up -the entire space in the cupboard, but extended around the back, and -were cut in curves and projections, evidently to fit pieces of glass or -china, for the display of which the beaufatt was built rather than to -serve as a simple closet. A fine beaufatt is shown in Illustration 71, -which is in the Deerfield Museum. From the construction of the pillars -at the side it is evident that it was not intended to use a door to the -upper part. - -That there was some distinction between the corner cupboard and the -beaufatt would appear from the difference in their valuation in -inventories, but what was the difference in their construction we do -not know. - -[Illustration: Illus. 71.—Corner “Beaufatt,” 1740-1750.] - -Cupboards were made, during the latter part of the eighteenth century, -of mahogany and other woods, and such corner cupboards, made as a -piece of furniture and not built into the house, were common in the -Southern States, about 1800. The corner cupboard, or beaufatt, was both -convenient and ornamental, taking up but little room and filling what -was often an empty space. Our ancestors frequently utilized the large -chimney also, by making the sides into small closets or cupboards, and -occasionally a door with glass panes was set into the chimney above the -mantel, with shelves behind it to hold glass or china. - -While the New England inventories speak of cupboards, the word _kas_, -or _kasse_, appears in Dutch inventories in New York. The kas was the -Dutch cupboard, and was different in style from the cupboard in use in -New England. It was of great size, and had large doors, behind which -were wide shelves to hold linen. The kas was usually made in two parts, -the upper one having two doors and a heavy cornice above. The lower -part held a long drawer, and rested upon large ball feet. A panelled -kas of somewhat different form is shown in Illustration 72, without -the ball feet, and made in three parts; the lower section with the -drawer, the middle cupboard section, enclosed with large doors, and a -second cupboard above that, the whole surmounted with a cornice. This -kas is made of kingwood, a hard wood with a grain not unlike that of -oak, but with darker markings. The bill of lading is still preserved, -dated 1701, when the kas, packed full of fine linen, was imported -from Holland by the father of Dr. Samuel Johnson, president of King’s -College from 1754 to 1763. It is now owned by Dr. Johnson’s descendant, -Mrs. Johnson-Hudson of Stratford, Connecticut. - -[Illustration: Illus. 72.—Kas, 1700.] - -Inventories during the latter years of the seventeenth century speak -of a “sideboard cupboard,” “sideboard table,” and “side-table,” but -the sideboard, in our acceptance of the word, dates to the latter half -of the eighteenth century. Chippendale designed no sideboards with -drawers and compartments, but he did design side-tables, or sideboard -tables, with marble or mahogany tops and carved frames. A Chippendale -side-table is shown in Illustration 73. The wood is mahogany, and the -frame is carved elaborately and beautifully in designs similar to those -of Chippendale and his contemporaries, which abound in flowers, birds, -and shells. The cabriole legs end in massive lion’s paws. This table is -what is called Irish Chippendale. - -[Illustration: Illus. 73.—Chippendale Side-table, about 1755.] - -In Ireland, working at the same period as Chippendale, drawing their -ideas from the same sources, and probably from Chippendale as well, -were cabinet-makers, much of whose work has come down, notably -side-tables. The shell plays a prominent part; on this table beside the -large shell are two small ones upon each leg. The carving of the Irish -school is not so fine as its English model, but is very rich. This -table is five feet long and the original top was of marble. It is owned -by Harry Harkness Flagler, Esq., of Millbrook, New York. - -[Illustration: Illus. 74.—Chippendale Side-table, 1765.] - -A Chippendale side-table is shown in Illustration 74, which was -evidently made in England, from Chippendale’s designs, if not by -Chippendale himself. It is very long and has had to sustain a great -weight in the heavy marble top, but it is in splendid condition, -perhaps because it is so heavy that it is seldom moved. It has passed -through many vicissitudes,—war, fire and earthquake,—in Charleston, -South Carolina, since it was brought there by the ancestor of its -present owner, George W. Holmes, Esq., of Charleston. - -These long side-tables were designed not only by Chippendale, but by -the other cabinet-makers and designers of the day, Ince and Mayhew, -and Manwaring; but the tables of these less noted men usually are made -after the prevailing Chinese style, with applied fretwork and legs -which are pierced, thus depriving them of the strength necessary in -so large a piece. Chippendale made these also, but in this table the -cabinet-maker chose a design which looks and is strong. The carving is -in scrolls done in the solid wood, and is French in design. The bracket -at the top of the leg is made in a scroll, which extends entirely -around the table. - -The earliest mention of a sideboard, the description of which implies -a form of construction similar to that of the later sideboard, is -in 1746, when an advertisement in a London newspaper speaks of “a -Large marble Sideboard Table with Lavatory and Bottle Cistern.” -Chippendale’s designs, published in 1753 and 1760, contain nothing -answering to this description, and both he and other cabinet-makers -of that period give drawings of side-tables only, without even a -drawer beneath. Such a sideboard as this advertisement of 1746 -mentions, may have given the idea from which, forty years later, was -developed the sideboard of mahogany, often inlaid, with slender legs -and curved front, which is shown in the majority of antique shops as -“Chippendale,” while the heavy veneered sideboard, with claw feet and -compartments extending nearly to the floor, made after 1800, goes -under the name of “Colonial.” One name is as incorrect as the other. -Thomas Shearer, an English cabinet-maker, designed the first of the -slender-legged sideboards, and they appear in his drawings published -in 1788. Hepplewhite’s book, published in 1789, gave similar drawings, -as did Sheraton’s in 1791, and these three cabinet-makers designed the -sideboards which were so fashionable from 1789 to 1805. The majority -which are found in this country were probably made here, but one is -shown in Illustration 75, which has a most romantic history of travel -and adventure. It is in the half-circle shape which was Shearer’s -favorite design, and was probably of English make, although it was -brought from France to America. - -In 1792 the ship _Sally_, consigned to Colonel Swan, sailed from -France, laden with rich furniture, tapestries, robes, everything -gathered together in Paris which might have belonged to a royal lady. - -[Illustration: Illus. 75.—Shearer Sideboard and Knife-box, 1792.] - -The _Sally_ came to Wiscasset, Maine, and the story told “down East” -is that there was a plot to rescue Marie Antoinette, and the _Sally_ -was laden for that purpose; and that a house had been built in a Maine -seaport for the queen, whose execution put an end to the plot, and sent -the _Sally_ off to America with her rich cargo. I cannot help thinking -that if the story be true, Marie Antoinette was spared many weary days -of discontent and homesickness; for the temperament of the unfortunate -queen, luxury loving, gay, and heedless, does not fit into the life of -a little Maine seaport town one hundred years ago. When the _Sally_ -arrived, her cargo of beautiful things was sold. Legends of Marie -Antoinette furniture crop up all around the towns in the neighborhood -of Wiscasset, but, singularly enough, I have been unable to trace a -single piece in Maine except this sideboard. Miss Elizabeth Bartol of -Boston, whose mother was a granddaughter of Colonel Swan, owns several -pieces. Colonel Swan’s son married the daughter of General Knox and -took the sideboard with him to General Knox’s home in Thomaston, Maine, -where it remained for many years. - -The sideboard is made of oak (showing its English origin) veneered -with mahogany. The lines upon the front and the figures upon the legs -are inlaid in satinwood, and the knife-box is inlaid in the same wood. -The top of the sideboard is elaborately inlaid with satinwood and dark -mahogany, in wide bands, separated by lines of ebony and satinwood, -and crossed by fine satinwood lines radiating from the centre. The -handles and escutcheons are of silver, and the top of the knife-box is -covered by a silver tray with a reticulated railing. The coffee-urn is -of Sheffield plate, and the sideboard with its appurtenances appears -to-day as it did one hundred years ago in the house of General Knox. It -is now owned by the Hon. James Phinney Baxter of Portland, Maine. - -[Illustration: Illus. 76.—Urn-shaped Knife-box, 1790.] - -Knife-boxes were made of different shapes, to hold knives, forks, -and spoons, and a pair of knife-boxes was the usual accompaniment to -a handsome sideboard. The most skilled cabinet-makers were employed -in their manufacture, as each curved section had to be fitted most -carefully. - -Illustration 76 shows an urn-shaped knife-box of mahogany inlaid in -lines of holly. The interior of the box is fitted with circular trays -of different heights, and through the little openings in these trays -the knives and spoons were suspended. - -[Illustration: Illus. 77.—Urn-shaped Knife-box, 1790.] - -Illustration 77 shows an urn-shaped knife-box opened. The top rests -upon a wooden rod which extends through the middle of the box, and -instead of turning back with a hinge, the top slides up on this rod, -and when it is raised to a certain height it releases a spring which -holds the rod firmly in its place. This urn knife-box is in the -Pendleton collection in Providence, Rhode Island. - -Urn-shaped boxes were designed by Adam, and are shown in his drawings, -to stand upon pedestals at each end of the side table, to be used, -one for ice-water, and one for hot water, for the butler to wash the -silver, not so plentiful then as now. Very soon the urn-shaped boxes -were utilized to hold the knives, forks and spoons. Adam, Shearer, -Hepplewhite and Sheraton show designs for knife-boxes, many of them -elaborately carved or inlaid, but they must have been very costly, and -within the means only of such noblemen, who, in Sheraton’s words, “are -unrestrained with the thoughts of expensiveness.” - -The usual shape of knife-box found is shown in Illustration 78, owned -by Mrs. Clarence R. Hyde, of Brooklyn, N. Y. It is inlaid both outside -and inside and the handles and fittings are of silver. The books of -designs show boxes of this shape, with the lid put back, as in this -illustration, and used to support a large silver plate. - -[Illustration: Illus. 78.—Knife-box, 1790.] - -Mahogany was chiefly used in sideboards, with inlaying of satinwood, -holly, king, tulip, snake, zebra, yew, maple, and other woods. -Occasionally one finds a sideboard veneered with walnut. The curves -at the front vary considerably, the ends being convex, and the centre -straight; or the ends concave, forming with the centre a double curve. -A sideboard with rounded ends and only four legs was made in large -numbers around Philadelphia. - -Illustration 79 shows a Hepplewhite sideboard owned by the writer. It -is of mahogany veneered upon pine, and it was probably the work of a -Connecticut cabinet-maker of about 1790. Six chairs, made to go with -the sideboard, are similarly inlaid, and the knife-boxes, which have -always stood upon this sideboard, have fine lines of inlaying. There -is one central long drawer, beneath which, slightly recessed, are -doors opening into a cupboard, and two bottle drawers, each fitted -with compartments to hold four bottles. There is a cupboard at each -curved end, with a drawer above. The coloring of the wood used in this -sideboard is very beautiful. Each drawer and door is veneered with a -bright red mahogany, with golden markings in the grain, and this is -framed in dark mahogany, outlined in two lines of satinwood with an -ebony line between. The oval pieces above the legs and the bell-flower -design upon the legs are of satinwood. The combination of the different -shades of mahogany with the light satinwood is most effective. The -handles are new. When this sideboard came into the possession of the -writer, the old handles had been removed and large and offensive ones -of pressed brass had been fastened upon every available spot, with that -love for the showy which seizes upon country people when they attempt -the process known as “doing over.” The lids of the knife-boxes open -back with hinges, and the interior is fitted with a slanting tray, -perforated with openings of different shapes to hold knives, with the -handles up, and spoons with the bowls up. A fine line of inlaying goes -round each of the openings. - -[Illustration: Illus. 79.—Hepplewhite Sideboard and Knife-boxes, about -1790.] - -The handles and escutcheons of the knife-boxes are of silver. Upon the -top of the sideboard are several pieces of Sheffield plate. At each end -is a double coaster upon wheels, with a long handle. Another double -coaster, somewhat higher and with reticulated sides, stands beside -the coffee-urn, and two single coasters are in front. All of these -coasters have wooden bottoms, and were used to hold wine decanters, the -double coasters upon wheels having been designed, so the story goes, by -Washington, for convenience in circulating the wine around the table. - -Illustration 80 shows a Hepplewhite sideboard with a serpentine front, -the doors to the side cupboards being concave, as well as the space -usually occupied by bottle drawers, while the small cupboard doors -in the middle are convex. A long rounding drawer extends across the -centre and projects beyond the cupboard below it, while a slide pulls -out, forming a shelf, between the long drawer and the small cupboard. -There are no bottle drawers in this sideboard. The doors are inlaid -with a fan at each corner, and fine lines of holly are inlaid around -the legs, doors, and drawer. The silver pieces upon the sideboard top -are family heirlooms. The large tea-caddies at each end are of pewter -finely engraved. This sideboard is owned by Francis H. Bigelow, Esq., -of Cambridge. - -A charming little sideboard owned by Mr. Bigelow is shown in -Illustration 81. The ordinary measurements of sideboards like the -last two shown are six feet in length, forty inches in height, and -twenty-eight inches in depth. These measures, with slight variations, -give the average size of Hepplewhite sideboards. Occasionally one finds -a small piece like Illustration 81, evidently made to fit some space. -This sideboard measures fifty-four inches in length, thirty-four in -height, and twenty-three in depth. - -[Illustration: Illus. 80.—Hepplewhite Serpentine-front Sideboard, -1790.] - -It has no cupboard, the space below the slightly rounding drawer in the -centre being left open. There are fine lines and fans of inlaying in -satinwood, and in the centre of the middle drawer is an oval inlay with -an urn in colored woods. The handles are not original, and should be of -pressed brass, oval or round. The silver service upon the sideboard -is of French plate, made about 1845, and is of unusually graceful and -elegant design. - -Hepplewhite’s sideboards seldom had fluted legs, which seem to have -been a specialty of Sheraton, though the latter used the square leg as -well. A feature in some of Sheraton’s designs for sideboards was the -brass railing at the back, often made in an elaborate design. - -[Illustration: Illus. 81.—Hepplewhite Sideboard, about 1795.] - -Illustration 82 shows a Sheraton sideboard, or side-table, with brass -rods extending across the back, and branches for candles at each end. -This railing was designed to support the plates which were stood at the -back of the sideboard, and also to keep the lids of knife and spoon -boxes from falling back against the wall. The branches for candles -were recommended for the light which the candles would throw upon the -silver. This side-table is very large, measuring six feet eight inches -in length, thirty inches in depth, and thirty-eight from the floor to -the top of the table. The wood is mahogany, inlaid with satinwood. -It is unusual to find such a piece in this country, and this is the -only example of an old Sheraton side-table or sideboard with the brass -railing which I have ever seen here. It is owned by John C. MacInnes, -Esq., of Worcester, and it was inherited by him from a Scotch ancestor. - -[Illustration: Illus. 82.—Sheraton Side-table, 1795.] - -Sheraton speaks of a “sideboard nine or ten feet long, as in some -noblemen’s houses,” but he admits that “There are other sideboards for -small dining-rooms, made without either drawers or pedestals.” - -[Illustration: Illus. 83.—Sheraton Side-table, 1795.] - -A charming little side-table, or sideboard, is shown in Illustration -83, belonging to Dwight M. Prouty, Esq., of Boston. It is of mahogany, -and is inlaid with three oval pieces of satinwood, giving the little -piece a very light effect. The legs also add to that appearance, the -reeded upper section tapering down to a turning and ending in a plain -round foot, which looks almost too small for such a piece. The outline -of the body is curved down to the legs, making an arch upon the front -and sides. - -A sideboard of distinctly Sheraton design is shown in Illustration -84. It has the reeded legs which are the almost unmistakable mark of -Sheraton. The ends of this sideboard are straight, and only the front -is rounding in shape, unlike the sideboard in Illustration 75, which -forms a complete semicircle. - -[Illustration: Illus. 84.—Sheraton Sideboard with Knife-box, 1795.] - -The wood is of mahogany, inlaid with fine lines of holly. The little -shield-shaped escutcheons at the keyholes are of ivory. There are three -drawers above the cupboards and two bottle drawers. Upon the top, at -each end, is a wine-cooler of Sheffield plate, and in the centre is a -mahogany inlaid knife-box similar to the one in Illustration 78. This -sideboard is owned by Dwight Blaney, Esq., of Boston. - -[Illustration: Illus. 85.—Sheraton Sideboard, about 1800.] - -A Sheraton sideboard of later date is shown in Illustration 85. It -is of mahogany, and was probably made about 1800. The arched open -space in the middle was left for the cellaret, which was the usual -accompaniment of the sideboard in those days of hard drinking. The -top of this sideboard is surmounted by drawers, with a back above the -drawers. The legs and the columns above them are reeded, and the -little columns at the corners of the upper drawers are carved, the -inner ones with a sheaf of wheat, and the two outside corners with the -acanthus leaf. This sideboard was formerly owned by Rejoice Newton, -Esq., of Worcester, from whom it has descended to Waldo Lincoln, Esq., -of Worcester. - -[Illustration: Illus. 86.—Sheraton Sideboard, about 1805.] - -Illustration 86 shows the latest type of a Sheraton sideboard, owned -by the Colonial Dames of Pennsylvania, and now in “Stenton,” the -house built in 1727 by James Logan, William Penn’s secretary. The -sideboard stands where it was placed, about 1805, by George Logan, the -great-great grandson of James. The wood is mahogany, and the large -square knife-boxes were evidently made to fit the sideboard. The legs, -with spade feet, are short, bringing the body of the sideboard close to -the floor. The handles are brass knobs. - -[Illustration: Illus. 87.—Cellarets, 1790.] - -Cellarets were made as a part of the dining-room furniture. They -were lined with zinc, to hold the ice in which the wine bottles were -packed to cool, and at the lower edge of the body of the cellaret was -a faucet, or some arrangement by which the water from the melted ice -could be drawn off. They were designed by Chippendale and all of his -contemporaries and by the later cabinet-makers,—Adam, Hepplewhite, -and Sheraton. - -Illustration 87 shows two cellarets of different styles. The cellaret -of octagonal shape, brass bound, with straight legs, is of the style -most commonly found. It is in the Poore collection, at Indian Hill. -Cellarets of this shape figure in books of designs from 1760 to 1800. -The other is oval in form, and has the leg usually attributed to the -Adam brothers. This cellaret belongs to Francis H. Bigelow, Esq., of -Cambridge. Both cellarets are of mahogany. - -We now come to sideboards of the type called “Colonial”; why, it would -be difficult to trace, since sideboards of this heavy design were not -made until over twenty-five years after the time that the United States -took the place of the American colonies. - -The heavy Empire fashions gained such popularity in the early years -of the nineteenth century that furniture made after those fashions -entirely superseded the graceful slender-legged styles of Shearer, -Hepplewhite, and Sheraton, and sideboards were made as heavy and clumsy -as the others had been light and graceful. The cupboards were extended -nearly to the floor, from which the sideboard was lifted by balls -or by large carved bears’ feet. Round pillars, veneered, or carved -similar to bedposts of the period, with a twist, or the pineapple and -acanthus leaf, were used upon the front, and small drawers were added -to the top. At about this time glass handles came into fashion, and -many of these heavy sideboards have knobs of glass, either clear or -opalescent. The brass handles that were used were either the rosette -and ring or the knob shape. - -[Illustration: Illus. 88.—Sideboard, 1810-1820.] - -Illustration 88 shows a sideboard of this period, 1810-1820, made -of mahogany; the panels to the doors, the veneered pillars, and the -piece at the back of the top being of a lighter and more finely marked -mahogany than the rest, which is quite dark. There is a little panel -inlaid in colors upon the lower rail in the centre. The handles are the -rosette and ring, the smaller handles matching the large ones. This -sideboard belonged to the late Colonel DeWitt of Oxford, Massachusetts, -and it is now owned by W. S. G. Kennedy, Esq., of Worcester. - -Another type of mahogany Empire sideboard, and one often seen, is shown -in Illustration 89. It is owned by L. J. Shapiro, Esq., of Norfolk, -Virginia. The body of the sideboard is raised from the floor by very -handsome bears’ feet, and the posts extending up to the drawers are -carved, and topped by typical Empire carvings of wing effect, which -separate the drawers. The centre section of doors is curved outward -slightly, and there is a band of carving across the lower edge, below -the doors. - -[Illustration: Illus. 89.—Empire Sideboard, 1810-1820.] - -In the eighteenth and early nineteenth century the temperance question -did not enter the heads of the fine gentlemen of the day, and the -serving of wine was an important consideration. The cellaret or wine -cooler accompanied the sideboard, which in the drawings of Hepplewhite, -Shearer, and Sheraton had bottle drawers. - -[Illustration: Illus. 90.—Sheraton Mixing-table, 1790.] - -What Shearer called “a gentleman’s social table” was designed by -several, with conveniences for bottles, glasses, and biscuit, and for -facilitating the progress of the wine around the table. In this country -the mixing of punch or other beverages was furthered by a piece of -furniture called a mixing table. - -[Illustration: Illus. 91.—Mixing-table, 1810-1820.] - -Mrs. Charles Custis Harrison, of St. David’s, Pennsylvania, owns the -mixing table in Illustration 90, and a sideboard to match it. Both -pieces were inherited from Robert Morris, in whose famous mansion in -Philadelphia they stood. The wood of the table is mahogany and the -drawers and doors are of satinwood, finely inlaid. There is a well in -the top for a bowl, in which was brewed the punch of the Philadelphia -forefathers. The cover of the table is hinged, and the four shelves -which show in the illustration fold flat when the cover is down. - -The table in Illustration 91 belongs to the Misses Garrett of -Williamsburg, Virginia, and is known as a “mint julep” table, having -been made for the concocting of that Southern beverage by a Baltimore -cabinet-maker. There are shelves behind the door for the accessories to -the julep, and for the mixing of it the top of the table is marble. - - - - -CHAPTER V - -DESKS - - -[Illustration] - -FROM 1644 to about 1670 desks appear in colonial inventories. During -those years the word “desk” meant a box, which was often made with -a sloping lid for convenience in writing, or to rest a book upon in -reading. This box was also used to hold writing-materials and papers -or books, and was sometimes called a Bible-box, from the fact that the -Bible was kept in it. Illustration 92 shows two of these desks from -the collection of Charles R. Waters, Esq., of Salem. The larger desk -is twenty inches in length and thirteen and one-half in height, and -formerly had a narrow shelf in the inside across the back. The front -is carved with the initials A. W. and the date 1654. The smaller desk -measures thirteen and one-half inches in length and eight in height. - -[Illustration: Illus. 92.—Desk-boxes, 1654.] - -The desk with flat top in Illustration 93 is also in the Waters -collection. It measures twenty-six inches in length by seventeen in -width. It is made of oak, like the smaller desk in the preceding -illustration. - -[Illustration: Illus. 93.—Desk-box, 1650.] - -The next style of desk made its appearance in the inventories of about -1660, under a name with French derivation: “scrutoir,” “scriptor,” -“scrittore,” “scrutor,” “scriptoire,” down to the phonetically spelled -“screwtor.” About 1720 the word “bureau,” also from the French, came -into use in combination with the word “desk,” or “table.” It has -continued to be employed up to the present time, for the slant-top desk -is even now, in country towns, called a bureau-desk. As the word “desk” -seems to have been more or less in use through these early years, -while for the last hundred years it has been almost entirely employed, -alone or in combination with other words, I have designated as desks -all pieces of furniture made for use in writing. - -[Illustration: Illus. 94.—Desk, about 1680.] - -A cabinet and writing desk used by perhaps all of the Dutch Patroons, -of Albany, is shown in Illustration 94. It has stood in the same house, -Cherry Hill, Albany, since 1768, when the house was built by Philip -Van Rensselaer, the ancestor of the present owner, Mrs. Edward W. -Rankin. - -[Illustration: Illus. 95.—Desk, about 1680.] - -It was probably brought from Holland by Killian Van Rensselaer, -and in it were kept the accounts of the manor. The desk is open in -Illustration 95, showing the compartments for papers and books. The -wood of this splendid piece is oak, beautifully panelled and carved, -and the fine panel seen when the desk is closed forms, when lowered, -the shelf for writing. Similar pieces appear in paintings by old Dutch -masters. - -[Illustration: Illus. 96.—Desk, 1710-1720.] - -Illustration 96 shows a desk owned by Miss Gage, of Worcester, of -rather rude construction, and apparently not made by a skilled -cabinet-maker. It has two long drawers with two short drawers above -them. The space above these two short drawers is reached from an -opening or well with a slide, directly in front of the small drawers -of the interior, which may be seen in the illustration. The pillars -at each side of the middle compartment pull out as drawers. The -handles are new, and should be drop handles, or early stamped ones. -The characteristics which determine the date of this desk are the -single moulding around the drawers, the two short drawers, and the well -opening with a slide. The bracket feet would indicate a few years’ -later date than that of similar pieces with ball feet. - -During the first half of the eighteenth century slant-top desks -appeared with a bookcase or cabinet top. The lower or desk part was -made usually with a moulding around the top, into which the upper part -was set. The doors were of panelled wood or had looking-glasses set in -them, but occasionally they were of glass. - -The frontispiece shows an extraordinary piece of furniture owned by -Samuel Verplanck, Esq., of Fishkill, New York. It has belonged in the -family of Mr. Verplanck since 1753, when it was bought by an ancestor, -Governor James de Lancey, at an auction sale of the effects of Sir -Danvers Osborne, who was governor of the Province of New York for the -space of five days, as he landed at Whitehall Slip, New York, from the -good ship _Arundel_ on Friday, and the following Wednesday he committed -suicide. Sir Danvers had brought his household goods with him upon the -_Arundel_, and among them was this secretary. - -Lacquered furniture was fashionable during the first quarter of the -eighteenth century, and while the first lacquered pieces came through -Holland, by 1712 “Japan work” was so popular, even in the American -colonies, that an advertisement of Mr. Nehemiah Partridge appeared in a -Boston paper of that year, that he would do “all sorts of Japan work.” - -The wood of this secretary is oak, and the entire piece is covered with -lacquer in brilliant red, blue, and gold. The upper part, or cabinet, -has doors which are lacquered on the inside, with looking-glasses on -the outside. A looking-glass is also set into the middle of the top. -These glasses are all the original ones and are of heavy plate with the -old bevel upon the edges. Above the compartments, and fitting into the -two arches of the top are semi-circular-shaped flap doors, which open -downward. Between these and the pigeonholes are two shallow drawers -extending across the cabinet. The middle compartment has two doors with -vases of flowers lacquered upon them, and there is a drawer above, -while the spaces each side of the doors are occupied by drawers. The -slides for candlesticks are gone, but the slits show where they were -originally. The lower or desk part is divided by a moulding which runs -around it above the three lower drawers, and the space between this -and the writing-table is taken by two short drawers, but it has no -well with a slide like the desk in Illustration 96. The arrangement -of the small drawers and compartments is the same as in the desk in -Illustration 96, and the lacquered pillars form the fronts of drawers -which pull out, each side of the middle compartment, which has upon its -door a jaunty little gentleman in European costume of the period. The -moulding upon the frame around the drawers and the two short upper -drawers would place the date of this piece early in the eighteenth -century. - -[Illustration: Illus. 97.—Cabriole-legged Desk, 1720-1730.] - -The first thought upon seeing the feet of the desk, is that they were -originally brackets which were sawed off and the large ball feet added, -but it must have been made originally as it now stands, for both the -brackets and the balls under them are lacquered with the old “Japan -work” like the rest of the secretary. - -A style of desk of a somewhat later date is occasionally found, -generally made of maple. Its form and proportions are similar to those -of a low-boy with the Dutch bandy-leg and foot, and a desk top, the -slanting lid of which lets down for use in writing. The top sets into -a moulding around the edge of the lower part, in the same manner as -the top part of a high-boy is set upon its base. Illustration 97 shows -a desk of this style in the building of the Pennsylvania Historical -Society, labelled as having belonged to William Penn, but which is of -a later date than that would imply, as it was made from 1720 to 1730, -while Penn left this country in 1701, never to return to it. - -[Illustration: Illus. 98.—Cabriole-legged Desk, 1760.] - -The mahogany desk shown in Illustration 98 belongs to Walter Hosmer, -Esq., and is a most graceful and charming little piece, intended -probably for a lady’s use. It measures twenty-four and a half inches -in length and forty-one and a half inches in height. There are three -square drawers in the lower part, and the upper part has two small -square drawers for pens, with a third between them. The two pen drawers -pull out and support the lid when lowered. The interior of the desk has -eighteen small drawers, shaped and placed so that their fronts form a -curve, and each little drawer at the top is carved with the rising sun, -or fan, like the middle drawer in the lower part. The entire design -of the interior is like that in a large block-front desk now owned by -George S. Palmer, Esq., of Norwich, which was made by Benjamin Dunham -in 1769, and it is possible that the two pieces were made by the same -Connecticut cabinet-maker. - -[Illustration: Illus. 99.—Desk, 1760.] - -Another desk belonging to Mr. Hosmer is shown in Illustration 99. The -bandy-legs end in a claw-and-ball of a flattened shape, and instead of -the drawer, plain or with a carved sunburst, usually seen between the -side drawers of the lower part, the wood of the frame is sawed in a -simple design. The upper part has three drawers, and the lid when down -rests upon two slides which pull out for the purpose. The interior is -quite simple, having four drawers with eight small compartments above. -This desk measures twenty-six inches in width and thirty-nine inches -and a half in height. - -The desk in Illustration 100 is now owned by the American Antiquarian -Society of Worcester, and belonged formerly to Governor John Hancock. -It measures four feet six inches from the floor, and is of the sturdy, -honest build that one would expect in a desk used by the man whose -signature to the Declaration of Independence stands out so fearless and -determined. - -[Illustration: Illus. 100.—Desk, about 1770.] - -[Illustration: Illus. 101.—Block-front Desk. Cabinet Top, about 1770.] - -The slanting lid has a moulding across the lower edge, probably to -support a large book, or ledger, and as it is at the right height for -a man to write standing, or sitting upon a very high stool, it may -have been used as an office desk. Below the slanting lid are two doors -behind which are shelves. - -Two drawers extend across the lower part, and at each end of the desk -two small, long drawers pull out. The desk was made about 1770. - -Illustration 101 shows a mahogany block-front desk with cabinet top, -owned by Charles R. Waters, Esq., of Salem, which was bought by Mr. -Waters’s grandfather, about 1770. It is a fine example of the best -style of secretary made during the eighteenth century. The doors are of -panelled wood. The lid of the desk is blocked like the front, and like -the lid of the desk in Illustration 109, requiring for the blocked lid -and drawer fronts wood from two to three inches thick, as each front is -carved from one thick plank. - -Illustration 102 shows a block-front mahogany desk, owned by Francis H. -Bigelow, Esq., of Cambridge. It formerly belonged to Dr. John Snelling -Popkin, who was Professor of Greek at Harvard University from 1826 to -1833, and probably descended to him, as it was made about 1770. The -legs, with claw-and-ball feet, are blocked like the drawers, as was -usual in block-front pieces, another feature of which is the moulding -upon the frame around the drawers. - -[Illustration: Illus. 102.—Block-front Desk, about 1770.] - -In all the desks shown, the pillars at each side of the middle door -in the interior pull out as drawers. These were supposed to be secret -drawers. Often the little arched pieces above the pigeonholes are -drawer fronts. The middle compartment is sometimes a drawer, or if it -has a door, behind this door is a drawer which, when taken entirely -out, proves to have a secret drawer opening from its back. Occasionally -an opening to a secret compartment is found in the back of the desk. -All these were designed at a time when banks and deposit companies did -not abound, and the compartments were doubtless utilized to hold papers -and securities of value. There are traditions of wills being discovered -in these secret compartments, and novelists have found them of great -convenience in the construction of plots. - -[Illustration: Illus. 103.—Desk with Cabinet Top, about 1770.] - -The secretary in Illustration 103 is an extraordinarily fine piece. -It is of mahogany, and tradition says that it was brought from -Holland, but it is distinctly a Chippendale piece, from the fine -carving upon the feet and above the doors, and from the reeded -pilasters with exquisitely carved capitals. There are five of these -pilasters,—three in front and one upon each side, at the back. The -doors hold looking-glasses, the shape of which, straight at the bottom -and in curves at the top, is that of the early looking-glasses. The -two semicircular, concave spaces in the interior above the cabinet are -lacquered in black and gold. - -The middle compartment in the desk, between the pigeonholes, has a -door, behind which is a large drawer. When this drawer is pulled -entirely out, at its back may be seen small drawers, and upon taking -out one of these and pressing a spring, secret compartments are -disclosed. - -Dr. Holmes, in “The Professor at the Breakfast Table,” has written of -this secretary thus:— - -“At the house of a friend where I once passed a night, was one of those -stately, upright cabinet desks and cases of drawers which were not rare -in prosperous families during the past century [_i.e._ the eighteenth]. -It had held the clothes and the books and papers of generation after -generation. The hands that opened its drawers had grown withered, -shrivelled, and at last had been folded in death. The children that -played with the lower handles had got tall enough to open the desk,—to -reach the upper shelves behind the folding doors,—grown bent after -a while,—and followed those who had gone before, and left the old -cabinet to be ransacked by a new generation. - -“A boy of twelve was looking at it a few years ago, and, being a -quick-witted fellow, saw that all the space was not accounted for by -the smaller drawers in the part beneath the lid of the desk. Prying -about with busy eyes and fingers, he at length came upon a spring, on -pressing which, a secret drawer flew from its hiding-place. It had -never been opened but by the maker. The mahogany shavings and dust were -lying in it, as when the artisan closed it, and when I saw it, it was -as fresh as if that day finished. - -“Is there not one little drawer in your soul, my sweet reader, which -no hand but yours has ever opened, and which none that have known you -seemed to have suspected? What does it hold? A sin? I hope not.” - -The “quick-witted boy, with busy eyes and fingers,” was the present -owner of the secretary, the Rev. William R. Huntington, D.D., of Grace -Church, New York, and since Dr. Holmes wrote of the secretary, new -generations have grown up to reach the handles of the drawers and to -ransack the old cabinet. - -[Illustration: Illus. 104.—Block-front Desk, about 1770.] - -The middle ornament upon the top was gone many years ago, but Dr. -Huntington remembers, as a boy with his brother, playing with the two -end figures which, it is not astonishing to relate, have not been seen -since those years. The figures were carved from wood, of men at work -at their trade of cabinet-making, and the boys who were given the -carved figures for toys played that the little workmen were the ones -who made the secretary. The great handles upon the sides are large and -heavy enough for the purpose for which they were intended, to lift the -massive piece of furniture. - -The block-front mahogany desk in Illustration 81 shows the blocked -slanting lid. The brasses are original and are unusually large and -fine. This desk belongs to Dwight Blaney, Esq., of Boston. - -A splendid mahogany secretary owned by Albert S. Rines, Esq., of -Portland, Maine, is shown in Illustration 105. The lower part is bombé -or kettle-shaped, but the drawers, which swell with the shape in -front, do not extend to the corners, like the kettle-shaped bureau in -Illustration 30, but leave a vacant space in the interior, not taken -up at the ends. Three beautiful, flat, reeded columns with Corinthian -capitals are upon the doors, which still hold the old bevelled -looking-glasses. The handles are original, but are not as large as one -usually finds upon such a secretary. There are larger handles upon the -sides, as was the custom. The cabinet in the upper part is very similar -to the one in Illustration 103, but there is no lacquering upon the -curved tops behind the doors. With the thoroughness of workmanship -and dislike of sham which characterized the cabinet-makers of the -eighteenth century, there are fine pieces of mahogany inside at the -back of the looking-glasses. The cabinet in the desk proper, which is -covered by the slanting lid when closed, is unusually good, with the -curved drawers, set also in a curve. - -[Illustration: Illus. 105.—Kettle-front Secretary, about 1765.] - -This secretary is generous in secret compartments, of which there are -six. The centre panel of the cabinet is the front of a drawer, locked -by a concealed spring, and at the back of this drawer are two secret -drawers; beneath it, by sliding a thin piece of mahogany, another -drawer is disclosed; a fourth is at the top, behind a small drawer, and -at each end of the curved drawers is a secret drawer. The secretary is -over eight feet in height. - -[Illustration: Illus. 106.—Block-front Writing-table, 1760-1770.] - -[Illustration: Illus. 107.—Serpentine-front Desk, Cabinet Top, 1770.] - -Illustration 106 shows a beautiful little piece of furniture, modelled -after what Chippendale calls a writing-table or a bureau table, by the -latter term meaning a bureau desk with a flat top. The same unusually -fine shells are carved upon this as upon the double chest of drawers in -Illustration 21, and upon the low chest of drawers in Illustration 31. - -In the inside of one of the drawers of this writing-table is written in -a quaint old hand a name which is illegible, and “Newport, R.I., 176-,” -the final figure of the date not being sufficiently plain to determine -it. Desks, secretaries, and chests of drawers have been found with -block fronts and these fine shells. All were originally owned in Rhode -Island or near there, and nearly all can be traced back to Newport, -probably to the same cabinet-maker. This writing-table was bought in -1901 from the heirs of Miss Rebecca Shaw of Wickford, Rhode Island. -Miss Shaw died in 1900 at over ninety years of age. The writing-table -is now owned by Harry Harkness Flagler, Esq., of Millbrook, New -York. It measures thirty-four inches in height and thirty-six and -three-quarters inches in length. A door with a shell carved upon it -opens into a recessed cupboard. A writing-table like this is in the -Pendleton collection, also found in Rhode Island. - -[Illustration: Illus. 108.—Serpentine or Bow-front Desk, about 1770.] - -Illustration 107 shows a desk with cabinet top and serpentine or ox-bow -front. It is made of English walnut of a fine golden hue which has -never been stained or darkened. The doors are of panelled wood, with -fluted columns at each side. It was owned in the Bannister family of -Newburyport until 1870, when it was given to the Newburyport Library. -It now stands in the old Prince mansion, occupied by the Library. - -[Illustration: Illus. 109.—Bill of Lading, 1716.] - -Illustration 108 shows a mahogany desk with serpentine front and -claw-and-ball feet, owned by Mrs. Alice Morse Earle, of Brooklyn. The -serpentine drawers of this piece and the one preceding are carved from -a solid block, not quite so thick as is necessary for the block-front -drawers. This desk was made at about the same time as the secretary in -the last illustration. - -The bill of lading in Illustration 109 is preserved in the house known -as the “Warner House,” in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, built by Archibald -Macphaedris, a member of the King’s Council. It was commenced in 1712, -and occupied in 1716, but not finished until 1718. Mr. Macphaedris died -in 1729, and his widow, upon her second marriage, gave the house to her -daughter, married then to Colonel Jonathan Warner, and the house has -remained ever since in the possession of their descendants. - -The rooms are panelled, and are filled with the furniture bought by -successive generations. Upon the walls hang Copley portraits of Colonel -Warner and his wife and her haughty mother, Mrs. Macphaedris (who was -a daughter of Lieutenant-Governor Wentworth), and of Colonel Warner’s -young daughter Mary, in her straight little stays, which are still -preserved, along with the garments, stiff with gold embroideries, which -Colonel Warner and his wife wore upon state occasions. A number of the -illustrations for this book were taken in the Warner house, which is -one of the best-preserved old houses in the country, and which, with -its furnishings and decorations, presents an unusually good picture of -the home of the wealthy colonist. - -The quaint wording of this bill of lading, and the list of furniture -mentioned, make it interesting in this connection, but none of -the pieces of that date remain in the house, which was evidently -refurnished with great elegance, after 1760, when the old furniture was -probably discarded as “old-fashioned.” - -Illustration 110 shows a bookcase built into the Warner house. It is -made of mahogany, and stands in every particular exactly as it was -originally made. The bill of lading of 1716, shown in Illustration -85, mentions a bookcase, but this bookcase is of later date, and was -probably bought by Colonel Warner for his daughter, as the books in the -case are all bound alike in a golden brown leather, with gilt tooling, -and each book has “Miss. Warner” stamped in gilt letters upon the -cover. The books are the standard works of that time,—Shakespeare, -Milton, Spenser, “The Spectator,” Fox’s “Book of Martyrs,” and all the -books which a wealthy man of those days would buy to furnish a library. -The dates of the editions vary from 1750 to 1765, so the latter date -may be given to this bookcase. It was once entirely filled with “Miss. -Warner’s” books, but early in the nineteenth century, during a great -fire in Portsmouth, the books were removed for safety, and all were not -brought back. - -[Illustration: Illus. 110.—Bookcase and Desk, about 1765.] - -[Illustration: Illus. 111.—Chippendale Bookcase, 1770.] - -At the top of the bookcase is a row of Chinese fretwork, which, -together with the massive handles, would also place its date about -1765. The case is divided into three sections, the sides of the lower -part being devoted to drawers. The lower middle section has four -drawers, above which is a wide flap which lets down, disclosing a desk -with drawers and pigeonholes. - -A bookcase owned by J.J. Gilbert, Esq., of Baltimore, is shown in -Illustration 111. It is made after Chippendale designs, and is richly -carved. The base and feet are very elaborate, and the cornice and -pediment, are wonderfully fine. The broken arch has delicate sprays -of carved wood, projecting beyond the edge, and laid over the open -fretwork, and the crowning ornament in the centre is a carved urn with -a large spray of flowers. The ornaments and mouldings separating the -sections of glass in the doors are as fine as the other rich carving -upon this bookcase. - -A wonderful Hepplewhite bookcase is shown in Illustration 112. It is -owned by George W. Holmes, Esq., of Charleston, South Carolina, and -carries with it an impression of the wealth and luxury in Charleston, -before the Civil War and the other disasters that befell that city in -the latter half of the nineteenth century. - -[Illustration: Illus. 112.—Hepplewhite Bookcase, 1789.] - -This bookcase is nearly nine feet in length, and is made of unusually -fine mahogany. The lower part is designed in a series of curves which -prevents the plain look that a straight front would give in such -length. The doors form one curve and a part of the other two, which are -completed by the drawers at each side; a skilful management of a long -space. The curves at the top of the pediment follow the same lines, and -the bookcase was evidently designed by a master hand. It was probably -brought from England, together with a secretary to match it. Above the -doors and drawers, shelves pull out, on which to rest books. A fine -line of holly runs around each door and drawer, with a star inlaid at -the corners of the doors, while a very beautiful design is inlaid in -light and dark woods, in the space on the pediment, which is finished -with the broken arch, of the high, slender type, with carved rosettes. -The centre ornament, between the rosettes, is a basket of flowers -carved in wood. - -[Illustration: Illus. 113.—Maple Desk, about 1795.] - -After the publication of the designs of Shearer, Hepplewhite, and -Sheraton, the heavy desks were superseded by those of lighter design, -and the slant-top bureau desk was seldom made after 1790. Sheraton -says: “Bureau in France is a small chest of drawers. It has generally -been applied to common desks with drawers made under them. These pieces -of furniture are nearly obsolete in London.” Slant-top desks do not -appear in cabinet-makers’ books published after 1800, and it is safe to -assign a date previous to the nineteenth century to any such desk. - -[Illustration: Illus. 114.—Hepplewhite Desk, Cabinet Top, 1790.] - -Illustration 113 shows the latest type of a slant-top desk, made in -1790-1795. The frame is of maple, the drawers being of curly maple -edged with ebony. The lid is of curly maple framed in bird’s-eye maple -with ebony lines, and in the centre is a star made of mahogany and -ebony. The small drawers inside are of bird’s-eye maple, three of the -drawers having an ebony and mahogany star. The base is what Hepplewhite -calls a French base, and the desk, which measures only thirty-six -inches in length, is a good example of the artistic use of the -different varieties of maple with their golden hues. This desk belongs -to the writer. - -Illustration 114 shows a Hepplewhite desk with cabinet top owned by the -writer, and made about 1790. The drawers are veneered with satinwood, -with a row of fine inlaying of holly and ebony around each drawer -front. The base is after Hepplewhite’s design, and has a row of ebony -and holly inlaying across it. The slightly slanting lid turns back and -rests upon two pulls to form a writing-table. The pigeonholes and small -drawers are behind the glass doors, which are made like two Gothic -arches, with three little pillars, and panels of satinwood between the -bases of the pillars. The pediment at the top of the cabinet is quite -characteristic of the period. - -Illustration 115 shows a charming little Sheraton desk owned by W. S. -G. Kennedy, Esq., of Worcester. It is made of bird’s-eye maple with -trimming of mahogany veneer, and a row of ebony and holly inlaying -below the drawers. The upper part has one maple door in the centre, -with a tambour door of mahogany at each side, behind which are -pigeonholes and small drawers. - -[Illustration: Illus. 115.—Sheraton Desk, 1795.] - -The lid shuts back upon itself, and, when open, rests upon the two -pulls at each side of the upper drawer. The wood of this desk is -beautifully marked, and the whole effect is very light and well adapted -to a lady’s use. - -[Illustration: Illus. 116.—Tambour Secretary, about 1800.] - -The word “tambour” is thus defined by Sheraton: “Tambour tables among -cabinet-makers are of two sorts; one for a lady or gentleman to write -at, and another for the former to execute needlework by. The Writing -Tambour Tables are almost out of use at present, being both insecure -and liable to injury. They are called Tambour from the cylindrical -forms of their tops, which are glued up in narrow strips of mahogany -and laid upon canvas, which binds them together, and suffers them at -the same time to yield to the motion that their ends make in the -curved groove in which they run. Tambour tables are often introduced in -small pieces where no strength or security is desired.” - -In his will, George Washington left to Dr. Craik “my beaureau (or as -cabinet-makers call it, tambour secretary).” Illustration 116 shows -what might be called a tambour secretary. It is made of mahogany -with lines of light wood inlaid. The lid of the lower part is folded -back upon itself. - -[Illustration: Illus. 117.—Sheraton Desk, 1800.] - -Above it are two tambour doors, behind which are drawers and -pigeonholes and a door in the centre with an oval inlay of satinwood. -Above these doors is a cabinet with glass doors. The pediment is like -the one in Illustration 114. This secretary was made about 1800, and -belongs to Francis H. Bigelow, Esq., of Cambridge. - -Illustration 117 shows a small Sheraton writing table for a lady’s -use, also owned by Mr. Bigelow. It is of simple construction, having -one drawer, and when the desk is closed, the effect is that of a small -table with a flat top. - -Illustration 118 shows a desk which was copied from one of Sheraton’s -designs, published in 1793, and described as “a lady’s cabinet -and writing table.” The legs in Sheraton’s drawing are slender and -straight, while these are twisted and carved, and the space, which -in the design is left open for books, in this desk is closed with a -tambour door. - -[Illustration: Illus. 118.—Sheraton Desk, about 1810.] - -The slide which shows above the compartment pulls out, with a mechanism -described by Sheraton, and when fully out, it drops to form the cover -for the compartments. The Empire brasses upon the top are original, but -the handles to the drawers are not. They should be brass knobs. This -beautiful little desk was made about 1810 for William T. Lane, Esq., of -Boston, and is owned by his daughter, Mrs. Thomas H. Gage of Worcester. - -[Illustration: Illus. 119.—Desk, about 1820.] - -Illustration 119 shows a bureau and desk, belonging to Mrs. J. H. Henry -of Winchendon. The lid of the desk turns back like the lid of a piano. -The carved pillars at the side are like the ones upon the bureau in -Illustration 37, and upon other pieces of furniture of the same date, -about 1820. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -CHAIRS - - -[Illustration] - -CHAIRS are seldom mentioned in the earliest colonial inventories, and -few were in use in either England or America at that time. Forms and -stools were used for seats in the sixteenth and early seventeenth -centuries, and inventories of that period, even those of wealthy men, -do not often contain more than one or two chairs. The chair was the -seat of honor given to the guest, others sitting upon forms and stools. -This custom was followed by the American colonists, and forms or -benches and joint or joined stools constituted the common seats during -the first part of the seventeenth century. - -[Illustration: Illus. 120.—Turned Chair, Sixteenth Century.] - -The chairs in use during that period were “thrown” or turned chairs; -wainscot chairs, sometimes described as “scrowled” or carved chairs; -and later, chairs covered with leather, or “Turkey work,” and other -fabrics. - -The best-known turned chair in this country is the “President’s Chair” -at Harvard University. Dr. Holmes has written of it in “Parson Turell’s -Legacy”:— - - “—a chair of oak,— - Funny old chair, with seat like wedge, - Sharp behind and broad front edge,— - One of the oddest of human things, - Turned all over with knobs and rings,— - But heavy, and wide, and deep, and grand,— - Fit for the worthies of the land,— - Chief Justice Sewall a cause to try in, - Or Cotton Mather, to sit—and lie,—in.” - -In the Bolles collection is a chair similar to the Harvard chair, and -one is shown in Illustration 120, owned by Henry F. Waters, Esq., of -Salem. A turned chair of the same period with a square seat is owned by -the Connecticut Historical Society. - -[Illustration: Illus. 121.—Turned High-chair, Sixteenth Century.] - -Provision was made for the youngest of the large family of children, -with which the colonist was usually blessed, in the high chair, -which is found in almost every type. A turned high chair is shown in -Illustration 121, brought by Richard Mather to America in 1635, and -used to hold the successive babies of that famous family,—Samuel, -Increase, Cotton, and the others. The rod is missing which was fastened -across the front to hold the child in, and only the holes show where -the pegs were placed to support the foot-rest. This quaint little chair -is owned by the American Antiquarian Society of Worcester. - -A style of turned chair more commonly in use is shown in Illustration -122, said to have been brought on the _Mayflower_ by Governor Carver. -The chair in Illustration 123, originally owned by Elder Brewster, is -of a rarer type, the spindles being greater in number and more finely -turned. Both of these chairs are in Pilgrim Hall, in Plymouth. Turned -chairs are not infrequently found of the type of Illustration 122, but -rarely like the Brewster chair or the turned chair in Illustration 120. - -The wainscot chair was made entirely of wood, usually oak, with a -panelled back, from which came the name “wainscot.” Its valuation in -inventories was two or three times that of the turned chair, which is -probably the reason why wainscot chairs are seldom found. - -[Illustration: Illus. 122 and Illus. 123.—Turned Chairs, about 1600.] - -The finest wainscot chair in this country is shown in Illustration 124. -It belongs to the Essex Institute of Salem, having been given to that -society in 1821 by a descendant of the original owner, Sarah Dennis -of Ipswich, who possessed two of these chairs; the other is now the -President’s chair at Bowdoin College. - -[Illustration: Illus. 124.—Wainscot Chair, about 1600.] - -A plainer form of the wainscot chair is shown in Illustration 125. It -was brought to Newbury in the ship _Hector_, in 1633, and is now in the -collection of the late Major Ben: Perley Poore, at Indian Hill. - -By the middle of the seventeenth century chairs had become more common, -and inventories of that period had frequent mention of leather or -leather-backed chairs. Some of the earliest leather chairs have the -under part of the frame similar to that of the wainscot chair, with -plain legs and stretchers, while others have the legs and back posts -turned. Illustration 126 shows a leather chair made about 1660, in the -Waters collection. The seat and back have been covered with leather in -the same manner as they were originally, as enough remained of the old -cover to copy. - -A chair of some later date, about 1680, is shown in Illustration -127, also from the Waters collection, the back and seat of which -were originally of Turkey work. The frame is similar to that in -Illustration 126, with the exception of the carved brace across the -front, which feature leads one to give the chair a later date than the -one in Illustration 126. The feet have been sawed off. - -[Illustration: Illus. 125.—Wainscot Chair, about 1600.] - -Other coverings beside Turkey work were used,—velvet, camlett, -plush, or cloth, as well as an occasional cover “wrought by hir owne -hand.” Until the latter part of the seventeenth century a somewhat -architectural style prevailed in chairs, settles, and tables. This was -succeeded by the graceful lines and carving of the cane furniture which -came into fashion during the last quarter of that century. It is called -Jacobean furniture, although that name would not seem to be strictly -accurate, for the Jacobean period was ended before cane furniture was -introduced into England, about 1678. The cane chairs form a complete -contrast to the heavy wainscot or turned chairs in use previously, the -light effect coming not only from the cane seat and back, but also from -the frame, which was usually carved in a graceful design. - -[Illustration: Illus. 126.—Leather Chair, about 1660.] - -[Illustration: Illus. 127.—Chair originally covered with Turkey work, -about 1680.] - -[Illustration: Illus. 129.—Flemish Chair, about 1690.] - -[Illustration: Illus. 128.—Flemish Chair, about 1690.] - -Illustration 128 shows a chair which belonged to Sir William Pepperell, -made possibly for his father, for Sir William was not born until 1697. -The front legs, carved with the scroll foot turning forward, are in the -pure Flemish style. The brace in front, carved to correspond with the -top of the back, appears in cane chairs with a carved frame. - -The seat was originally of cane. This chair is now in the Alexander -Ladd house in Portsmouth. - -[Illustration: Illus. 130.—Cane Chair, 1680-1690.] - -A chair of similar effect, but with turned legs, and carved in -a different design, with the crown as the central figure of the -underbrace and top, is shown in Illustration 129. It belongs to -Miss Mary Coates of Philadelphia, to whom it has descended from -Josiah Langdale, in whose inventory this chair, with its mates, was -mentioned. Josiah Langdale took ship with his family and belongings, -from England for America, in 1723. - -Before sailing he became very ill and prayed that he might die and -be buried in the old graveyard, but his wish was not granted, and he -was carried on board, taking his coffin with him. Three days out (but -not far from land) he died, and was buried in his coffin, at sea. -The coffin was not sufficiently weighted, however, and it drifted -back to land, where it was opened, and its occupant identified, and -Josiah Langdale was buried from the old Quaker meeting-house, as he -had prayed. His widow came safely to America with her furniture, among -which was this chair. - -Both Flemish and Spanish characteristics appear in the chair in -Illustration 130. The front legs are in the Flemish style, the scroll -foot turning back as it often does. The twisted stretchers and back -posts show the influence of Spanish or Portuguese fashions. This chair -is in the Poore collection at Indian Hill, Newburyport. - -[Illustration: Illus. 131.—Cane High-chair and Arm-chair, 1680-1690.] - -Illustration 131 shows two beautiful chairs owned by Dwight Blaney, -Esq., of Boston. The Portuguese twist has an unusually graceful effect -in the tall legs of the little high chair. - -[Illustration: Illus. 132.—Cane Chair, 1680-1690.] - -It will be noticed that, instead of being twisted, the upper part of -the front legs is turned in balls to provide a stronger hold for the -pegs which support the foot-rest. There are four holes for these pegs, -at different heights, in order that the rest might be lowered as the -infantile legs lengthened. The crown appears in the top of the high -chair, while the arm-chair has a child’s figure carved in the centre of -the top. The arms of both chairs are carved with the acanthus leaf. - -An example of the finest carving attained in cane furniture is shown -in Illustration 132. This exquisite chair is owned by Harry Harkness -Flagler, Esq., of Millbrook. The design of the top is repeated in the -front brace, but much enlarged. The frame of the seat and the arms are -carved like those in Illustration 131. The legs end in a curious form -of the Spanish foot. - -The popularity of the cane chair, as well as its strength, is attested -by the number which have survived the centuries, in fair condition for -chairs so light in appearance. - -The cane chair in Illustration 133 is owned by Dwight M. Prouty, Esq., -of Boston. The top of the under brace is carved in a crescent-shaped -design, which is used again in the top rail. The front leg is a Flemish -scroll with a ball beneath it. The cane back is unusual in design, the -carved wood on each side making a diamond-shaped effect. - -The chair in Illustration 134 belongs to the writer. The cane extends -up into the curve made in the top rail of the back, which is, like the -underbrace and the sides of the back, more elaborately carved than the -chairs in Illustrations 128 and 129. - -[Illustration: Illus. 133 and Illus. 134.—Cane Chairs, 1680-1690.] - -Stools were not common, but are occasionally found, following the -styles in chairs. With the wainscot chairs were joined or joint stools. - -The stool in Illustration 135 was used with the turned chair, like the -one in Illustration 126. - -[Illustration: Illus. 135.—Turned Stool, 1660.] - -Illustration 136 shows a very rare piece, a Flemish stool, with a -carved underbrace, probably like the ones upon the cane-back chairs -used with it. These two fine stools are in the collection of Dwight M. -Prouty, Esq., of Boston. - -A chair once owned by General Henry Dearborn of Revolutionary fame is -shown in Illustration 137. The back and seat were originally cane, and -it has a perfect Spanish foot. - -[Illustration: Illus. 136.—Flemish Stool, 1680.] - -The chair in Illustration 138 is of the style called Queen Anne. It -has Spanish feet but the back shows the first use of the Dutch splat, -afterward developed and elaborated by Chippendale and others. This -chair and the one in Illustration 137 belong to the writer. - -A chair which retained some characteristics of the cane chair was the -banister-back chair, which appears in inventories of the first half of -the eighteenth century. - -Two banister-back chairs owned by the writer are shown in Illustration -139 and Illustration 140. It will be seen that the tops and one carved -underbrace are similar to those upon cane chairs, while the legs of one -chair end in a clumsy Spanish foot. The banisters which form the back -are turned on one side and flat on the other. - -[Illustration: Illus. 137.—Cane Chair, 1690-1700.] - -[Illustration: Illus. 138.—Queen Anne Chair, 1710-1720.] - -These chairs have the flat side in front, but either side was used in -banister chairs, plainer types of which are found, sometimes with the -slats not turned, but straight and flat. The chair in Illustration -140 was used for the deacon’s chair in the old meeting-house in -Westborough, Massachusetts, built in 1724, and it stood in “the -deacon’s pue,” in front of the pulpit, for the deacon to sit upon, as -was the custom. - -[Illustration: Illus. 139 and Illus. 140.—Banister-back Chairs, -1710-1720.] - -[Illustration: Illus. 141.—Banister-back Chair, 1710-1740.] - -Thedeacon must have longed for the two hours’ sermon to end, if he had -to sit upon this chair with its high, narrow seat. There are several -kinds of wood in these chairs, and when found they were painted black. - -[Illustration: Illus. 142.—Roundabout Chair, about 1740.] - -An unusually fine banister chair, from the Poore collection at Indian -Hill, Newburyport, is shown in Illustration 141, with carved top and -underbrace and Spanish feet. The seat is rush, as it usually is in -banister chairs. - -“Roundabout” chairs are met with in inventories from 1738 under various -names,—“three-cornered chair,” “half round chair,” “round about -chair,”—but they are now known as roundabout or corner chairs. They -were made in different styles, like other chairs, from the turned -or the Dutch bandy-leg, down to the carved Chippendale leg with -claw-and-ball foot. - -Illustration 142 shows a roundabout chair with turned legs, the front -leg ending in a Dutch foot. This is in the Whipple house at Ipswich. - -[Illustration: Illus. 143.—Slat-back Chairs, 1700-1750.] - -The most common chair during the first half of the eighteenth century -was the “slat back,” with a rush seat. The number of slats varied; -three, four, and five slats being used. The slats were also made in -different designs, those made in Pennsylvania being curved. - -[Illustration: Illus. 144.—Five-slat Chair, about 1750.] - -Two slat-back chairs are shown in Illustration 143 from the Whipple -house in Ipswich. The large chair was found in the country, stuffed -and covered with many layers of wadding and various materials. When -they were removed, this frame was disclosed, but the tops of the posts -had been sawed off. The back posts should terminate in a turned knob, -like the Carver chair in Illustration 122, which this chair strongly -resembles, the slats taking the place of the turned spindles of the -Carver chair. The small chair is probably of later date, and was -evidently intended for a child’s use. Chairs with three-slat backs are -in Illustrations 54 and 201. - -[Illustration: Illus. 145.—Pennsylvania Slat-back Chair, 1740-1750.] - -Illustration 144 shows a five-slat or five-back chair owned by the -writer. It was made about 1750, and the rockers were probably added -twenty-five or thirty years later. They project as far in front as -in the back, which is evidence of their age. Later rockers were made -longer, probably for safety, the short rocker at the back proving -dangerous to the equilibrium of a too vigorous occupant of the rocking -chair. This chair has never been restored and is a very good example of -the slat-back chair. It is painted black with lines of yellow. - -Illustration 145 shows an arm-chair with a five-slat back which is now -the property of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. The slats are -the typical Pennsylvania ones, made to fit the back, with a deeper -curve than some, and, as may be seen by comparing them with others -illustrated, with a more decided curve to both the upper and lower -edges of the slats. The stretcher across the front is turned and is -unusually heavy. - -[Illustration: Illus. 146.—Windsor Chairs, 1750-1775.] - -The type of chair succeeding the slat-back in popularity was the -Windsor, which was made for years in large numbers both in England and -America. - -Windsor chairs made their first appearance in this country about -1730, in Philadelphia, and “Philadelphia made” Windsor chairs soon -became very popular. Advertisements of them abound in newspapers up to -1800, and they may be found with the slat-back chairs in almost any -country house, frequently upon the piazza, whence many a one has been -bought by the keen-eyed collector driving along the road. The original -Philadelphia fashion was to paint the chairs green, but after they were -made all over the country they were probably painted to suit the taste -of the buyer. - -[Illustration: Illus. 147.—Comb-back Windsor Rocking-chair, 1750-1775.] - -There is a story that the name Windsor was derived from the English -town, where one of the royal Georges found in a shepherd’s cottage a -chair of this style, which he bought and had others made from,—thereby -setting the fashion. - -Windsor chairs are found in several styles, two of which are shown in -Illustration 146, owned by the writer. Side-chairs like the arm-chair -were made with the dividing strip which connects the arms left out, -and the rounding top rail continuing down to the seat. The other chair -in the illustration is known as a “fan back” from its shape with the -flaring top. - -Illustration 147 shows a “comb-back” Windsor rocking-chair, owned by -Mrs. Clarence R. Hyde, of Brooklyn, N. Y. The middle spindles are -extended to form the little head-rest, from which the name is derived. - -[Illustration: Illus. 148.—High-back Windsor Arm-chair, and Child’s -Chair, 1750-1775.] - -A fine, high-backed arm-chair, and a child’s chair are shown in -Illustration 148, owned by Miss Mary Coates of Philadelphia. These -chairs may have been some of the original Philadelphia-made Windsor -chairs, as they were bought in that town by Benjamin Horner, who was -born in 1737. - -Windsor writing-chairs are occasionally found, and one is shown in -Illustration 149, possessing more than common interest, for it is said -to have belonged to Thomas Jefferson, and upon its table may have been -written the Declaration of Independence. It now belongs to the American -Philosophical Society of Philadelphia. The seat is double, the top one -revolving. The legs have been shortened. - -[Illustration: Illus. 149.—Windsor Writing-chair, 1750-1775.] - -Illustration 150 shows two late Windsor rocking-chairs, the one of -curly maple being several years later than the other, as the rockers, -short in front and long behind, bear evidence. These chairs are owned -by the writer. - -The Dutch chair with bandy or cabriole legs and a splat in the back -made its appearance with the early years of the eighteenth century, -and was the forerunner of the Chippendale chair. The first Dutch chairs -have a back similar in form to the Queen Anne chair in Illustration -108, slightly higher and narrower than later backs. They are sometimes -called Queen Anne chairs, and sometimes parrot-back, from the shape of -the opening each side of the solid splat. The stretchers or underbraces -of earlier chairs are retained in the first Dutch chairs, one of which -is shown in Illustration 151, owned by Mrs. Charles H. Prentice, of -Worcester. - -[Illustration: Illus. 150.—Windsor Rocking-chairs, 1820-1830.] - -The first mention found of claw-and-ball feet is in 1737, when “six -Crowfoot chairs” appear in an inventory. In one of 1750, “chairs with -Eagle’s foot and shell on the Knee” are entered. - -[Illustration: Illus. 151.—Dutch Chair (back stretcher missing), -1710-1720.] - -A chair is shown in Illustration 152, still retaining the stretchers, -but with the claw-and-ball foot and a shell at the top of the back. -This chair was made about 1720-1730. It belongs to Walter Hosmer, Esq. - -Illustration 153 shows a chair also belonging to Mr. Hosmer. It is made -without stretchers, and the splat is pierced at the top. - -A chair which retains the form of the Dutch chair, with “Eagle’s foot -and shell on the Knee,” is shown in Illustration 154, but the splat is -cut in an elaborate design, with the centre opening heart-shaped, which -was the shape of the earliest piercing made in the plain splat. This -chair and the one in Illustration 155 are in the Poore collection at -Indian Hill, Newburyport. They show the development from the Dutch to -the Chippendale style. The legs in Illustration 155 are carved upon -the knee with an elaborate form of shell and a scroll. The splat is not -pierced, but has a curious design of ropes with tassels carved at the -top. These chairs were made about 1740-1750. The backs of the last four -chairs are made with the characteristic Dutch top, curving down into -the side-posts with rounded ends, with the effect of back and sides -being in one piece. - -[Illustration: Illus. 152 and Illus. 153.—Dutch Chairs, about 1740.] - -A style of chair common during the first half of the eighteenth -century is shown in Illustration 156; one chair having turned legs -while the other ends in a Spanish foot. The tops are in the bow shape, -and the splats are pierced, showing the influence of Chippendale -fashions. The splat is alike in both, but the country cabinet-maker who -probably made these chairs may have thought the splat would look as -well one way as the other, and so put one in upside down. They are in -the Deerfield Museum, and were made about 1750. - -[Illustration: Illus. 154 and Illus 155.—Dutch Chairs, 1740-1750.] - -A roundabout chair in the Dutch style is shown in Illustration 157. The -bandy legs end in a foot with a slight carving in grooves, and the seat -is rounding upon the corners like that in the ordinary Dutch chair. -This very graceful chair is owned by Francis H. Bigelow, Esq., of -Cambridge. - -[Illustration: Illus. 156.—Dutch Chairs, 1750-1760.] - -Easy-chairs formed a part of the bedroom furniture inventoried during -the eighteenth century, and they were made in various styles, with -Dutch, Chippendale, and Hepplewhite legs. Hepplewhite gives a design -in 1787 for what he calls “an easy-chair,” and also a “saddle-check -chair,” while upon the same page, with intentional suggestion, is a -design for a “gouty-stool.” - -[Illustration: Illus. 157.—Dutch Roundabout Chair, 1740.] - -Illustration 158 shows an easy-chair with the Dutch bandy leg and foot, -owned by the writer. Such chairs were inventoried very high, from one -pound to ten, and when one considers the amount of material required -to stuff and cover the chair, the reason for the high valuation is -understood. In the days when the fireplace gave what heat there was in -the room, these great chairs must have been most comfortable, with the -high back and sides to keep out draughts. - -An easy-chair with claw-and-ball feet is shown in Illustration 159. -It is owned by Francis H. Bigelow, Esq., of Cambridge. A beautiful -easy-chair with carved cabriole legs, owned by Harry Harkness Flagler, -Esq., is shown in Illustration 248. - -We now come to the most important period in the consideration of -chairs,—the last half of the eighteenth century. During this period -many books of designs were published, which probably came to this -country within a year or two of their publication, and which afforded -American cabinet-makers an opportunity for copying the best English -examples. - -Chippendale’s designs were published in 1753, Hepplewhite’s in 1789, -Sheraton’s in 1791. Besides these three chief chair-makers, there were -Ince and Mayhew, 1765; Robert Manwaring, 1765; R. and J. Adam, 1773; -and others of less note. - -[Illustration: Illus. 158.—Easy-Chair with Dutch Legs, 1750.] - -Chippendale drew most of his ideas from the French, notably in the way -of ornamentation, but the form of his chairs was developed chiefly -from the Dutch style, with the bandy leg and splat in the back. His -straight-legged chairs were suggested by the Chinese furniture, which -was fashionable about the middle of the eighteenth century. These -various styles Chippendale adapted, and employed with such success that -his was the strongest influence of the century upon furniture, and for -a period of over thirty years it was supreme. - -[Illustration: Illus. 159.—Claw-and-ball-foot Easy-chair, 1750.] - -[Illustration: Illus. 160.—Chippendale Chair.] - -The claw-and-ball foot does not appear upon any of Chippendale’s -designs in “The Gentleman’s and Cabinet-Maker’s Director.” - -[Illustration: Illus. 161.—Chippendale Chair.] - -His preference was plainly for the French scroll foot, shown upon the -sofa in Illustration 209 and the candle-stand in Illustration 333. -Doubtless, however, he made furniture with the claw-and-ball foot, -which was the foot used by the majority of his imitators and followers. - -An early Chippendale chair is shown in Illustration 160, from the Poore -collection at Indian Hill, with stretchers, which are unusual in a -Chippendale chair. The cabriole legs are carved upon the knee and end -in a claw-and-ball foot. - -[Illustration: Illus. 162.—Chippendale Chair.] - -The top of the back has the bow form, which is a distinguishing -characteristic of Chippendale. This chair-seat and the one following -are very large and broad. - -[Illustration: Illus. 163.—Chippendale Chair.] - -The lines in the back of the chair in Illustration 161 form a series -of curves, extremely graceful in effect, and the carving upon the back -and legs is very fine. This chair is one of a set of six owned by Harry -Harkness Flagler, Esq. - -Illustration 162 shows a chair owned by Miss Mary Coates of -Philadelphia. The design of the back, with some variations, is often -seen. The top forms a complete bow with the ends turning up, and a -shell is carved in the centre. - -[Illustration: Illus. 165.—Chippendale Chairs.] - -A variation of this back is shown in Illustration 163. The top has a -fan instead of a shell, and the ends of the bow top are grooved. - -[Illustration: Illus. 164.—Chippendale Chair.] - -This chair is one of a set formerly owned by Miss Rebecca Shaw of -Wickford, Rhode Island, who died in 1900, over ninety years of age. -They are now in the possession of Mrs. Alice Morse Earle of Brooklyn, -New York. - -A fine arm-chair owned by Miss Mary Coates is shown in Illustration 164. - -Two very beautiful and unusual Chippendale arm-chairs are shown in -Illustration 165. They are owned by Harry Harkness Flagler, Esq., and -the larger chair, which was formerly in the Pendleton collection, is -undoubtedly an original Chippendale. Its proportions are perfect, -and the elaborate carving is finely done. The other chair presents -some Dutch characteristics, in the shape of the seat and back, but -the details of the carving indicate it to be after the school of -Chippendale. - -[Illustration: Illus. 167.—Roundabout Chair.] - -Illustration 166 shows a graceful chair with carving upon the back and -knees. It belonged formerly to Governor Strong of Massachusetts, and is -now owned by W. S. G. Kennedy, Esq., of Worcester. - -[Illustration: Illus. 166.—Chippendale Chair.] - -The roundabout chair in Illustration 167 was originally owned by -the Rev. Daniel Bliss, the Congregational minister in Concord, -Massachusetts, from 1739 to 1766. He was succeeded by William Emerson, -who married his daughter, and who was the grandfather of Ralph Waldo -Emerson. William Emerson died in 1777, and Dr. Ezra Ripley succeeded -to the pastorate and the widow, and took possession of the manse and -of this chair, which must have served the successive ministers at the -desk, while many hundreds of sound sermons were written. It now belongs -to the Concord Antiquarian Society. - -[Illustration: Illus. 168.—Extension-top Roundabout Chair.] - -An unusually fine example of a Dutch corner chair with an extension -top, is shown in Illustration 168, owned by the Metropolitan Museum of -Art. - -The finest type of roundabout chair is shown in Illustration 169. -It is of mahogany and has but one cabriole leg, the others being -uncompromisingly straight, but the cabriole leg, and the top rail and -arms are carved finely with the acanthus design, worn almost smooth on -the arms. It belongs to Dwight M. Prouty, Esq. - -[Illustration: Illus. 169.—Roundabout Chair.] - -Illustration 170 shows a chair owned by Albert S. Rines, Esq., of -Portland, Maine. - -[Illustration: Illus. 170.—Chippendale Chair.] - -It is extraordinarily good in design and carving, fine in every detail. -The gadrooned edge upon this and the roundabout chair is found only -upon the best pieces. - -Illustration 171 shows one of six chairs owned by the writer. - -The design of the chair-back in Illustration 172 is one that was quite -common. The chair belongs to the writer. - -The chair in Illustration 173 is owned by Mrs. E. A. Morse of -Worcester; the one in Illustration 174 is in the Waters collection, in -Salem, and is one of a set of six. The legs and the rail around the -seat of the last chair are carved in a rosette design in low relief. - -[Illustration: Illus. 171 and Illus. 172.—Chippendale Chairs.] - -About the middle of the eighteenth century it was fashionable to -decorate houses and gardens in “Chinese taste,” and furniture was -designed for “Chinese temples” by various cabinet-makers. That the -American colonies followed English fashions closely is shown by the -advertisement in 1758 of Theophilus Hardenbrook, surveyor, who with -unfettered fancy modestly announced that he “designs all sorts of -Buildings, Pavilions, Summer Rooms, Seats for Gardens”; also “all sorts -of rooms after the taste of the Arabian, Chinese, Persian, Gothic, -Muscovite, Paladian, Roman, Vitruvian, and Egyptian.” - -[Illustration: Illus. 173 and Illus. 174.—Chippendale Chairs.] - -Illustration 175 shows a Chippendale chair in “Chinese taste” owned by -Harry Harkness Flagler, Esq., of Millbrook. The legs and stretchers -are straight, like those of Chinese chairs, and the outline of the back -is Chinese, but the delicate carving is English. A sofa and a chair in -“Chinese taste” are shown in Illustration 211. - -[Illustration: Illus. 175.—Chippendale Chair in “Chinese Taste.”] - -Illustration 176 and Illustration 177 show two Chippendale chairs -with backs of entirely different design from the splat-back chairs -previously illustrated. Their form was probably suggested by that -of the slat-back chair. Illustration 176 is one of a set of six, -originally owned by Joseph Brown, one of the four famous brothers of -Providence, whose dignified names, John, Joseph, Nicholas, and Moses, -have been familiarly rhymed as “John and Josey, Nick and Mosey.” The -six chairs are now owned by their kinswoman, Mrs. David Thomas Moore of -Westbury, Long Island. Each slat is delicately carved, and the chairs -represent the finest of this type of Chippendale chairs. Illustration -177 shows a chair owned by Charles R. Waters, Esq., of Salem, with -carved slats in the back. Chairs with this back but with plain slats -are not unusual. - -[Illustration: Illus. 176.—Chippendale Chair.] - -Hepplewhite’s designs were published in 1789, and his light and -attractive furniture soon became fashionable, superseding that of -Chippendale, which was pronounced “obsolete.” Hepplewhite’s aim was to -produce a light effect, and to this he often sacrificed considerations -of strength and durability. - -[Illustration: Illus. 177.—Chippendale Chair.] - -[Illustration: Illus. 179.—Hepplewhite Chair.] - -While Chippendale used no inlaying, Hepplewhite’s furniture is -ornamented with both carving and inlay, as well as painting. His -chairs may be distinguished by the shape and construction of the -back, which was usually of oval, shield, or heart shape. The carving -in Hepplewhite’s chairs is of quite a different character from that -of Chippendale. The three feathers of the Prince of Wales often form -a part of the back, for Hepplewhite was of the Prince’s party when -feeling ran strong during the illness of George III. - -Carved drapery, wheat, and the bell-flower, sometimes called husks, are -other characteristics of Hepplewhite’s chairs, two of which are shown -in Illustration 178, belonging to Dwight Blaney, Esq., of Boston. The -Prince’s feathers appear in the middle of one chair-back and upon the -top rail of the other. - -Illustration 179 shows an arm-chair from a set of Hepplewhite -dining-chairs owned by Francis H. Bigelow, Esq., of Cambridge. The back -is carved with a design of drapery and ears of wheat. - -[Illustration: Illus. 178.—Hepplewhite Chairs.] - -A chair is shown in Illustration 180, which has features of several -styles. The legs are French and the width of the seat; the splat joins -the seat in the manner of Chippendale; the anthemion design of the -splat is in the Adam style and the carving on the top rail, but the -rail is Hepplewhite’s. - -[Illustration: Illus. 180.—Hepplewhite Chair, 1785.] - -It is probably an early Hepplewhite chair, made before his own style -was fully formulated, and the combination has resulted in a beautiful -chair. It belongs to J. J. Gilbert, Esq., of Baltimore. - -[Illustration: Illus. 181.—Hepplewhite Chair, 1789.] - -The chair in Illustration 181 is also in Mr. Gilbert’s collection. -Although the shield back is generally accredited to Hepplewhite, Adam -made it before him and it was used by the other chair-makers of his -time. This chair shows very strongly the Adam influence in the carved -and reeded legs and the fine carving, which is called guilloche, upon -the arms and around the back and the frame of the seat. - -[Illustration: Illus. 182.—Hepplewhite Chair, 1789.] - -The entire chair is beautifully carved. - -The arm-chair shown in Illustration 182 has stood since 1835 in front -of the pulpit in the Unitarian church in Leicester, Massachusetts, but -of its history nothing is known for the years before that date, when -it was probably given to the new church, then just starting with its -young pastor, Rev. Samuel May. This chair, like the one in Illustration -181, which it resembles, has characteristics of different styles. It -is probable that both Hepplewhite and Sheraton had practised their -trade some years, and had made much furniture before their books were -published in 1789 and 1791, and had adopted and adapted many ideas -from the cabinet-makers and designers of the day, as well as from each -other. - -The chair in Illustration 183 was used by Washington in the house -occupied as the Presidential mansion in Philadelphia. It is now owned -by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. This chair has the same -guilloche carving as the chair in Illustration 181, extending entirely -around the back. The legs are short and the chair low and wide, and -this with the stuffed back indicates that the chair is French. - -[Illustration: Illus. 183.—French Chair, 1790.] - -[Illustration: Illus. 184.—Hepplewhite Chair, 1790.] - -The chair in Illustration 184 is also in the rooms of the Historical -Society, and is one of the set owned by Washington. The urn and -festoons in the back show a marked Adam influence, but the three -feathers above the urn are Hepplewhite’s. - -[Illustration: Illus. 185.—Arm Chair, 1785.] - -A very fine arm chair is shown in Illustration 185, owned by Dwight M. -Prouty, Esq. The mahogany frame is heavier than in later chairs of the -same style, and the arms end in a bird’s head and bill. - -[Illustration: Illus. 186.—Transition Chair, 1785.] - -During the transition period between Chippendale and Hepplewhite, -features of the work of both appeared in chairs. - -The chair in Illustration 186 has the Chippendale splat, with the three -feathers in it, and the top rail has the Hepplewhite curve. It belongs -to Mrs. Clarence R. Hyde, of Brooklyn, N. Y. - -Illustration 187 shows one of a set of six very beautiful Hepplewhite -chairs bought originally by the grandfather of their present owner, -Charles R. Waters, Esq., of Salem. This chair is carved upon the legs -with the bell-flower, and the three middle rails of the back are -exquisitely carved. Chairs of this design, with the ornament of inlay -instead of carving, are also found. - -[Illustration: Illus. 187 and 188.—Hepplewhite Chairs.] - -The chair in Illustration 188 belongs to W. S. G. Kennedy, Esq., of -Worcester. The rails are not carved or inlaid, but the fan-shaped -ornament at the lower point of the shield back is of holly and ebony, -inlaid. This design of Hepplewhite chair is more frequently found than -any other. - -[Illustration: Illus. 189.—Hepplewhite Chair.] - -A specialty of Hepplewhite’s was what he terms “a very elegant -fashion.” The chair-backs were finished with painted or japanned work. -This was not the lacquering which had been fashionable during the first -half of the eighteenth century, with Chinese figures, but it was a -process of coating the chairs with a sort of lacquer varnish, and then -painting them in gold or colors upon a black ground. - -[Illustration: Illus. 190.—Hepplewhite Chair.] - -Haircloth was used for the seats of chairs; the edges were finished -with brass-headed nails, arranged sometimes to simulate festoons, as in -Illustration 191. - -A Hepplewhite chair with a back of quite a different design from the -examples described previously, is shown in Illustration 189. The back -is heart-shaped, and the ornamentation is of inlaying in light and dark -wood. This chair is one of four in the Poore collection at Indian Hill. -They formed a part of the set bought by Washington for Mount Vernon, -and were in use there at the time of his death. - -A chair owned by Miss Mary Coates of Philadelphia is shown in -Illustration 190. The characteristic bell-flower is carved in the -middle of the back of this chair. - -[Illustration: Illus. 191.—Sheraton Chair.] - -Hepplewhite in turn was superseded by Sheraton, whose book of designs -was published in 1791, only two years later than Hepplewhite’s; -but that short time sufficed for Sheraton to say that “this book -[Hepplewhite’s] has already caught the decline”; while he asserted of -Chippendale’s designs, that “they are now wholly antiquated and laid -aside, though possessed of great merit, according to the times in which -they were executed.” - -Sheraton’s chairs retained many of Hepplewhite’s characteristics, but -the great difference between them lay in the construction of the back, -which it was Sheraton’s aim to strengthen. His chairs, except in rare -cases, do not have the heart or shield shaped back, which distinctly -marks Hepplewhite chairs, but the back is rectangular in shape, the -top rail being curved, straight, or with a raised piece in the centre, -corresponding to the piece in the middle of the back. A rail extends -across the back a few inches above the seat, and the splat or spindles -end in this rail, and never extend to the seat. - -[Illustration: Illus. 192.—Sheraton Chairs.] - -Sheraton’s designs show chairs with carved, twisted, reeded, or plain -legs. The best Sheraton chairs found in this country usually have -straight legs, slightly smaller than those upon the straight-legged -Chippendale chairs. The tapering, reeded leg, which is characteristic -of Sheraton, is not found so often upon his chairs as upon other pieces -of furniture. - -[Illustration: Illus. 193.—Sheraton Chair.] - -[Illustration: Illus. 194.—Sheraton Chair.] - -The chair in Illustration 191 is owned by the Misses Nichols of -Salem, and it was brought with its mates to furnish the house built -by McIntire in 1783. The chairs were imported, and as the back is -precisely like one of Sheraton’s designs in his book, they may have -been made by him, before the book was published in 1791. - -[Illustration: Illus. 195.—Sheraton Chair.] - -The impression given by this chair is of strength combined with -lightness, the effect which Sheraton strove to attain, while at the -same time he made the chairs strong not only in effect but in reality, -an end which Hepplewhite did not accomplish. The legs of the chair are -plainly turned, but in the original design they are reeded. - -[Illustration: Illus. 196.—Sheraton Chair.] - -Illustration 192 shows two Sheraton chairs owned by Francis H. Bigelow, -Esq. It will be seen that the carving in the back is similar in design -to that of Hepplewhite chairs, and the carving and shape of the upper -part of the chair-back with the curved top rail is often seen upon -Hepplewhite’s “bar-back” chairs. - -[Illustration: Illus. 197.—Sheraton Chair.] - -Mr. Bigelow also owns the upholstered arm-chair in Illustration 193, -sometimes called a Martha Washington easy-chair, from a similar chair -at Mount Vernon. This chair and one in Illustration 194, which belongs -to Mr. Bigelow, are after the Sheraton style, although these designs do -not appear in Sheraton’s books. - -[Illustration: Illus. 198.—Painted Sheraton Chair, 1810-1815.] - -The arm-chair in Illustration 194 is said to have belonged to Jerome -Bonaparte, but as Lucien and Joseph Bonaparte both had residences in -this country, it would more probably have been owned by one of them -rather than by Jerome, whose career in America was short and meteoric. -The wood of this chair is cherry, said to have grown upon the island -of Corsica, and the style of the back, while upon the Sheraton order, -differs from any of Sheraton’s designs. - -The chair in Illustration 195 belongs to Walter Bowne Lawrence, Esq., -of Flushing, Long Island. It is one of the finest types of a Sheraton -chair. The front legs end in what Hepplewhite called a “spade foot,” -which was frequently employed by him and occasionally by Sheraton. - -Illustration 196 shows a Sheraton chair owned by Mrs. E. A. Morse of -Worcester. The top bar is carved with graceful festoons of drapery, and -the back is in a design which is often seen. - -[Illustration: Illus. 199.—Late Mahogany Chairs, 1830-1845.] - -A chair after Sheraton’s later designs is shown in Illustration 197. -It is one which was popular in the first decade of the nineteenth -century. This chair is part of a set inherited by Waldo Lincoln, Esq., -of Worcester. - -The chair shown in Illustration 198 is owned by Mrs. J. C. Cutter of -Worcester. It has a rush seat, and the back is painted in the manner -called japanning, with gilt flowers upon a black ground. These chairs, -which were called “Fancy chairs,” were very popular during the first -part of the nineteenth century, together with settees decorated in the -same fashion. - -Illustration 199 shows two mahogany chairs owned by Waldo Lincoln, -Esq., of the styles which were fashionable from 1840 to 1850, examples -of which may be found in almost every household, along with heavy sofas -and tables of mahogany, solid or veneered. - -In the first half of the nineteenth century and in the last quarter of -the eighteenth, furniture was fashionable made of the light-colored -woods; maple, curly and bird’s-eye, and in the more expensive pieces, -satinwood, which was used chiefly as a veneer on account of its -cost. The two varieties of maple, being a native wood and plentiful, -were always used lavishly, and rarely as a veneer. The thick maple -drawers in old bureaus have been sawed into many thicknesses to use -in violins, for which their seasoned wood is especially valuable. The -parlor in John Hancock’s house, in Boston, was “furnished in bird’s-eye -maple covered with damask brocade.” As Governor Hancock was a man of -inherited wealth and probably of fashion as well, his parlor would be -furnished according to the mode of the day. - -[Illustration: Illus. 200.—Maple Chairs, 1820-1830.] - -The three maple chairs in Illustration 200 belong to the writer. They -were probably made about 1820 to 1830. The wood in all is beautifully -marked curly maple, and in the upper rail of two is set a strip of -bird’s-eye maple. The design of the carved piece across the back is one -that was used at this time in both maple and mahogany chairs. - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -SETTLES, SETTEES, AND SOFAS - - -[Illustration] - -THE first form of the long seat, afterward developed into the sofa, was -the settle, which is found in the earliest inventories in this country, -and still earlier in England. The settle oftenest seen in America is of -simple construction, usually of pine, and painted; probably the work -of a country cabinet-maker, or even a carpenter. It was made to stand -by the great fireplace, to keep the draughts out and the heat in, with -its tall back, and the front of the seat coming down to the floor; and -sadly was it needed in those days when the ink froze in the standish, -as the minister sat by the fire to write his sermon. Illustration 201 -shows a settle in the Deerfield Museum, in the kitchen. In front of the -settle stands a flax-wheel, which kept the housewife busy on winter -evenings, spinning by the firelight. Beside the settle is a rudely -made light-stand, with a tin lamp, and a brass candlestick with the -extinguisher on its top, and snuffers and tray beside it. Upon one side -of the settle is fastened a candlestick with an extension frame. Behind -the flax-wheel is a banister-back chair, the plain type of the chairs -in Illustration 139, and at the right of the picture is a slat-back, -flag-bottomed chair such as may be seen in Illustration 143. - -[Illustration: Illus. 201.—Pine Settle, Eighteenth Century.] - -Illustration 202 shows a settle of oak, which has upon the back the -carved date 1708. The front of the seat has four panels, while the -back has five lower panels, with a row of small panels above. The -top rail is carved in five groups, the middle design of each group -being a crown, and between each small panel is a turned ornament. The -arms are like the arms of the wainscot chairs in Illustration 124 -and Illustration 125. The top of the seat does not lift up, as was -often the case, disclosing a box below, but is fastened to the frame, -and probably there were provided for this settle the articles often -mentioned in inventories, “chusshings,” “quysyns,” or cushions, which -the hard seat made so necessary. This settle belongs to Dwight Blaney, -Esq., of Boston. - -[Illustration: Illus. 202.—Oak Settle, 1708.] - -The word “settee” is the diminutive of “settle,” and the long seat -which corresponded to the chairs with the frame of turned wood was -called a settee or small settle, being of so much lighter build than -the settle. - -[Illustration: Illus. 203.—Settee covered with Turkey work, 1670-1680.] - -Illustration 203 shows a settee owned by the Essex Institute of Salem, -and said to have been brought to this country by a Huguenot family -about 1686. It is upholstered, like the chairs of the same style, in -Turkey work, the colors in which are still bright. Turkey work was very -fashionable at that time, rugs being imported from Turkey in shapes to -fit the seat and back of chairs or settees. - -Another form of the long seat was one which was intended to serve as -a couch, or “day-bed.” It was really what its French name implies, -_chaise longue_, or long chair, the back being an enlarged chair-back, -and the body of the couch equalling three chair-seats. Illustration -204 shows a couch owned by the Concord Antiquarian Society, which -formerly belonged to the descendants of the Rev. Peter Bulkeley. -It had originally a cane seat, and evidently formed part of a set -of furniture, for a chair of the same style is with it, which also -belonged to the Bulkeley family. Both couch and chair are Flemish in -design, with the scroll foot turning backward. The braces between the -legs are carved in the same design as the top of the back. - -[Illustration: Illus. 204.—Flemish Couch, 1680-1690.] - -Illustration 205 shows a walnut couch made in the Dutch style about -1720-1730, with bandy legs and Dutch feet. The splat in the back is -Dutch, but instead of the side-posts curving into the top rail like the -Dutch chairs, in which the top and the side-posts apparently form one -piece, these posts run up, with a finish at the top like the Flemish -chairs, and like the posts in the back of the couch in Illustration 204. - -[Illustration: Illus. 205.—Dutch Couch, 1720-1730.] - -[Illustration: Illus. 206.—Chippendale Couch, 1760-1770.] - -It is interesting to compare this couch, which is owned by the Misses -Hosmer of Concord, Massachusetts, with the following one, Illustration -206, which belongs to Mr. Walter Hosmer of Wethersfield, Connecticut, -and was made about 1770. This couch, of mahogany, has a back like one -of the familiar Chippendale chairs, somewhat higher than the back of -the couch in Illustration 205, which is longer than this Chippendale -couch. - -[Illustration: Illus. 207.—Chippendale Settee, 1760.] - -The bandy legs with claw-and-ball feet are unusually well proportioned, -and the effect of the piece of furniture is extremely elegant. The -canvas seat is drawn tight by ropes laced over wooden knobs. - -A double chair owned by Dwight M. Prouty, Esq., of Boston, is shown -in Illustration 207. The splats are cut in an early design, with the -heart-shaped opening in the lower part. The settee is not so wide as -some, and the back is not equal to two chair backs, lacking the side -rails which are usually carried down in the middle between the splats. - -[Illustration: Illus. 208.—Sofa, 1740.] - -The front legs have the acanthus carving upon the knees, and end in a -Dutch foot. This settee is what was called a “Darby and Joan” seat, -just wide enough for two. - -A sofa is shown in Illustration 208 from “Stenton,” the fine old house -in Philadelphia, now occupied by the Colonial Dames. The back and arms -are upholstered, and the shape of the arms, and the curved outline of -the back are like early Chippendale pieces. A distinction was made -between the “sopha” and the settee, the sofa being a long seat with the -back and arms entirely upholstered, like the sofa in Illustration 208. - -[Illustration: Illus. 209.—Chippendale Settee, 1765-1770.] - -Illustration 209 shows a Chippendale settee with beautifully carved -cabriole legs, owned by Harry Harkness Flagler, Esq. The three front -legs are carved with the scroll foot turned to the front. This foot -was called the French foot by the cabinet-makers of that period, about -1765-1770. - -[Illustration: Illus. 210.—Double Chair, 1760.] - -Illustration 210 shows a double chair, also owned by Mr. Flagler. -It has characteristics of various nationalities and styles, mainly -Chippendale. The back consists of two chair backs, wider than arm-chair -backs, which is almost always true of the double chair. The corners of -the seat, and the ends of the top rails are rounding after the Dutch -style, but the splats are Chippendale. The three front legs end in -a small claw-and-ball, and the knees are carved. The most noticeable -feature of this graceful piece is the rococo design at the top of the -back and upon the front of the seat. - -Illustration 211 shows a Chippendale double chair and one of four -arm-chairs, formerly owned by Governor John Wentworth, whose household -goods were confiscated and sold at auction by the Federal government, -in 1776. Since that time these pieces have been in the Alexander Ladd -house at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where they now stand. They are -a perfect exemplification of Chippendale’s furniture in the Chinese -style, and are probably the finest examples of that style in this -country. They are of mahogany, with cane seats. The design of the backs -is more elaborate than any of the Chinese designs for furniture of -either Chippendale, Manwaring, Ince, or Mayhew; an unusual thing, for a -majority of the designs in the old cabinet-makers’ books are far more -elaborate than the furniture which has come down to us. Chippendale -says that these “Chinese chairs are very suitable for a lady’s boudoir, -and will likewise suit a Chinese temple.” One wonders if Governor -Wentworth had a Chinese temple for these beautiful pieces of furniture. -He had, we know, splendid gardens, which were famous in those days, and -possibly a Chinese temple may have been one of the adornments, with -these chairs for its furniture. - -[Illustration: Illus. 211.—Chippendale Double Chair and Chair, in -“Chinese Taste,” 1760-1765.] - -Illustration 212 shows a double chair, which is well known from -representations of it in various books. It is one of the finest -examples existing of the Chippendale period, and was undoubtedly, like -the double chair in Illustration 211, made in England. The carving -upon the three front legs is unusually good. The feet are carved with -lions’ claws, and the knees with grotesque faces, while the arms end in -dragons’ heads. - -[Illustration: Illus. 212.—Chippendale Double Chair, 1750-1760.] - -The corners of the back are finished with a scroll, turning to the -back. The wood of this double chair is walnut, and it is covered in -gray horsehair. This chair formerly belonged to John Hancock, and was -presented to the American Antiquarian Society in 1838, with other -pieces bought from the Hancock house, by John Chandler, of Petersham, -Massachusetts. - -The little settee in Illustration 213 is owned by Albert S. Rines, -Esq., of Portland, Maine. It was evidently made from the same design as -a long settee in the Pendleton collection in Providence, which has the -same Chippendale carvings on the back at the centre and ends, and the -same effect of the leg being continued up into the frame of the seat. -This settee has the middle leg unevenly placed. - -[Illustration: Illus. 213.—Chippendale Settee, 1770.] - -The settee in Illustration 214 is entirely unlike any shown. It is -French, of the time of Louis the Sixteenth, and with the six chairs -like it, was part of the cargo upon the ship _Sally_, which sailed from -France in 1792, and landed at Wiscasset, Maine, with a load of fine -furniture and rich belongings intended to furnish a home of refuge -for Marie Antoinette, who did not live to sail upon the _Sally_. The -sideboard in Illustration 75 has the same history and it can be traced -directly to the _Sally_. The settee and chairs came from Bath, Maine, -where there are also other chairs from the _Sally_, which are, however, -like the sideboard, English in style. - -[Illustration: Illus. 214.—French Settee, 1790.] - -The settee is of solid rosewood, with the short legs of the Louis XVI -period, and a very deep seat. The wood of the back is elaborately -carved in a design distinctly French, of roses, with a bow of ribbon -in the centre. The settee and chairs are now owned by Mrs. William J. -Hogg, of Worcester. - -A double chair owned by Francis H. Bigelow, Esq., is shown in -Illustration 215. The back is made of two Hepplewhite chair-backs, -which combine the outline of the shield back and the middle of the -interlaced heart back shown in the chair in Illustration 189. - -[Illustration: Illus. 215.—Hepplewhite Settee, 1790.] - -The three front legs are inlaid with fine lines and the bell flower, -and the backs are very finely inlaid, with lines in the urn-shaped -piece in the centre, and a fan above, while a fine line of holly runs -around the edge of each piece. The stretchers between the legs are a -very unusual feature in such settees. - -Illustration 216 shows a Sheraton settee, now in Girard College, -Philadelphia. It was a part of the furniture belonging to Stephen -Girard, the founder of that college. It has eight legs, the four in -front being the typical reeded Sheraton legs. The back has five posts -dividing it into four chair-backs. The seat is upholstered. - -[Illustration: Illus. 216.—Sheraton Settee, 1790-1795.] - -The Sheraton sofa in Illustration 217 was probably made in England -about 1790-1800. It is owned by Francis H. Bigelow, Esq., of Cambridge. -The frame is of mahogany, and the rail at the top of the back is -exquisitely carved with festoons and flowers. The front of the seat -is slightly rounding at the ends, and the arm, which is carved upon -the upper side, extends beyond the upholstered frame, and rests upon -a pillar which continues up from the corner leg. This style of arm is -quite characteristic of Sheraton. The legs of the sofa are plainly -turned, not reeded, as is usual upon Sheraton sofas. - -[Illustration: Illus. 217.—Sheraton Sofa, 1790-1800.] - -The sofa in Illustration 218 is a typical Sheraton piece, of a style -which must have been very fashionable about 1800, for such sofas are -often found in this country. - -[Illustration: Illus. 218.—Sheraton Sofa, about 1800.] - -The frame is of mahogany, with pieces of satinwood inlaid at the top -of the end legs. The arms are like the arms of the sofa in Illustration -217, and they, the pillars supporting them, and the four front legs are -all reeded. This sofa is owned by W. S. G. Kennedy, Esq., of Worcester. - -[Illustration: Illus. 219.—Sheraton Settee, about 1805.] - -Illustration 219 shows a Sheraton settee which came from the Flint -mansion in Leicester, Massachusetts, and is now owned by the writer. -It has a rush seat, and the frame was originally painted black, with -gilt flowers. It is very long, settees of this style usually equalling -three chairs, while this equals four. It measures seventy-six inches in -length, and from front to back the seat measures seventeen inches. It -makes an admirable hall settee, and seems to be substantial, although -extremely light in effect. - -Another settee is shown in Illustration 220, with a cane seat, and -painted in the “japanning” of the period in black with gold figures. It -is owned by Mrs. Clarence R. Hyde, of Brooklyn, N. Y. - -[Illustration: Illus. 220.—Sheraton Settee, about 1805.] - -An Empire settee of graceful shape, owned by Barton Myers, Esq., of -Norfolk, Virginia, is shown in Illustration 221. The lines of the many -curves are all unusually good. - -[Illustration: Illus. 221.—Empire Settee, about 1805.] - -The wood of the settee is mahogany, and the seat is rush. The ornaments -upon the front and the rosettes at the tip of each curve are brass. - -In 1816 there was launched in Salem the yacht called _Cleopatra’s -Barge_, built and owned by Capt. George Crowninshield, who had been a -partner with his brothers in the East India trade and had lived from a -boy upon his father’s ships. Finally retiring from business, he built -this splendid yacht with the intention of spending years in travel, but -he died after the first long voyage to the Mediterranean. The yacht was -the wonder of the day and was visited by thousands, not alone in Salem -but in every foreign port. - -[Illustration: Illus. 222.—Empire Settee, 1816.] - -She was furnished with great magnificence, in the Empire style, the -woods used in the saloon being mahogany and bird’s-eye maple, and the -two settees in the saloon were each eleven feet in length. One is shown -in Illustration 222, now owned by Frederic B. Crowninshield, Esq., of -Marblehead. The backs are lyre-shaped, and when new the seats were -covered with crimson velvet and edged with wide gold lace. The hook -upon the back leg was probably to hold the settee to the wall in bad -weather. - -Illustration 223 shows the influence of the fashion for heavier and -more elaborate frames, which came in with the nineteenth century. -The arms are made after the Sheraton type shown in Illustration 217 -and Illustration 218, but where a simple pillar was employed before, -this settee has a carved pineapple forming the support to the arm, -which ends in a scroll. Instead of four front legs either plain or -fluted, there are two of larger size carved with the same leaves which -sheathe the pineapple. The covering is horsehair, which was probably -the original cover. This settee now belongs to the Concord Antiquarian -Society, and was owned by Dr. Ezra Ripley, who was minister of the old -Congregational Church of Concord from 1777 to 1840, and who lived in -the Old Manse, afterward occupied by Hawthorne. The settee remained in -the manse until comparatively recent years. - -[Illustration: Illus. 223.—Sheraton Settee, 1800-1805.] - -The sofa in Illustration 224 belongs to the Misses Hosmer of Concord, -and stands in their old house, filled with the furniture of generations -past, and interesting with memories of the Concord philosophers. The -lines of this sofa are extremely elegant and graceful, and its effect -quite classic. The legs are what is known as the Adam leg, which was -designed by the Adam brothers, and which Sheraton used frequently. The -style of the sofa is that of the Adam brothers, and it was probably -made from their designs about 1800-1810. The writer has seen a window -seat which belonged to Charles Carroll of Carrollton, after exactly -this design, without the back. - -[Illustration: Illus. 225.—Sofa in Adam Style, 1800-1810.] - -The back of the sofa in Illustration 225 follows the same graceful -curves as the one in Illustration 224. This sofa was found by the -writer in the shed of a farmhouse, on top of a woodpile, which made it -evident what its fate would be eventually, a fate which has robbed us -of many a fine piece of old furniture. After climbing upon a chair, -then a table, the sight of these carved feet protruding from the -woodpile was almost enough to make the antique hunter lose her insecure -footing; but with the duplicity learned in years of collecting, all -emotion was concealed until the sofa had been secured. - -[Illustration: Illus. 224.—Sofa, 1815-1820.] - -The writer knows of four sofas, all found near Worcester, measuring the -same, seven feet in length, and with the same carving of oak leaves -upon the legs and ends, but this is the only one of the four which has -the carved oak leaves across the front of the seat, and the rows of -incised carving upon the back rail. The sofa was covered with black -haircloth, woven in an elaborate design, and around the edge of the -covering ran the brass beading which may be seen in the illustration. -This beading is three-eighths of an inch wide, and is of pressed brass, -filled with lead, so that it is pliable and may be bent to go around a -curve. Such beading or trimming was used in the place of brass-headed -tacks or nails, and is found upon chairs and sofas of about this date, -1815-1820. - -[Illustration: Illus. 226.—Sofa, about 1820.] - -Illustration 226 shows one of a pair of sofas without backs. The frame -is of mahogany with legs and arms carved rather coarsely. The covering -is of stiff old brocade, probably the original cover when these sofas -were made, about 1820, for the Warner house in Portsmouth, where they -still stand. The panelling of the old room, built in 1716, shows behind -the sofa, and on the floor is the Brussels carpet upon which is a stain -from wine spilt by Lafayette, when he visited the house in 1824. - -[Illustration: Illus. 227.—Cornucopia Sofa, about 1820.] - -The sofa in Illustration 227, known as a cornucopia sofa, from the -design of the carving, shows the most ornate type of this style. The -frame is of mahogany, and the ends of the arms are carved in large -horns of plenty, the same design being repeated in the carving of the -top rail of the back and in the legs, which end in a lion’s claw. The -round hard pillows, called “squabs,” at each end, were always provided -for sofas of this shape, to fit into the hollow made by the curves -of the cornucopia. This sofa is owned by Dr. Charles Schoeffer of -Philadelphia. - -Illustration 228 shows a sofa and miniature sofa made about 1820 for -William T. Lane, Esq., of Boston, and now owned by his daughter, Mrs. -Thomas H. Gage of Worcester. Mr. Lane had two little daughters, and -for them he had two little sofas made, that they might sit one each -side of the large sofa. - -[Illustration: Illus. 228.—Sofa and Miniature Sofa, about 1820.] - -This fashion of making miniature pieces of furniture like the larger -ones was much in vogue during the first quarter of the nineteenth -century. - -[Illustration: Illus. 229.—Sofa, about 1820.] - -A sofa of similar lines is shown in Illustration 229. The back and legs -are different, and reeding takes the place of the twist in Illustration -228. - -The sofa and chair in Illustration 230 are part of a set of furniture -bought by the father and mother of the late Major Ben: Perley -Poore, for their house at Indian Hill, about 1840. These pieces are -interesting not only for the design of the mahogany frames, carved -with swans’ necks and heads, but for the covering, which is of colored -haircloth, woven in a large figure in red and blue upon a gray ground. -The seat of the sofa is worn and has a rug spread upon it, but the back -and pillows and the chair-seat are perfect. - -[Illustration: Illus. 230.—Sofa and Chair, about 1840.] - -From 1844 to 1848 a cabinet-maker named John H. Belter had a shop in -New York, where he manufactured furniture, chiefly from rosewood. -The backs of the chairs and sofas were deeply curved, and in order -to obtain the strength necessary, thin pieces of rosewood were -pressed into the desired curve, and the several thicknesses glued -together, and pressed again. The strong back made in this way was then -elaborately carved, in an open-work pattern of vines and leaves. - -[Illustration: Illus. 231.—Rosewood Sofa, 1844-1848.] - -The sofas of these sets were usually in the shape shown in Illustration -231, which belongs to Mrs. M. Newman of New York. Many of the wealthy -families of New York had this Belter furniture, which was always -covered with a rich silk brocade. It is eagerly sought for now and -brings large prices. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -TABLES - - -[Illustration] - -THE earliest form of table in use in this country was inventoried in -1642 as a “table bord,” and the name occurs in English inventories one -hundred years earlier. The name “board” was given quite literally from -the table top, which was a board made separately from the supporting -trestles, and which, after a meal, was taken off the trestles, and both -board and trestles were put away, thus leaving the room free. These -tables were long and narrow, and had in earliest times a long bench -or form at one side only, the other side of the board being left free -for serving. In the Bolles collection is a veritable “borde” rescued -from the attic of a deserted house, where it had stood for scores of -years. The board is about twelve feet long and two feet one inch wide, -and bears the mark of many a knife. It rests upon three rude trestles, -presenting a wonderfully interesting example of the “table borde” -of the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, and one which is -extremely rare. - -[Illustration: Illus. 232.—Chair Table, Eighteenth Century.] - -It will be easily seen how the expression “the festive board” -originated. Presently it became the custom to leave the board upon -its trestles, instead of removing both, and in time the piece was -called a table, which name covered both board and trestles. Some of -the different forms of the table mentioned in inventories are framed -and joined tables, chair tables, long tables, drawing-tables, square, -oval, and round tables. The framed and joined tables refer to the -frame beneath the board. The other tables derive their names from the -shape or construction of the tops. A drawing-table was one made with -extension pieces at each end, supported when out by wooden braces, and -folding back under or over the table top when not in use. - -A chair table is shown in Illustration 232. The table top is put back -in the illustration, so that the piece can be pushed against the wall -and used as a chair. Chair tables always had the drawer beneath the -seat. They are inventoried as early as 1644. This chair table belongs -to Dwight Blaney, Esq., of Boston. - -[Illustration: Illus. 233.—Oak Table, 1650-1675.] - -The framed or joined table had turned legs, with stretchers between, -and a drawer under the table top. Illustration 233 shows an oak table -formerly owned in the Coffin family, and now in the building of the -Newburyport Historical Society. The table is a good example of the -framed or joined table early in the seventeenth century. The legs and -stretchers are of the same style as those upon wainscot chairs, which -belong to the same period as the table. - -[Illustration: Illus. 234.—Slate-top Table, 1670-1680.] - -Illustration 234 shows a table with slate top, owned by the American -Antiquarian Society of Worcester. The slate top originally filled the -eight-sided space in the centre of the table, but only the middle -section is now left. - -[Illustration: Illus. 235.—“Butterfly Table,” about 1700.] - -Beside the piece of slate is a paper written by the late John Preston -of New Ipswich, New Hampshire, in 1847, when he gave the table to the -Antiquarian Society, detailing the history of the table from the time -it was given to his ancestor, the Rev. Nehemiah Walter, who graduated -from Harvard University in 1682. The table was used by generation -after generation of ministers and lawyers, whose ink-stains cover -the marquetry border around the top, and whose feet have worn the -stretchers. Slate-top tables are very rare, and there are but few known -to exist. The turned legs and stretchers and the drawer in the table -are features which appear in tables of the same date with wooden tops. -There is one drop handle left upon the drawer, the frame around which -has the early single moulding. - -[Illustration: Illus. 236.—“Hundred-legged Table,” 1675-1700.] - -Illustration 235 shows a curious little table, several of which have -been found in Connecticut, and which were probably made there. - -[Illustration: Illus. 237.—“Hundred-legged Table,” 1680-1700.] - -It has the turned legs, with plain stretchers, of the tables in -Illustration 233. The oval top has drop leaves which are held up by -wing-shaped braces, from which comes the modern name for this table, of -“butterfly table.” - -[Illustration: Illus. 238.—Gate-legged Table, 1680-1700.] - -The table in Illustration 236 is an unusually fine example of what is -now called a “hundred-legged” or “forty-legged” table, evidently from -the bewildering number of legs beneath it, which are wofully in the -way of the legs of the persons seated around it. This table is made of -oak, with twisted legs, and measures four feet by five and a half. The -supporting legs, when not in use, swing around under the middle leaf. -The table is owned by Dwight Blaney, Esq. - -Illustration 237 shows a superb walnut dining-table, now in the rooms -of the Albany Historical Society. It measures six and a half feet by -six feet. It belonged to Sir William Johnson and when confiscated in -1776 from that Royalist, it was bought by Hon. John Taylor, whose -descendants loan it to the Society. These tables are also called -“gate-legged,” from the leg which swings under the leaf, like a gate. - -Illustration 238 shows a very small, and very rare gate-legged table -with trestle feet upon the middle section, enabling it to stand firmly -with the leaves dropped. It belongs to Dwight M. Prouty, Esq. - -[Illustration: Illus. 239.—Spindle-legged Table, 1710-1720.] - -Illustration 239 shows a spindle-legged, gate-legged table, a type -exceedingly rare like all spindle-legged furniture. The slender legs -have Dutch feet. This dainty table has descended to Mrs. Edward W. -Rankin of Albany, from Katherine Livingstone, who brought it with -her when she came to Albany in 1764, as the bride of Stephen Van -Rensselaer, the Patroon. It must then have been an inherited piece. - -Illustration 240 shows a forty-legged table, such as is not uncommonly -found. It measures four feet in length. The large Sheffield plate tray -on feet was made in the early part of the nineteenth century, when -trays of various sizes upon feet were fashionable. The tea-set upon the -tray is one made about 1835, and is extremely graceful in shape. The -table and silver are owned by the writer. - -The little Dutch table in Illustration 241 has the next style of leg -used upon tables, which were made in all sizes, and were presumably -very popular, for such tables are often found. One leg slides around on -each side to support the leaves. This table was made about 1740, and -belongs to Francis H. Bigelow, Esq. - -[Illustration: Illus. 240.—“Hundred-legged Table,” 1680-1700.] - -The same Dutch leg is seen in Illustration 242 upon a dainty little -mahogany card-table, with slides at each end to hold the candlesticks. -This table belongs to Miss Tilton of Newburyport. - -[Illustration: Illus. 241.—Dutch Table, 1720-1740.] - -Illustration 243 shows a mahogany table with claw-and-ball feet owned -by the writer. The top measures four feet four inches across, and -its date is about 1750. The double coaster upon wheels, filled with -violets, was made to hold decanters of wine, and one can imagine these -wheels rattling down the mahogany table as the evening grew late and -the decanters empty. - -[Illustration: Illus. 242.—Dutch Card-table, 1730-1740.] - -As early as 1676 stands are spoken of in inventories, and during the -eighteenth century they were a common article of furniture. The tops -were square, oval, or round, and the base consisted of a pillar with -three spreading feet. Illustration 244 shows the early foot used for -these stands, about 1740. This table is owned by Miss Mary Coates of -Philadelphia, and the silver pieces upon it are heirlooms in her family. - -These stands came to be known as “Dutch Tea-Tables,” and the bases -were often elaborately carved. The tops of the handsomest tables were -carved out of a thick piece of wood, so as to leave a rim, to keep the -china from sliding off. This carved rim was in different forms, the -finest being what is now called “pie-crust,” with an ogee scallop. The -plain rim is now known as the “dish-top.” Illustration 245 shows a -pie-crust table owned by Dwight Blaney, Esq. - -[Illustration: Illus. 243.—Claw-and-ball-foot Table, about 1750.] - -[Illustration: Illus. 244.—Dutch Stand, about 1740.] - -Illustration 246 shows a dish-top table belonging to Francis H. -Bigelow, Esq. Both tables have claw-and-ball feet, and they are made, -like all of the Dutch tea-tables, with the top revolving upon the -pillar. - -[Illustration: Illus. 245.—“Pie-crust Table,” 1750.] - -When not in use the top could be “tipped,” and the table put back -against the wall; and when the top was to be used, it fastened down -with a snap. - -[Illustration: Illus. 246.—“Dish-top Table,” 1750.] - -Illustration 247 shows two of the finest type of tea-tables. They are -owned by Harry Harkness Flagler, Esq. One has the pie-crust edge, and -the other a scalloped edge. The pillars of both are reeded, and the -legs are carved. A great difference can be noted between these two -bases, in the sweep of the spreading legs, and in the claw-and-ball -feet, which are especially fine upon the pie-crust table. - -The proportion of this table are unusually good, the central pillar -being slender, and the finely carved legs having a spread which gives a -very graceful and light effect. - -Illustration 248 shows another fine table and chair owned by Mr. -Flagler. The chair is described upon page 183. The table has an oval -top, carved, not in a regular scallop, but in rococo scrolls. It has a -heavier pillar than the pie-crust table in the last illustration, and -the legs have a smaller spread. - -[Illustration: Illus. 247.—Tea-tables. 1750-1760.] - -[Illustration: Illus. 248.—Table and Easy Chair, 1760-1770.] - -A tripod table with a remarkable top is shown in Illustration 249. It -belongs to J.J. Gilbert, Esq., of Baltimore. The rim is carved and -pierced like the mahogany trays of the time. - -[Illustration: Illus. 249.—Tripod Table, 1760-1770.] - -Illustration 250 shows a Chinese fretwork table owned by Harry -Harkness Flagler, Esq. Such tables were designed by Ince and Mayhew -and Chippendale, and were called show tables, the pierced gallery -serving to keep small curios on the table from falling off. Both of -these tables were used as tea-tables, the raised rims protecting the -tea-cups, more precious then than now. - -Stands were made in different sizes, one being intended for a -“light-stand” to hold the candlestick, and the smallest for a -tea-kettle stand, to accompany the tea-table. Illustration 251 shows -three sizes of stands, all smaller than those illustrated previously, -and giving somewhat the effect of the three bears of the nursery tale. -The middle stand, which has a dish-top, has a base which is exquisitely -carved. The tiny kettle-stand is only eighteen and one-half inches -high. These three stands also belong to Mr. Flagler. - -[Illustration: Illus. 250.—Chinese Fretwork Table, 1760-1770.] - -Illustration 252 shows a small tea-table belonging to Mrs. C. M. Dyer -of Worcester. A star is inlaid upon the top, the edge of which has a -row of fine inlaying. The base has three fanlike carvings where the -legs join the pillar. - -The exquisite Chippendale card-table shown in Illustration 253 is not -only beautiful in itself, but it frames what is a monument to the -industry of the frail young girls who embroidered the top, and to the -good housekeeping of its owners for one hundred and twenty odd years. -The colors in this embroidery are as brilliant as when new, and never -a moth has been suffered to even sniff at its stitches, which are the -smallest I have ever seen. The work is done upon very fine linen, and -each thread is covered with a stitch of embroidery, done with the -slenderest possible strands of crewel, in designs of playing-cards, and -of round and fish-shaped counters, in mother-of-pearl shades, copied -from the original pearl counters, which still lie in the little oval -pools hollowed out for them in the mahogany frame. - -[Illustration: Illus. 251—Stands, 1760-1770.] - -[Illustration: Illus. 252.—Tea-table, about 1770.] - -The fashionable game at that date was quadrille, which was played with -these round and fish-shaped counters. - -Dr. William Samuel Johnson, the first president of Columbia University, -had four daughters, all of whom died in early youth, from consumption. -This embroidery was wrought by them, one taking the task as the other -gave it up with her life. The same young girls embroidered the screen -in Illustration 328. Small wonder they died young! Far better the -golf and tennis which would occupy the daughters of a modern college -president, if he were so fortunate as to have four. - -[Illustration: Illus. 253.—Chippendale Card-table, about 1765.] - -The frame of this table is very beautiful, though it is cast in -the shade by the extraordinary needlework. It is after the finest -Chippendale design, and of the best workmanship. The wood is mahogany, -and the table is owned by Mrs. Johnson-Hudson of Stratford, Connecticut. - -[Illustration: Illus. 254.—Chippendale Card-table, about 1765.] - -A Chippendale card-table, owned by the writer, is shown in Illustration -254. The mahogany top is shaped in deep curves, with square corners -and is an inch thick to allow the depth of the pools for counters. -The lower edge of the table is gadrooned, and the two front legs are -finely carved. The two back legs, which are stationary, are carved on -the front side only, while the fifth leg, which swings under the leaf -to hold it up, is plain, with simply the claw-and-ball foot. - -[Illustration: Illus. 255.—Chippendale Card-table, about 1765.] - -Illustration 255 shows another Chippendale table with a baize-covered -top. It has the pools for counters, and the corners of the top are -shaped in square pieces to stand the candlesticks upon. - -[Illustration: Illus. 256.—Pembroke Table, 1760-1770.] - -The knees of the cabriole legs are finely carved, and the edge of the -front is finished with gadrooning. It will be noticed that there is -a leg at each corner with the table open; in closing, two legs turn -in accordion fashion, and a leg is still at each corner of the closed -table, with the top half the size. This card-table is owned by Harry -Harkness Flagler, Esq., of Millbrook, N. Y. - -[Illustration: Illus. 257.—Pembroke Table, 1780-1790.] - -[Illustration: Illus. 258.—Lacquer Tea-tables, Eighteenth Century.] - -A style of table popular during the eighteenth century was called a -Pembroke table, according to Sheraton, from the name of the lady who -first ordered one, and who probably gave the idea to the workman. -Illustration 256 shows a Pembroke table in the Chippendale style, with -rather unusual stretchers between the legs. The characteristic which -gives a table the name of Pembroke consists in the drop leaves, which -are held up, when the table is open, by brackets which turn under the -top. The shape of the top varies, being square, round, oval, or with -leaves shaped like the table in the illustration. They are always -small, and were designed for breakfast tables. This table belongs to -the Concord Antiquarian Society. - -A beautiful Pembroke table owned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art is -shown in Illustration 257. It is made of mahogany entirely veneered -with curly sycamore, with a band of tulip wood around the top and -leaves, which are exquisitely inlaid in a circular design, and upon the -legs are lines of holly with an oval inlay at the top. - -Illustration 258 shows a set or “nest” of Chinese tea tables owned by -Dwight M. Prouty, Esq. They and the tea caddy case are lacquered in -black with Chinese scenes in gold. These sets of tables were brought by -ships in the Chinese trade, and were fashionable among the tea drinkers -of early times. - -From about 1786 the designs of Shearer, Hepplewhite, and Sheraton -entirely superseded the fashions of the fifty years preceding, and the -slender tapering leg took the place of the cabriole leg. Illustration -259 shows a Hepplewhite card-table, of about 1789, with inlaid legs, -one of which swings around to support half of the top, which is -circular when open. - -[Illustration: Illus. 259.—Hepplewhite Card-table with Tea-tray, -1785-1790.] - -Upon this table is a mahogany tea tray with handles at each side and -a raised rim with a scalloped edge to keep the cups and saucers from -slipping off. Oval trays of this style are not uncommon, of mahogany -with inlaying, but this tray is shaped to fit the table top. This table -and tray are owned by the Concord Antiquarian Society. The china upon -the tray is Lowestoft, so called. - -Illustration 260 shows two typical Hepplewhite card-tables owned by the -writer. They are of mahogany, the square, tapering legs being inlaid -with a fine line of holly. The front of one table has an oval inlay of -lighter mahogany, and small oval pieces above each leg. - -[Illustration: Illus. 260.—Hepplewhite Card-tables, 1785-1795.] - -The edge of this table is inlaid with lines of holly. The front of the -other table is veneered with curly maple, and has a panel in the centre -inlaid with an urn in colored woods. - -[Illustration: Illus. 261.—Sheraton Card-table, 1800.] - -There is a row of fine inlaying in holly and ebony upon the edge of the -top. This table was rescued by the writer from an ignominious existence -in a kitchen, where it was covered with oilcloth and used for kitchen -purposes. The leaf of each of these tables is supported by one of the -legs, which swings around. - -[Illustration: Illus. 262.—Sheraton Card-table, 1800-1810.] - -[Illustration: Illus. 263.—Sheraton “What-not,” 1800-1810.] - -Illustration 261 shows a Sheraton card-table of the best style, with -reeded legs and the front veneered in satinwood. It is owned by Irving -Bigelow, Esq., of Worcester. - -The Sheraton card-table in Illustration 262 is of a few years later -date than the one in Illustration 261, with slightly heavier legs, -reeded and carved. The curves of the front of the table are extremely -graceful. It belongs to Dwight Blaney, Esq. - -Illustration 263 shows a Sheraton stand, called a “what-not,” made of -mahogany, with reeded legs. The posts above the legs are veneered in -bird’s-eye maple, and the two drawers are veneered in satinwood. The -handles are of bone or ivory. The effect of this little stand is most -airy and light. It belongs to Mr. Blaney. - -Illustration 264 shows a mahogany dining-table and one of eight chairs -which came from the John Hancock house in Boston. - -[Illustration: Illus. 264.—Sheraton Dining-table and Chair, about -1810.] - -They are now owned by Clinton M. Dyer, Esq., of Worcester. They were -made probably about 1810. The legs of the table end in the Adam foot. - -[Illustration: Illus. 265.—Sheraton Work-table, about 1800.] - -The table which has both leaves dropped shows the position of the -legs when the table is not in use; each leg swings around to support -the leaves when in use. The table with slightly rounded corners can -be taken apart, and the extra table put between the two sections, -the leaves being fastened together by a curious brass spring. Each -leaf measures five and one-half feet in length. The drop leaves are -twenty-six inches wide, and the table, when all the top is spread out, -measures five and a half by twelve feet. - -The chair is made after the style of the late Sheraton chairs, with -carved drapery upon the back. - -[Illustration: Illus. 266.—Sheraton Work-table 1810-1815.] - -Illustration 265 shows a circular work-table of very graceful design. -The wood is mahogany, and the little feet are of bronze. There are -three drawers, the two upper ones opening with a spring and revolving -upon a pivot. In these little drawers may still be seen the beads -remaining from the time, about 1800, when it was fashionable for young -ladies to make bead bags. The table top has an opening in the centre, -which originally had a wooden cover, and the space below the top was -utilized to hold the work. At the back of the top are two short turned -posts supporting a little shelf, to hold a candlestick, or to have -fastened upon its edge the silver bird which was used by needlewomen of -those days to hold one end of the work. This little table is owned by -the Misses Hosmer of Concord. - -[Illustration: Illus. 267.—Maple and Mahogany Work-tables, 1810-1820.] - -Illustration 266 shows a Sheraton work-table, owned by Mrs. Samuel B. -Woodward of Worcester. The carving at the top of the reeded legs is -very fine, and the little table is quite dainty enough to serve the -purpose for which it was bought,—a wedding gift to a bride. - -[Illustration: Illus. 268.—Work-table, 1810.] - -The brass fixtures for the casters are unusually good, but the handles -are not original. The top drawer contains a sort of writing desk, -besides compartments for sewing materials, and at the side of the table -a slide pulls out, which had originally a silk bag attached, to hang -below the table. - -[Illustration: Illus. 269.—Work-table, 1810.] - -Illustration 267 shows two work-tables of mahogany and bird’s-eye maple -belonging to Francis H. Bigelow, Esq. Similar tables were common about -1810-1820. - -Illustrations 268 and 269 show two work-tables owned by Dwight M. -Prouty, Esq. The legs and frame of the upper table are of mahogany, the -box being made of pine and covered with pleated silk. The lower table -is more elegant in shape, with a slide, the front of which simulates a -drawer, and to this is attached the work bag or box, in this table made -of wood, silk-covered, but sometimes made of silk alone. - -Illustration 270 shows a Hepplewhite dining table, the drop leaf -serving to increase the length of the table, when raised and held up by -the extra leg, which swings under it. Up to 1800 the dining-table had -been made in various styles, in all of which the table legs were more -or less in the way of those around the table. In the “hundred-legged” -table there seemed to be a table leg for each person. Then came -the cabriole leg, also in the way, and finally the Hepplewhite -dining-table, which was made in sections, with rounded ends, and four -legs on each end. - -[Illustration: Illus. 270.—Hepplewhite Dining-table, 1790.] - -About 1800 the pillar-and-claw table was invented, which made it -possible for several persons to sit around a dining-table without a -part of the guests encircling the table legs with their own. These -tables were made in pairs or in threes, one after another being added -as more room was required. - -[Illustration: Illus. 271.—Pillar-and-claw Dining-table, 1800.] - -Illustration 271 shows a pillar-and-claw extension dining-table, of -mahogany, owned by L. J. Shapiro, Esq. of Norfolk, Virginia. The -telescope extension (the same method in use at present) was invented by -Richard Gillow, of London, about 1800. The end tables pull apart upon a -slide, and extra leaves may be inserted between the ends, held in place -by wooden pins. - -The pillar and claw design was most popular and was used for -centre tables, bases of piano stools, and even for piano legs (see -Illustration 292). A pillar-and-claw mahogany centre table with drop -leaves is shown in Illustration 272. The feet are lion’s claws, and -from this date the lion’s or bear’s claw foot was used for furniture -with carved feet, instead of the bird’s claw-and-ball which had been so -largely used during the previous century. - -[Illustration: Illus. 272.—Pillar-and-claw Dining-table, about 1800.] - -A splendid dining-table of mahogany is shown in Illustration 273. It is -in three sections, each with a base. The legs have a bold spread, and -are simply carved in grooves, ending in lion’s claws. This fine table -is owned by Barton Myers, Esq., of Norfolk, Virginia. - -Illustration 274 shows a mahogany dining-table now in the Worcester -Art Museum, inherited from the late Stephen Salisbury, Esq. - -[Illustration: Illus. 273.—Extension Dining-table, 1810.] - -[Illustration: Illus. 274.—Accordion Extension Table, 1820.] - -The method of extension is after that of an accordion, and necessitates -an astonishing number of legs when not extended, ten in all. - -[Illustration: Illus. 275.—Card-table, 1805-1810.] - -When the leaves are all in use the table is fourteen feet long, and -stands very firmly, the leaves being held together by a brass clamp, -seen in the illustration. - -[Illustration: Illus. 276.—Phyfe Card-table, 1810-1820.] - -A very fine card table owned by Mrs. Clarence R. Hyde of Brooklyn is -shown in Illustration 275. It is made of mahogany, with a band of -satinwood around the box top. When open, the whole top revolves upon a -pivot. The legs are slender and well carved, with lion’s feet. - -One of the finest of American cabinet-makers was Duncan Phyfe, whose -address in the New York directory of 1802 is 35 Partition Street (now -Fulton Street). He pursued his business until 1850, employing one -hundred workmen. Much of his furniture still exists, notably chairs -with lyre backs. - -A Phyfe card-table owned by Miss H. P. F. Burnside of Worcester is -shown in Illustration 276. The strings of the lyre are of brass, like -the lion’s feet in which the legs end. - -[Illustration: Illus. 277.—Phyfe Card-table, 1810-1820.] - -A specialty of Phyfe’s was a card-table, one of which is shown in -Illustration 277. In the illustration the table apparently lacks a -fourth leg, as it stands against the wall. But when the top is open, -by an interesting mechanism the three legs spread and a brace comes -out to support the other half of the top, so that it forms a perfectly -proportioned table. - -Mr. Hagen of New York has an old bill, dated 1816, for two of these -tables at sixty dollars apiece. The table in the illustration is owned -by Dwight Blaney, Esq. - -[Illustration: Illus. 278.—Phyfe Sofa Table, 1810.] - -A Phyfe sofa table is shown in Illustration 278, from the Metropolitan -Museum of Art. It is very narrow, and was designed, as the name -implies, to stand beside a sofa, to hold books, papers, or other -articles. - -[Illustration: Illus. 279.—Pier-table, 1820-1830.] - -[Illustration: Illus. 280.—Work-table, 1810-1820.] - -The legs end in small lion’s feet and are carved, like the posts, with -the typical Phyfe leaf. This leaf, so much used by Phyfe, is seen, like -the lyre, upon Adam pieces, and apparently the Scotchman, Duncan Phyfe, -took the Scotchman, Robert Adam, for his model. The fashion of heavy -furniture elaborately carved was more popular in the South than in the -North, and the most ornate pieces are found in the South, of later -date than the rich carving done in Philadelphia, upon pie-crust tables -and high-boys. Heavy posts carved with the acanthus and pineapple and -other Empire features found favor. - -It is probable that during the first quarter of the nineteenth century -the wealthy Southern planters refurnished their homes in the prevailing -Empire style. The pier-table in Illustration 279 is one of a pair found -in Virginia, which were made about 1830. The chief motif in the design -seems to be dolphins’ heads, which form the feet, and the base of the -front supports to the top. - -Illustration 280 shows a small work-table of curious shape, with the -octagon-shaped interior divided into little boxes for sewing-materials. -The middle compartment extends down into the eight-sided pillar. The -work-boxes are covered by the top of the table, which lifts upon -hinges. This table belongs to Mrs. E. A. Morse of Worcester. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS - - -[Illustration] - -SPINETS, virginals, and harpsichords were brought to the American -colonies in English ships as early as 1645, when “An old pair of -virginalls” appears in an inventory; and another, in 1654. In 1667 a -pair of virginals is valued at two pounds. In his diary of 1699 Judge -Samuel Sewall alludes to his wife’s virginals. In 1712 the Boston _News -Letter_ contained an advertisement that “the spinet would be taught,” -and in 1716 the public were requested to “Note, that any Persons may -have all Instruments of Music mended, or Virginals or Spinets strung -& tun’d, at a Reasonable Rate, and likewise may be taught to play on -any of the Instruments above mentioned.” From the wording of this -advertisement it is evident that these instruments were no novelty. - -I have not been able to learn of an existing virginal which was in use -in this country, but occasionally a spinet is found. The expression a -“pair” or “set” of virginals was used in the same manner as a “pair” or -“set” of steps or stairs, and in England an oblong spinet was called -a virginal, in distinction from the spinet of triangular shape, which -superseded the rectangular, oblong form in which the earliest spinets -were made. Both virginal and spinet had but one string to a key, and -the tone of both was produced by a sort of plectrum which picked the -string. This plectrum usually consisted of a crow quill, set in an -upright piece of wood, called a “jack,” which was fastened to the -back of the key. The depressing of the key by the finger caused the -quill to rise, and as it passed the string, the vibration produced the -musical tone, which is described by Dr. Burney as “A scratch with a -sound at the end of it.” The name of the spinet is by some supposed -to be derived from these quills,—from _spina_, a thorn. According to -other authorities the name came from a maker of the instrument, named -Spinetti. The virginal was so called because young maids were wont to -play upon it, among them that perennial young girl, Queen Elizabeth. -The most famous makers of spinets in England were Charles Haward or -Haywood, Thomas and John Hitchcock, and Stephen Keene. In Pepys’s diary -are the following entries:— - - “April 4, 1668. Called upon one Haward that makes virginalls, and - there did like of a little espinette and will have him finish it for - me; for I had a mind to a small harpsichon, but this takes up less - room.” - - “July 15, 1668. At noon is brought home the espinette I bought the - other day of Haward; cost me 5£.” - -Illustration 281 shows a spinet in the Deerfield Museum, which formerly -belonged to Miss Sukey Barker of Hingham, who must have been a much -envied damsel. It is marked Stephanus Keene, which places the date -of its make about 1690. The body of the spinet stands twenty-four -inches from the floor. Its extreme length is fifty-six inches, and the -keyboard of four and one-half octaves measures twenty-nine inches. -There are but six keys left, but they are enough to show that the -naturals were black and the sharps white. There is a row of fine -inlaying above the keyboard, and the maker’s name is surrounded with -painted flowers. - -[Illustration: Illus. 281.—Stephen Keene Spinet, about 1690.] - -The spinet, as may be seen, was a tiny instrument, in shape similar to -our modern grand piano. The body of the spinet was entirely separate -from the stand, which was made with stretchers between the legs, of -which there were three and sometimes four, so placed that one leg -came under the narrow back end of the spinet, one under the right end -of the front, and one or sometimes two at the left of the front. The -instrument rested upon this table or trestle. - -The name upon the majority of spinets found in this country is that -of Thomas Hitchcock. His spinets are numbered and occasionally dated. -There is a Thomas Hitchcock spinet owned by the Concord Antiquarian -Society, numbered 1455, and one owned in Worcester, numbered 1519. - -Illustration 282 shows a spinet which was owned by Elizabeth Hunt -Wendell of Boston. It was probably an old instrument when she took -it with her from Boston to Portland in 1766 upon her marriage to the -Rev. Thomas Smith, known as Parson Smith of Portland. It is now owned -by her great-great-grandaughter in Gorham, Maine. The board above -the keys has two lines of inlaying around it, and is marked “Thomas -Hitchcock Londoni fecit, 1390.” The front of the white keys is cut with -curved lines, and the black keys have a line of white ivory down the -centre. The parrot-back chair in the illustration is described upon -page 168. Authorities seem to vary upon dates when the Hitchcocks made -spinets. Mr. A. J. Hipkins of London, the well-known authority upon -pianos, harpsichords, and spinets, writes me that he dates the Thomas -Hitchcock spinets from 1664 to 1703, and those of John Hitchcock, the -son of Thomas, from 1676 to about 1715. Mr. Hipkins says that the -highest number he has met with upon Thomas Hitchcock’s spinets is 1547, -so it is safe to date this spinet in Illustration 282, which numbers -1390, to about 1690. - -[Illustration: Illus. 282.—Thomas Hitchcock Spinet, about 1690.] - -By the latter half of the eighteenth century proficiency upon various -musical instruments was not uncommon. John Adams in 1771 speaks of a -young man of twenty-six, as “a great proficient in music, plays upon -the flute, fife, harpsichord, spinet, etc.; a very fine Connecticut -young gentleman.” - -[Illustration: Illus. 283.—Broadwood Harpsichord, 1789.] - -In 1768 in the _Boston Chronicle_ appears the advertisement of John -Harris, recently from England, “that he makes and sells all sorts of -Harpsichords and Spinets,” and in 1769 the _Boston Gazette_ says, “A -few days since was shipped for Newport a very curious Spinet, being -the first one ever made in America, the performance of the ingenious -Mr. John Harris.” In 1770 the same paper praises an excellent “spinet” -made by a Bostonian, “which for goodness of workmanship and harmony of -sound is esteemed by the best judges to be superior to any that has -been imported from Europe.” This would seem to indicate that a tone -of superiority in musical matters was assumed by Boston at an early -date. The statement with regard to the first spinet made in America is -incorrect, for over twenty years earlier, in 1742, Hasselinck had made -spinets in Philadelphia. - -In the Essex Institute of Salem is a spinet made by Samuel Blythe of -Salem, the bill for which, dated 1786, amounts to eighteen pounds. - -The harpsichord, so named from its shape, was the most important of -the group of contemporary instruments, the virginal, spinet, and -harpsichord, the tone of which was produced with the quill and jack. -The harpsichord had two strings to each key, and the instrument -occupied the relative position that the grand piano does to-day, being -much larger and having more tone than the spinet. Like the spinet, -its manufacture ceased with the eighteenth century. Illustration 283 -shows a harpsichord formerly owned by Charles Carroll, who was so -eager to identify himself as a patriot, that he signed his name to -the Declaration of Independence as Charles Carroll of Carrollton. This -harpsichord was discovered twenty-five years ago in the loft of an old -college building in Annapolis, where it had lain for fifty years. The -Carroll coat of arms, painted upon porcelain and framed in gold, is -fastened above the keyboard. The inscription upon this instrument is -“Burkat Shudi et Johannes Broadwood, patent No. 955 Londini, Fecerant -1789, Great Poulteney Street, Golden Square.” - -There are two banks of keys, with a range of five octaves, and three -stops, which were intended to change the tone, two of them being marked -harp and lute. The case is quite plain, of mahogany, with a few lines -of inlaying above the keyboard and a line around the body and top. It -is owned by William Knabe & Co. of Baltimore, and is one of fourteen -Broadwood harpsichords known to exist. - -That the harpsichord was not an uncommon instrument in this country -during the latter half of the eighteenth century is shown by the number -of advertisements of the harpsichord and its teachers. - -Illustration 284 shows a clavichord or clavier, made about 1745. It is -owned by Mr. John Orth of Boston. The clavichord, like its successor, -the square piano, was of oblong shape. The musical tone was produced in -a different manner from that of either the spinet or piano. Each key -had at the back an upright “tangent” or wedge-shaped piece of brass, -which, as the front of the key was depressed, rose and set the string -of twisted brass wire in vibration, by pressing upon it, instead of -picking it like the quill of the spinet and harpsichord. This pressure -divided the string into two different lengths, the shorter length -being prevented from vibrating by a band of cloth interlaced with the -strings. The same interlaced cloth stopped the vibration of the longer -division of the string, as soon as the pressure was taken from the -key, thus allowing the tangent to fall. In the earlier clavichords one -string had to serve to produce the tone for two or three different keys. - -[Illustration: Illus. 284.—Clavichord, 1745.] - -These instruments were called “gebunden,” or fretted. Later instruments -are “bund frei” or free, having a string for each key. The clavichord -player could feel the elasticity of the wire string, and could produce -a sort of vibration of tone by employing the same method as that used -in playing the violin, a pressure and vibration of the fleshy end -of the finger while the note was held. The tone of the clavichord -was very delicate, and it afforded far more power of expression than -the spinet or harpsichord, which, however, were more brilliant, and -entirely superseded the weaker clavichord in England. In Germany -the clavichord has always been a favorite instrument even into the -nineteenth century. It is probable that but few clavichords came to -this country. - -The _piano e forte_—soft and loud—was invented about 1720. The -strings of the piano are struck by hammers instead of being picked -by quills, and the force of the hammer strokes made a stronger frame -necessary than that of the spinet or harpsichord, in order to hold the -heavier strings. - -Brissot de Warville wrote in 1788 that in Boston “one sometimes hears -the forte piano, though the art is in its infancy.” He then soulfully -bursts forth, “God grant that the Bostonian women may never, like those -of France, acquire the malady of perfection in this art. It is never -attained but at the expense of the domestic virtues.” According to this -the domestic virtues must be a scarce quality in Boston at the present -time. - -In 1792 Messrs. Dodd & Claus, musical instrument manufacturers, 66 -Queen Street, New York, announced that “the forte piano is become so -fashionable in Europe that few polite families are without it.” As this -country kept pace with Europe in the fashions, we can assume that the -forte piano formed at the close of the eighteenth century a part of the -furniture of the polite families of the United States. - -The date of a piano can be approximately determined by its legs. The -earliest pianos had four slender legs similar to the legs of the spinet -or harpsichord. The next instruments had six legs, increased in size -and fluted or carved. Then the number was reduced to four, and the legs -were still larger, and more elaborately carved, until 1840 the ugly -legs found commonly upon the square piano were the only styles employed. - -[Illustration: Illus. 285.—Clementi Piano, 1805.] - -Illustration 285 is a fine example of an early pianoforte. Like the -spinet and clavichord, the body of the instrument is separate from -the lower frame, which is fastened together at the corners with -large screws like a bedstead. This may have been for convenience in -transportation, and it is possible that while the top containing the -works was imported, the supporting frame may have been made in this -country. There are four slender inlaid legs, and one pedal, and under -the body of the piano runs a most convenient shelf for music. The case -is of mahogany, with rows of fine inlaying in colors, having two rows -of different width around the top of the lid. The board above the keys -is of satinwood, and it has, beside the delicate frets at each side, -charmingly painted garlands of sweet peas, a flower very popular in -England at that time, about 1805. The name plate has the inscription -“Muzio Clementi & Co., Cheapside, London,” and the number of the piano -is 3653. It measures sixty-seven inches in length, and has a compass -of five and one-half octaves. There is a line of inlaying around the -inside of this piano, which is finished carefully in every detail. The -music-rack is of simple form like the rack in Illustration 286. The -music may also rest, as in the illustration, upon the edge of the lid, -when put back. This piano is owned by the writer, who bought it in -Falmouth, Massachusetts. It was said to be the first piano brought into -Falmouth, or upon the “Cape,” and in looking at this dainty instrument, -which had never left the room in which it found its home, a hundred -years ago, one can imagine the wonder and envy of the little seaport -village when a whaling captain, after a successful voyage, gave the -piano to his daughter. Nothing could sound more quaint than a Gluck or -Mozart minuet played upon its tinkling keys. - -The founder of the Astor family about 1790 to 1800 made one branch of -his business the importing of pianos, which were labelled with his -name and which are quite commonly met with. Illustration 286 shows an -Astor piano owned by Mrs. Sanford Tappan of Newburyport. The style of -this piano is similar to that of the “Clementi” in Illustration 285, -but it lacks the delicate ornamentation of the Clementi piano. In the -_Columbian Centinel_ of 1806 is an advertisement with a woodcut of an -instrument very like this. - -[Illustration: Illus. 286.—Astor Piano, 1790-1800.] - -There is an Astor piano in Salem, described as having four legs in the -front, indicating that it was made as late as 1815. It had two pedals, -one being used to prolong the tones. The other pedal served to produce -a novel and taking effect, by lifting a section of the top of the piano -lid, which was then allowed to fall suddenly, the slamming serving -to imitate the firing of cannon. The young lady who owned the piano -created a great sensation by playing battle pieces with this startling -accompaniment. - -[Illustration: Illus. 287.—Clementi Piano, about 1820.] - -Illustration 287 shows the change in the legs, this piano having six -legs, which are considerably larger. The piano was made by Clementi, -and is numbered 10522. It is of light mahogany, and has a row of dark -mahogany veneer around its frame. The feet and tops of the six legs -are of brass, like the handles to the three drawers, and a brass -moulding goes around the frame. The piano stool, also of mahogany, is -of a somewhat later date. This piano and stool are owned by W. S. G. -Kennedy, Esq., of Worcester. This style of piano was in use from 1820 -to 1830. - -[Illustration: Illus. 288.—Combination Piano, Desk, and Toilet-table, -about 1800.] - -Illustration 288 shows one of the curious combinations which the -cabinet-makers of about 1800 seemed to be so fond of designing. Their -books have complicated drawings of tables and desks with mechanical -devices for transforming the simple-looking piece of furniture into -one full of compartments, drawers, and boxes, with contrivances which -allow surprising combinations to spring out. Sheraton, who was a shrewd -observer, said, “A fancifulness seems most peculiar to the taste of -females”; and this piece of furniture was made, apparently, to appeal -to that “fancifulness.” - -[Illustration: Illus. 289—Piano, about 1830.] - -Between the works of the piano and the cover is a tray divided -into compartments to hold toilet and writing utensils, ink-bottle, -sand-sifter, stationery, pins, and sewing-implements, and over the -keyboard rests a long tray for similar articles. These trays can be -removed when the piano is to be used. There is a front panel which lets -down, forming a writing-table, and a mirror is set in the face of the -rest that supports the lid when raised. - -[Illustration: Illus. 290.—Peter Erben Piano, 1826-1827.] - -Thus the lady for whom all this was designed, after using it as a -dressing-table, could play the piano and look at her own pretty -face in the mirror while she played and sang. This combination of -piano, dressing-table, and writing-desk is owned by the Rev. James H. -Darlington, D.D., of Brooklyn, New York. - -In 1829 the manufacture of pianofortes had increased so that during -that year twenty-five hundred pianos were made in the United States, -chiefly in New York, Philadelphia, and Boston. - -The piano in Illustration 289 belongs to Mrs. Ada Grisier of Auburn, -Indiana, and is an unusually fine specimen of the six-legged piano -fashionable about 1830. The case is of mahogany and is inlaid with -lines of brass, while around the body run two rows, of different width, -of brass moulding. The legs are large, and elaborately carved, and are -set in brass standards. On each corner of the frame is a design in -gilt. There is one wooden pedal, and the range of the piano is five and -one-half octaves. The name of the maker has been obliterated. - -The piano in Illustration 290 is owned by Mrs. Louis M. Priest of -Salem, New York. The body is of rosewood inlaid with brass, the lid -being of mahogany, like the elaborately carved trestle-shaped supports. -It has two drawers for holding music, and one pedal, the standard for -which is a carved lyre with a mirror behind its strings. The keyboard -has a range of six octaves. The name upon the front is Peter Erben, -103 Pump St., New York. Peter Erben was a music-teacher whose address -from 1826 to 1827 was 103 Pump Street, which determines the date of -this piano. The writer knows of four pianos with the carved mahogany -trestle-supports, all with the name of Peter Erben as maker, though -it is probable that, like modern pianos, the works were bought, and -whoever wished might have his name upon the name-plate, since Peter -Erben is in the New York directories for thirty years as “Musick -teacher” or “Professor of musick” only. - -[Illustration: Illus. 291.—Piano-stool, 1820-1830.] - -The piano-stool in Illustration 291 was made to use with the piano in -Illustration 290. The wide spread to the three feet gives the effect -of a table base, but there is no doubt that this was made originally -to use for a piano-stool. The little weather-beaten house, in which -the piano and stool had always stood, possesses a ghost story of a -young girl who was starved to death by her miser brother, and who was -said to haunt the house. This piano and stool give the impression of -the reverse of a miser, and the poor ghost must have been before their -day. The stool is now owned by the writer, but is neither practical nor -comfortable, the feet being much in the way. - -Illustration 292 shows a piano of most elaborate design, made about -1826. There is no maker’s name upon the piano. The frame is of mahogany -and has a brass moulding around the body, and brass rosette handles to -the drawers. Around each square carved panel upon the front legs is a -brass beading, and the lions’ claws on the front legs and the sockets -upon the back legs are of brass. - -[Illustration: Illus. 292.—Piano, 1826.] - -The front legs are elaborately carved like table bases, and the three -pedals have a support that is a cross between a lyre and a wreath. The -keyboard has six octaves, and the music-rack is very simple. - -Illustration 293 shows two piano-stools made between 1825 and 1830. The -stool with four fluted legs was sold with a piano made by Wood, Small, -& Co., of London, which has six legs fluted in the same manner. The -other stool has a base like the claw-and-pillar table, and the sides of -the seat are carved dolphins, whose tails turn up and support a carved -rail to form a low back for the seat. This stool belongs to the writer. - -[Illustration: Illus. 293.—Piano-stools, 1825-1830.] - -The “table piano” in Illustration 294 is marked as being made by John -Charters, Xenia, Ohio, which alone would attract attention, aside -from the curious construction of the base, which places the date of -the piano about 1835. The pedals are quite concealed as one stands by -this piano, and the whole design is clumsy and poor. The music-rack -seems to have remained unchanged for many years, and from the earliest -piano shown, made in 1800, until the large square piano of 1840, the -music-rack is the same, simply constructed of four pieces of wood which -are put together with pivots, so that by pushing one end of the top -piece they all slide and fold down together, in order that the piano -may be closed. - -[Illustration: Illus. 294.—Table Piano, about 1835.] - -Illustration 295 shows a Chickering piano made in 1833, of a design -entirely different from the other pianos shown, and of great elegance -and richness. The mahogany case is inlaid with the heavy bands of plain -brass, and the legs are pillars with Ionic capitals. The music-rack is -of the same simple form as the one upon the preceding piano, and the -one pedal is fastened into a lyre-shaped support. - -[Illustration: Illus. 295.—Chickering Piano, 1833.] - -Illustration 296 shows a music-stand made about 1835, owned by Mrs. -John D. Wing, of Millbrook, New York. The rest for the music is of the -favorite lyre shape, which seems especially adapted to this purpose. -The stand is of mahogany and is very pretty and graceful. - -Illustration 297 shows a music-stand owned by Dwight Blaney, Esq., of -Boston. It is of mahogany, and its date is about 1835. The upper part -with the music-rest can be lowered or raised, and is held in place -by pins thrust through the small holes in the supports. The stand is -somewhat heavy in effect, but very firm and secure. - -[Illustration: Illus. 296.—Music-stand, about 1835.] - -[Illustration: Illus. 297.—Music-stand, about 1835.] - -Illustration 298 shows a dulcimer which is in the Deerfield Museum. -It has an extremely plain case, and must have been, when new, an -inexpensive instrument. The dulcimer of early times was a small, -triangular-shaped instrument, to be laid upon a table. Above the -sounding-board were stretched wire strings, which were struck with -small hammers held in the hand, and doubtless the piano was first -suggested by the dulcimer and its hammers. - -[Illustration: Illus. 298.—Dulcimer, 1820-1830.] - -The heads of the hammers were covered with hard and soft leather to -give a loud or soft tone. The instrument in the illustration was -probably made from 1820 to 1830, during which time the dulcimer was -quite popular, especially in the country, where the piano was too -costly a luxury. - -[Illustration: Illus. 299.—Harmonica, or Musical Glasses, about 1820.] - -Music-books were published for the dulcimer, and it retained some -popularity in country villages until ousted by the melodeon. - -Illustration 299 shows a set of musical glasses called a harmonica. -The fine ladies in “The Vicar of Wakefield” would talk of nothing but -“pictures, taste, Shakespeare, and the musical glasses.” This was in -1761, and the musical glasses were fashionable before that, for Gluck -in 1746 played “a concerto on twenty-six drinking glasses, tuned with -spring water.” Franklin invented an instrument for the musical glasses, -which he called the Armonica, for which famous composers wrote music, -and in which the glasses were arranged upon a rod which turned with a -crank, while below was a trough of water which moistened the glasses as -they dipped into it. - -[Illustration: Illus. 300.—Music-stand, 1805.] - -There is a Franklin Armonica in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the -Brown collection. In Watson’s “Annals” is a description of a visit to -Franklin in Paris. It says: “He conducted me across the room to an -instrument of his own invention which he called the ‘Armonica.’ The -music was produced by a peculiar combination of hemispherical glasses. -He played upon it and performed some Scotch pastorales with great -effect. The exhibition was truly striking.” - -The box in Illustration 299 holds twenty-four glasses, which, when -used, are filled with water, and are tuned by the amount in each -glass. The finger is dipped in the water and rubbed on the edge of -the glass, producing a sound of penetrating tone. The stand and box -in this illustration are of mahogany, and make an ornamental piece of -furniture. - -A stand for music is shown in Illustration 300, owned by J. J. Gilbert, -Esq., of Baltimore. It is elegant in design and possesses also the very -desirable merit in a rest for music, of standing firmly upon its four -lion’s claw feet, with the heavy turned and reeded post to support the -top and the lyre-shaped music rack. - -[Illustration: Illus. 301.—Music-stand, 1800-1820.] - -The mahogany case for music books in Illustration 301 is owned by -Dwight M. Prouty, Esq. It has a drawer for sheet music and a shelf -below, beside the five compartments for books, with the lyre-shaped -divisions of solid wood, and the ends open, with lyre strings of wood. - -[Illustration: Illus. 302.—Harp-shaped Piano, about 1800.] - -Illustration 302 shows a harp-shaped piano, made by André Stein, -d’Augsburg. It is owned by B. J. Lang, Esq., of Boston, and was made -about 1800. Pianos of this style are occasionally found in this -country. The shape of the top shows how the strings run, the effect -being similar to a grand piano stood upon its end. The silk draperies -are the original ones, and are faded from red to a soft dead leaf -color, which is most artistic and harmonious. The six pedals are -supposed to produce different effects to correspond with the following -names: fagotti, piano, forte, pianissimo, triangle, cinelle. - -The upright piano, known then as a cottage piano, was invented in 1800. -Illustration 303 shows a small upright piano said to have belonged to -Lady Morgan, the “wild Irish girl.” The case is an exquisite example -of the work of an English cabinet-maker, from 1800 to 1810, and may -have been that of Sheraton himself. The lower panels are of satinwood, -with the frame and the oval piece in the centre of mahogany, outlined -with ebony and white holly. - -[Illustration: Illus. 303.—Cottage Piano, or Upright, about 1800-1810.] - -[Illustration: Illus. 304.—Chickering Upright Piano, 1830.] - -The upper middle panel is filled with a sunburst made of pleated silk. -The side-panels are of satinwood, framed in bird’s-eye maple, outlined -with mahogany, and the ovals in the centres are of mahogany, with -fine lines of ebony and white holly. Altogether, it is as dainty an -instrument as any lady could wish for her boudoir. - -Illustration 304 shows a Chickering upright piano made in 1830. The -frame is of mahogany, and the front of the upper part is filled with -a sunburst made of pleated silk, from which this style of piano was -sometimes called a sunburst piano. - -A very beautiful and ornamental piano is shown in Illustration 305, -owned by James H. Darlington, D.D., of Brooklyn, New York. The body of -the piano is made of rosewood. The strings are arranged like those in -a grand piano, but the sounding-board extends only the distance of the -piano body; above that the strings are exposed like those of a harp. -The wooden frame upon which the wires are strung is supported by a -post of wood elaborately carved and gilded. The keyboard has a range -of seven octaves. Upon the inside of the cover is the inscription “New -York Piano Company—Kohn patent.” - -[Illustration: Illus. 305.—Piano, about 1840.] - -The story is that a piano-maker in New York vowed he would make the -most beautiful piano in the world. One like this was the result, and -it was bought by A. T. Stewart, at that time, about 1840, the merchant -prince of New York. Six others were made like the original piano, and -they are scattered over the country, one being in the Brown collection -of musical instruments in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. - -[Illustration: Illus. 306.—Hawkey Square Piano, about 1845.] - -Illustration 306 shows the form in which the square piano was finally -made, and which, with few variations, continued fashionable until the -introduction of the present style of upright pianos, since when there -have been practically no square pianos manufactured. This piano was -made by Henry Hawkey of New York, about 1845, and it is noteworthy -because the keys are made of mother-of-pearl, and the scrolls above -the keyboard are inlaid in mother-of-pearl. The case is covered with -rosewood veneering, and the legs are large and clumsy. The music-rack -and pedal support are similar in style to those now in use. - -[Illustration: Illus. 307.—Harp, 1780-1790.] - -Proficiency upon the piano and spinet would appear to have comprised -the chief accomplishments in instrumental music of the young ladies of -the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, as far as we can judge -by mention of such accomplishments. But it seems reasonable to suppose -that where a few English ladies employed their fair hands upon the -harp, there were not lacking a similar number of Americans who also -appreciated the opportunity which that classic instrument affords of -displaying the grace and beauty of a rounded arm and wrist. Even in -our own day, the list of those who play the harp is restricted, and it -must have been the same in early days, hence the lack of allusions to -the harp. When Lady Morgan, the “wild Irish girl,” was creating such a -sensation in London with her harp-playing, it is certain that she had -imitators in this country. - -Christopher Columbus Baldwin, in his diary of 1832, speaks of Madam -Papanti, who at that time lived in Worcester with her husband, the -famous dancing-teacher. She gave music lessons, possibly upon the harp, -for Mr. Baldwin tells of her playing that instrument upon Sundays -at Dr. Bancroft’s church, while her husband played the French horn, -“which, with two flutes, a base viol, and violin, make very good -musick.” - -Illustration 307 shows a very beautiful harp made previous to 1800, -belonging to Mrs. Reed Lawton of Worcester. In construction it is not -very different from the modern harp, although considerably smaller. -It is exquisitely carved, and instead of being gilded is painted in -colors, and finished with a varnish like the vernis martin, the general -effect being a golden brown. The harp which Marie Antoinette played -upon is still preserved, and is very like this one. - - - - -CHAPTER X - -FIRES AND LIGHTS - - -[Illustration] - -WHEN wood was plentiful and easily gathered, the fireplace was built of -generous proportions. At the back, lying in the ashes, was the backlog, -sometimes so huge that a chain was attached to it, and it was dragged -in by a horse. The forestick rested upon the andirons, and small sticks -filled the space between backlog and forestick. In the wall beside the -fireplace was built the brick oven, in which the baking was done. Upon -baking day a wood fire was made inside this oven, and when the oven -was thoroughly heated, the coals were removed, and the bread placed -upon the oven bottom to bake leisurely. The tin kitchen was set before -the fire, and pies and bread upon its shelves were cooked by the heat -reflected and radiated from the tin hood. - -Illustration 308 shows a great kitchen fireplace in the Lee mansion -in Marblehead, Massachusetts, with the tin kitchens in front of the -fire, and the kettles and pots hanging over it, and the various kitchen -utensils around it. - -Fire-dogs or andirons are mentioned in the earliest inventories. - -The name “fire-dogs” came from the heads of animals with which the -irons were ornamented. “Andirons” is a word corrupted from “hand -irons,” although some inventories speak of end-irons. Kitchen andirons -were of iron similar to the ones in Illustration 316, but for the other -fireplaces they were made of steel, copper, or brass, and in England -even of silver. - -[Illustration: Illus. 308.—Kitchen Fireplace in Lee Mansion, 1760.] - -[Illustration: Illus. 309.—Andirons, Eighteenth Century.] - -Illustration 309 shows a pair of andirons, with shovel and tongs, owned -by Francis H. Bigelow, Esq. The andirons are “rights and lefts,” and -have the brass knobs to prevent the forestick from falling forward. -Illustration 310 shows another pair belonging to Mr. Bigelow, with -claw-and-ball feet and the twisted flame top. These are given as good -examples of the best styles of andirons in use in well-to-do households -in America during the seventeenth century. - -[Illustration: Illus. 310.—Andirons, Eighteenth Century.] - -[Illustration: Illus. 311.—“Hessian” Andirons, 1776.] - -Illustration 311 shows a pair of “Hessians” made of iron. Andirons -of this style were very popular immediately after the Revolutionary -War, the figures of the hated allies of the British thus receiving the -treatment with flame and ashes that Americans considered the originals -to merit, to say nothing of worse indignities cast upon them by the -circle of tobacco-smoking patriots. - -Andirons were made of different heights, and sometimes two or more -sets were used in one fireplace, to hold larger and smaller sticks. -Creepers are mentioned in early inventories. They were low irons -placed between the andirons, to hold short sticks. - -As wood grew less plentiful, and as the forests near by were cleared -away, it was not so easy to obtain the huge backlog and the great pile -of sticks to fill the generous fireplace, and by the middle of the -eighteenth century its size had diminished. Many of the larger ones -were partially filled in. The fireplace in the Ipswich Whipple house, -when the house was bought by the society which now owns it, had been -bricked in twice—once to make the space less, and the second time -to fill it in entirely and put a fire-frame in its place. Chimneys -which did not smoke were the exception until Count Rumford made his -researches in heat and light, and by his discoveries and improvements -in construction enabled our ancestors to have chimneys which did not -smoke, and which did not carry up the greater portion of the heat from -the fire. - -[Illustration: Illus. 312.—Fireplace, 1770-1775.] - -Illustration 312 shows a fireplace in Salem of about 1775, with -ball-topped andirons. The sets for the fireplace comprised the -andirons, shovel, and tongs. The poker never accompanied the older -sets, which were made before the use of coal as fuel had become common -in this country, but a pair of bellows generally formed a part of the -equipment of the fireplace. - -[Illustration: Illus. 313.—Steeple-topped Andirons and Fender, -1775-1790.] - -Illustration 313 shows a fireplace in the residence of Harry Harkness -Flagler, Esq., with a brass fender and a pair of “steeple-topped” -andirons. Fenders were used in England earlier than in this country, to -keep the sticks or coals of fire from rolling or flying out upon the -floor in front of the fireplace, and to prevent children from getting -into the fire. Their size was adapted to the reduced dimensions of the -fireplaces, and they were used more with coal fires than with wood. - -The design of andirons most commonly found is shown in Illustration -314. The little andirons between the larger ones are “creepers,” and -are used to hold short pieces of wood. They are of the same design as -the larger pair, although they were bought several years, and hundreds -of miles, apart. - -The fender in Illustration 314 is of wire, painted black, with the top -rail and balls of brass. The andirons and fender belong to the writer. - -[Illustration: Illus. 314.—Andirons, Creepers, and Fender, 1700-1800.] - -Judge Sewall ordered in 1719 for his daughter Judith, about to be -married, “a bell-metal skillet, a warming pan, four pairs of brass -headed iron dogs, a brass hearth for a chamber with dogs, tongs, shovel -and fender of the newest fashion (the fire to lie on the iron), a brass -mortar, four pairs of brass candlesticks, four brass snuffers with -stands, six small brass chafing dishes, two brass basting ladles, a -pair of bellows with brass nose, a small hair broom, a dozen pewter -porringers, a dozen small glass salt cellars, and a dozen good ivory -hafted knives and forks.” - -[Illustration: Illus. 315.—Brass Andirons, 1700-1800.] - -The appurtenances for the fireplace in this list comprise the fender, -shovel, tongs, broom, bellows, and the “dogs.” - -Illustration 315 shows a pair of brass andirons and Illustration 316, -a set of “brass-headed iron dogs,” such as Sewall ordered. Both pairs -belong to Dwight M. Prouty, Esq, of Boston. - -By 1650 the use of coal had become common in England from the scarcity -and expense of wood as a fuel, and from that time fireplaces in that -country were constructed for coal fires. The books of designs of the -eighteenth century show many and elaborate drawings of grates for coal. -In this country, however, the lack of wood has never been felt, and -the fireplace to burn wood has held its own, with its andirons, not so -generous as in the early days, but still of goodly size. - -[Illustration: Illus. 316.—Brass-headed Iron Dogs, 1700-1800.] - -Firebacks were made of iron for fireplaces, sometimes cast with the -coat-of-arms of the owner or the date of construction. In Pennsylvania -were famous iron workers, and there is a collection of iron firebacks -in the museum at Memorial Hall, Philadelphia. At Mount Vernon is a -fireback with the Fairfax coat-of-arms which Washington took from -Belvoir, the estate of Lord Fairfax, adjoining Mount Vernon. - -Illustration 317 shows a chimney piece in the west parlor at Mount -Vernon. Washington’s coat-of-arms is carved at the top, and his crest -and initials are cast in the fireback. In the panel over the mantel is -a painting which was sent to Lawrence Washington in 1743, by Admiral -Vernon, in acknowledgment of the courtesy shown by Lawrence Washington -to his old commander, in naming the estate Mount Vernon. The painting -represents Admiral Vernon’s fleet at Cartagena. - -About 1750 the hob-grate was invented. Illustration 318 shows a mantel -and fireplace with a hob-grate in the house of Charles R. Waters, Esq., -of Salem. The fireplace was filled in with brick or stone at each side, -and the grate set between. - -[Illustration: Illus. 317.—Mantel at Mount Vernon, 1760-1770.] - -The bars, of course, are of iron for holding coal, and the sides -of the grate are of brass. These were at first called “cat-stones” -to distinguish them from “fire-dogs,” but later they were named -“hob-grates.” - -[Illustration: Illus. 318.—Mantel with Hob-grate, 1776.] - -Below the grate is a small brass fender to prevent the ashes from -scattering, and around the fireplace is a fender of iron wire with -brass rails and feet. The hob-grate was more in use in the South than -in the North. - -In 1745, after many experiments, and goaded to it by the smoking -chimneys and wasted heat of the fireplace, Franklin invented the stove -in use ever since, called the Franklin stove or grate. Illustration -319 shows a Franklin stove in the Warner house at Portsmouth. The -fireplace, faced with tiles, was originally built to burn wood, but -when the new-fashioned Franklin stove became popular, one was bought -and set into the fireplace, the front of the stove projecting into the -room. The stove is made of iron, with the three rosettes, the open-work -rail at the top, the large knobs in front and the small knobs at the -back, of brass, which every good housekeeper kept as brightly polished -as the brass andirons and the handles of the shovel and tongs. At each -side of the fireplace are the original brass rests for the shovel and -tongs. - -Later in the century the fireplace was filled in with a board or -bricks, and what was called a fire-frame was used. It was similar -to the upper part of a Franklin stove; the back and sides of iron, -somewhat larger than those of the Franklin stove, resting directly -upon the stone hearth, giving the effect of an iron fireplace in -front of the old one. Oftentimes in an old house may be found a large -fireplace filled in, with the iron fire-frame in front of it, that in -its turn superseded by a stove placed with its pipe passing through the -fire-frame. Illustration 320 shows a fire-frame in the Wayside Inn at -Sudbury, Massachusetts. - -[Illustration: Illus. 319.—Franklin Stove, 1745-1760.] - -Candles and whale oil, with pine-wood knots, provided the light for -the Pilgrim fathers, aside from that thrown out by the great wood -fire. Candlesticks formed a necessary part of the furnishings of a -house. They were made of brass, iron, tin, pewter, and silver, but -candlesticks of brass were the ones in most general use. - -[Illustration: Illus. 320.—Iron Fire-frame, 1775-1800.] - -[Illustration: Illus. 321.—Betty Lamps, Seventeenth Century.] - -The earliest form of lamp in use in the colonies was what is known as -a “betty lamp,” and it must have been a most untidy little utensil, -giving but a meagre light. Illustration 321 shows several betty lamps -owned by the writer. The smallest is of iron, two and a half inches in -diameter, with a nose projecting one inch and a quarter beyond the -receptacle for grease or fat. - -A chain and hook are attached to the handle, by which the lamp was -hung upon a chair-back or a nail. The wick, made of a twisted cotton -rag, was placed with its end protruding from the nose of the lamp, -and provided a dull, poor flame. Another lamp has the chain and the -receptacle for grease made of brass, while the handle, the hook by -which it was to hang, and the pin for cleaning the lamp, attached to -the chain, are of steel. The bottom of the brass receptacle is of -copper. There is a cover to the front part of this lamp, so that the -interior can be cleaned, and the piece of steel forming the handle runs -through the interior of the lamp, the end providing a nose for the wick -just inside of the brass one, thus allowing the drippings from the wick -to drain back into the receptacle. - -[Illustration: Illus. 322.—Candle-stands, first half of Eighteenth -Century.] - -The lamp with a standard has an iron rod, upon which the lamp can -slide up and down, with a ring at the top of the rod to lift it by. -The fourth betty lamp is hung upon an old wooden ratchet intended for -that purpose. The ratchet is made of two strips of wood, one cut with -saw-teeth edge, which can be raised and lowered to place the lamp at -the desired height. Betty lamps were in use during the seventeenth -century, and much later than that in the South. - -As early as 1696, inventories mention a “Candle-stand for two brass -candlesticks.” Illustration 322 shows two of these candle-stands in -the collection of the late Major Ben Perley Poore at Indian Hill. -The larger stand is made of iron, and was fashioned by the local -blacksmith, near Indian Hill. It was taken by the grandfather of Major -Poore to Harvard University when he went there a student in 1776. The -tongs hanging upon this stand are a smoker’s tongs, for lifting a -coal from the fire to light the pipe, the curved end on one side of -the handle being used to press the tobacco into the pipe, or to clean -it out. The three feet of the other stand are of iron, and the pole, -candlesticks, and two pairs of snuffers are of brass. These stands -probably were made during the first half of the eighteenth century. -The room, a corner of which shows in the illustration is fitted -with panels from the “Province House,” the home at one time of Agnes -Surriage. The pillars showing behind the candle-stands were taken from -the old Brattle Street Church in Boston when it was pulled down. One -end of a Sheraton sofa may be seen in the picture, and several of the -illustrations for this book were taken in this fine room. - -[Illustration: Illus. 323.—Mantel with Candle Shades, 1775-1800.] - -Illustration 323 shows a mantel in the house of Mrs. Johnson-Hudson at -Stratford, Connecticut. The looking-glass frame is made entirely of -glass. Upon the shelf are two candlesticks, and over them are large -glass shades, called hurricane glasses, used to protect the flame from -draughts. These shades are now reproduced, and it is almost impossible -to tell the old from the new. The clock upon the shelf is a very old -English one, but the reflections upon the glass cover make it difficult -to see the clock. The effect of this mantel, with the glass shades, all -reflected in the looking-glass, is most brilliant. The candlesticks are -of Sheffield plate, about one hundred years old. - -[Illustration: Illus. 324.—Candlesticks, 1775-1800.] - -Illustration 324 shows two candlesticks owned by the writer. The one -shaped like a mug with a handle is of Sheffield plate, and was made -for use in a sick-room or any place where it was necessary to burn a -light during the entire night. There should be a glass chimney to fit -into the candlestick and protect the flame from draughts. The open-work -band around the candlestick allowed the passage of air, thus insuring -a clear flame. The long-handled extinguisher upon the rest provided -for it was to put out the light of a candle which was protected by a -chimney or by glass shades such as are in Illustration 323. - -[Illustration: Illus. 325.—Crystal Chandelier, about 1760.] - -The other candlestick is of brass, with extinguisher and snuffers which -were made to fit the candlestick, the ordinary handleless extinguisher -serving to put out the flame of any candle unprotected by a chimney or -shade. - -In 1784 a Frenchman named Argand invented the lamp still called by his -name. The first Argand lamp brought to this country was given by Thomas -Jefferson to Charles Thomson. These lamps gave what was then considered -to be a brilliant and even dazzling light, but their price placed them -beyond the reach of ordinary folk, who continued to use tallow candles. -Wax candles were burned by the wealthy, in candlesticks and sconces, -and occasionally in chandeliers. - -[Illustration: Illus. 326.—Silver Lamp from Mount Vernon, 1770-1800.] - -Illustration 325 shows a rich chandelier for candles, in the Warner -house, at Portsmouth. It was probably brought to this country about -1765, the same date that other handsome furnishings were bought for -this house. The metal work of this chandelier is of brass. Chandeliers -with glass drops are spoken of in the sixteenth century, coming from -Venice. - -Illustration 326 shows one of the pair of beautiful lamps which are -fastened to the wall above the mantel of the banquet hall at Mount -Vernon, and which were in use there during the life of Washington. They -are made of silver, with the reservoir for oil of a graceful urn shape. - -Eliza Susan Morton Quincy gives a description of the house of Ebenezer -Storer in Boston, and in it she says: “The ceilings were traversed -through the length of the rooms, by a large beam cased and finished -like the walls; and from the centre of each depended a glass globe, -which reflected as a convex mirror, all the objects in the room.” These -globes also reflected the light from candles in the room. - -[Illustration: Illus. 327.—Glass Chandelier for Candles, 1760.] - -From the rafters or ceiling in plainer homes hung sometimes a candle -beam, a rude chandelier, made of two pieces of metal crossed or a -circle of metal, with sockets for candles fixed upon them. - -The chandelier in Illustration 327 is for candles, and is without doubt -the finest one of its period in this country. It is in the Pringle -house in Charleston, South Carolina, and it was probably placed in -the house when it was built in 1760, at which time it was furnished -with great elegance. It is amazing that so frail a thing as this glass -chandelier with all of its shades should have survived the Civil War, -and still more, the earthquake which laid low a large part of the city, -but not one shade has been shaken down. There are twenty-four branches -to the chandelier, twelve in each row, and a large glass shade for -each candle, to protect the flame from the draughts. The long chains -hang from a bell of glass, from which fall glass drops, and from a -large bowl spring the branches with their tall shades, and between them -are glass chains with drops. The glass chains are very light and the -chandelier is not loaded with heavy drops. It is impossible to imagine -anything more light and graceful in effect. - -[Illustration: Illus. 328.—Embroidered Screen, 1780.] - -“Skreans” are mentioned in very early inventories, and indeed they -must have been a necessity, to protect the face from the intense heat -of the large open fire. They afforded then, as now, an opportunity -for the display of feminine handiwork. The dainty little fire-screen -in Illustration 328 was made about 1780, and is owned by Mrs. -Johnson-Hudson of Stratford, Connecticut. The frame and stand are of -mahogany, and the spreading legs are unusually slender and graceful. -The embroidered screen was wrought by the daughters of Dr. William -Samuel Johnson, the first president of Columbia University. The same -young girls embroidered the top of the card-table in Illustration 199, -and the work is done with the same patient industry and skill. The -vase which is copied in the embroidery is of Delft, and is still owned -in the family. - -A very curious and interesting piece of work is shown in Illustration -329. It forms the back of a sconce owned by Francis H. Bigelow, -Esq., and in his book “Historic Silver of the Colonies,” Mr. Bigelow -describes the candle bracket, made in 1720 by Knight Leverett, which -fits into the socket upon the frame. Benjamin Burt, the silversmith, -in his will left to a niece “a sconce of quill work wrought by her -aunt.” In 1755 a Mrs. Hiller advertised to teach “Wax work, Transparent -and Filligree, Quill work and Feather work.” “Quill work” is made of -paper of various colors, gilt upon one side, rolled tightly, like paper -tapers. Some were pulled out into points, others made into leaf and -petal-shaped pieces, and when finished they were coated with some waxy -substance, and sprinkled with tiny bits of glass, all in gay colors, -and when the candles were lighted the quill work glistened and sparkled. - -The quill work in this sconce is made into an elaborate design of a -vase with flowers, and it is set into a very deep frame, and covered -tightly with glass, which accounts for its perfect preservation. The -top ornament to the frame is cut in the manner of looking glass frames -of the period. - -[Illustration: Illus. 329.—Sconce of Quill Work, 1720.] - -The tripod screen in Illustration 330 is owned by Dwight M. Prouty, -Esq. The little shelf for the candlestick drops on a hinge when not -in use. The tripod feet have a light springing curve, and end in a -flattened claw-and-ball. The original embroidery is still in the frame. - -[Illustration: Illus. 330.—Tripod Screen, 1770.] - -[Illustration: Illus. 331.—Tripod Screen, 1765.] - -Another tripod screen is shown in Illustration 331. It is owned by -Cornelius Stevenson, Esq., of Philadelphia. The embroidery and the -frame upon it were made in the nineteenth century but the stand is -much earlier and is finely carved in the Chippendale style, with the -French foot. Three serpents encircle the pole, from which they are -completely detached. The wood is mahogany. - -[Illustration: Illus. 332.—Candle-stand and Screen, 1750-1775.] - -Screens were sometimes made of a piece of wood perforated, in order -that the heat might not be entirely shut off. Illustration 332 shows -one of these screens in the collection of the late Major Ben: Perley -Poore. - -[Illustration: Illus. 333.—Chippendale Candle-stand, 1760-1770.] - -Both the screen and the candle-stand in the illustration are made of -mahogany. The candlestick upon the stand is a curious one, of brass, -with a socket for the candle set upon an adjustable arm, which also -slides upon a slender rod, which is fastened into the heavily weighted -standard. Both screen and candle-stand were made in the latter half of -the eighteenth century. Candle-stands were designed by all the great -cabinet-makers, and in those days of candlelight they were a useful -piece of furniture. - -A candle-stand in the finest Chippendale style is shown in Illustration -333. It is one of a pair owned by Harry Harkness Flagler, Esq. The -intention was presumably that a candle-stand with candelabrum should -be placed at each side of the mantel. A pair of candle-stands similar -to this are in the banquet hall at Mount Vernon, and are among the -few pieces of furniture there which are authenticated as having been -in use during Washington’s occupancy of the house. The candle-stand -in the illustration is forty-two inches high, and its proportions are -beautiful. The legs and the ball at the base of the fluted pillar are -very finely carved. The legs end in the French foot, the scroll turning -forward, which was such a favorite with Chippendale. The top is carved -out so that there is a raised rim, like that upon the “dish-top” table -in Illustration 246. - -The first recorded instance in this country of lighting by artificial -gas is in 1806, when David Melville of Newport, Rhode Island, succeeded -in manufacturing gas, and illuminated his house and grounds with it. In -1822 Boston was lighted by gas, but it did not come into general use -for lighting until 1840-1850. - -[Illustration: Illus. 334.—Bronze Mantel Lamps, 1815-1840.] - -During the second quarter of the nineteenth century it was fashionable -to use candelabra and lamps which were hung with cut-glass prisms. -Sets of candelabra for the mantel were very popular, consisting of a -three-branched candelabrum for the middle and a single light for each -side. The base was usually of marble, and the gilt standard was cast in -different shapes,—of a shepherd and shepherdess, a group of maidens, -or a lady clad in the costume of the day. From an ornament at the base -of the candle, shaped like an inverted crown, hung sparkling prisms, -catching the light as they quivered with every step across the room. A -handsome set of these is shown in Illustration 318 upon the mantel. - -[Illustration: Illus. 335.—Brass Gilt Candelabra, 1820-1849.] - -Illustration 334 shows a set of mantel lamps of bronze, mounted upon -marble bases and hung with cut-glass prisms. The reservoir for the oil -is beneath the long prisms. This set is owned by Francis H. Bigelow, -Esq. - -Illustration 335 shows a fine pair of brass gilt candelabra also owned -by Mr. Bigelow. They have marble bases, and the five twisted arms are -cast in an elaborate design. - -[Illustration: Illus. 336.—Hall Lantern, 1775-1800.] - -[Illustration: Illus. 337.—Hall Lantern, 1760.] - -Illustration 336 shows a hall lantern which was formerly in use in the -John Hancock house. It is now owned by Harry Harkness Flagler, Esq. -Such lanterns were hung in the entry or hall, and were made to burn -either a lamp or candle. “Square glass, bell glass, barrel or globe -lanthorns for entries or staircases” were advertised as early as 1724 -and formed a necessary furnishing for the hall of a handsome house. - -[Illustration: Illus. 338.—Hall Lantern, 1760.] - -Illustration 337 shows a hall lantern owned by Dwight M. Prouty, -Esq. It is of a globe shape, and very large and handsome, with deep -cutting on the glass. The bell-shaped piece of glass above is missing. -This bell was to prevent the smoke of the candle from blackening the -ceiling. The metal piece below the globe contains the socket and can be -removed to change the candle. - -Illustration 338 shows one of two lanterns hung in the hall of the -house built for the Pendelton Collection, in Providence. It is -unusually large, and the glass is red with cuttings of white. Instead -of chains the lantern is held by scrolls of metal like the frame of -the glass. Such a lantern as this may have been in the mind of Peter -Faneuil of Boston when in 1738 he sent to Europe for “a very handsome -Lanthorne to hang in an Entry way.” - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -CLOCKS - - -[Illustration] - -UNTIL about 1600, clocks were made chiefly for public buildings or -for the very wealthy, who only could afford to own them; but with -the seventeenth century began the manufacture of clocks for ordinary -use; these clocks were of brass, and were known as chamber clocks. -The earliest form in which they were made was what is now called the -“birdcage” or “lantern” clock. Inventories in this country from 1638 -to 1700 speak of clocks with valuations varying from £2 to £20, and -occasionally a “brass clock” is specified. This must refer, as some of -the others may also have done, to the lantern clock. - -[Illustration: Illus. 339.—Lantern or Bird-cage Clock, First Half of -Seventeenth Century.] - -The lantern clock in Illustration 339 is owned by William Meggatt, -Esq., of Wethersfield. The illustration shows the form of the clock, -from which it naturally derived the names “lantern” and “birdcage.” The -clock is set upon a bracket, and the weights hang upon cords or chains -passing through openings in the shelf; the pendulum also swings through -a slit in the shelf. - -The dial projects beyond the frame of the clock, and is six inches -in diameter, and there is but one hand. The dome at the top is -partially concealed by the frets above the body of the clock. Different -clock-makers had frets of their own, and the design of the fret is -often a guide for determining the date of such clocks. The one upon the -clock in Illustration 339 is what was called the “heraldic fret” from -the small escutcheon in the centre, and it was used upon clocks made -from 1600 to 1640. The fret with crossed dolphins was in use from 1650, -and is the pattern of fret most frequently found upon these clocks. -The long pendulum must have been a later substitution, for it was not -commonly used until 1680, clocks up to the time of its invention having -the short or “bob” pendulum. There is no maker’s name upon this clock. - -Illustration 340 shows a “lantern” clock in the house of Charles -R. Waters, Esq., which has a fret of a later period, and the long -pendulum. The dial is slightly larger than the one in Illustration 339, -and upon it is engraved the name of the maker, Jno. Snatt, Ashford. -This name is not in Britten’s list of clock-makers, so it is probable -that Jno. Snatt was a country clock-maker. The clock was made about -1680. The brackets are modern. - -[Illustration: Illus. 340.—Lantern Clock, about 1680.] - -[Illustration: Illus. 341.—Friesland Clock, Seventeenth Century.] - -A clock which was made during the seventeenth century is shown in -Illustration 341. It is known as a Friesland clock, from the fact that -clocks of this style are common in the north of Holland, having been -in use there over two centuries. The pendulum of this clock swings -above the shelf. The frame rests upon four wooden feet, and its sides -and back are of glass. The face and ornaments are made of lead, the -ornaments being gilded, except the parrots at each side, which are -painted in vivid parrot greens. The mermaids upon the bracket are -painted in colors, and the face also is painted, the whole making a -gay bit of decoration. The Friesland clocks generally have mermaids -and parrots as part of the decoration of clock and bracket. There is a -small brass dial in the centre of the face, which can be set for the -alarm. Friesland clocks were in use in the seventeenth century in this -country, probably having been brought here by Dutch settlers. This -clock is owned by the writer. - -Bracket clocks were made during the last years of the seventeenth -century with wooden cases, and they were very popular during the -eighteenth century. They generally have a brass handle at the top by -which they can be carried. A bracket clock with brass face and sides -may be seen upon the mantel in Illustration 388. It has the plate of -the maker over the dial, with the name Daniel Ray, Sudbury, probably an -English clock-maker. This clock was made about 1760. - -[Illustration: Illus. 342.—Bracket Clocks, 1780-1800.] - -Illustration 342 shows two bracket clocks in the collection of the -late Major Ben: Perley Poore. The larger one has the top made in the -arch form instead of the bell top like the clock in Illustration 388, -and this would place its date about 1780. The name upon this clock, -George Beatty, Georgetown, was that of the owner. The smaller clock -has an inlaid case, and was evidently made after Sheraton’s designs of -1790-1800. Both clock-cases are of mahogany. - -The earliest mention of tall clocks in inventories is in the latter -part of the seventeenth century, where they are always spoken of as -“clock and case.” The use of the long pendulum was probably the cause -of the development of the tall clock from the “lantern clock,” which -had often a wooden hood over it; and when the long pendulum came into -use in 1680, the lower part of the tall clock-case was made to enclose -the pendulum, and sides and a glass front were added to the hood. The -first cases were of oak or walnut, and the dials were square, but -early in the eighteenth century the arched top was added to the dial, -suggested perhaps by the shape of the dome. - -The ornaments which fill in the spandrels, or corners of the face, are -somewhat of a guide to the date of a brass-faced clock. The earliest -spandrels had cherubs’ heads with wings, and this design was used from -1671 until 1700, when more ornaments were added to the cherub’s head. -Later came a still more elaborate design of two cherubs supporting -a crown, until about 1750, when the scrolls were made without the -cherubs, but with a shield or head in the centre of the spandrel. - -Illustration 343 shows two tall clocks which were owned originally by -Thomas Hancock, from whom John Hancock inherited them. Thomas Hancock -was a wealthy resident of Boston in 1738 when he wrote thus to London, -ordering a clock of “the newest fashion with a good black Walnut Tree -Case Veneered work, with Dark, lively branches; on the Top instead of -Balls let there be three handsome Carv’d figures. Gilt with burnish’d -Gold. I’d have the Case without the figures to be 10 feet Long, the -price 15 not to exceed 20 Guineas, & as it’s for my own use, I beg your -particular Care in buying of it at the Cheapest Rate. I’m advised to -apply to one Mr. Marmaduke Storr at the foot of Lond^n Bridge.” - -[Illustration: Illus. 343.—Walnut Case and Lacquered Case Clocks, -about 1738.] - -Which of these two clocks was sent to fill this order we cannot -tell. The clock with “Walnut Tree Case Veneered work, with Dark, -lively branches” has the name plate of “Bowly, London,” probably -Devereux Bowley, who lived from 1696 to 1773 and who was master of the -Clock-Makers’ Company in 1759. The gilt ornaments are missing from -the top, so we do not know whether they were the ones so carefully -specified in the letter. Both clocks may date to 1738. The clock with -the lacquered case has the name “Marm^d Storr, foot of London Bridge,” -the same to whom Thomas Hancock had “been advised to apply.” This clock -has the “Balls” at the top to which he objected. Possibly the zealous -friend may have sent both clocks. The one with a walnut case is now -owned by the American Antiquarian Society, to which it was presented, -with other pieces bought from the Hancock house in 1838, by John -Chandler of Petersham. The clock with lacquered case was also bought -from the Hancock house, and is now in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, -to which it is loaned by Miss Lucy Gray Swett. - -A clock-maker well known in and around Boston in the last half of the -eighteenth century was Gawen Brown, who had a shop on State Street, and -who made the clock upon the Old South Church, in Boston. A letter is -still preserved which he wrote asking permission to make a clock for -the Society, and he “Promises and Engages that the same shall be put Up -and continued there forever.” - -[Illustration: Illus. 344.—Gawen Brown Clock, 1765.] - -This handsome offer was made in 1768 but not until 1774 did the town -act, when they voted to “purchase the Clock of Gawen Brown.” - -[Illustration: Illus. 345.—Tall Clock, 1780.] - -A Gawen Brown clock is shown in Illustration 344, made for his -father-in-law, the Rev. Mather Byles. The case is pine painted and the -shape of the top and the general appearance would indicate that it was -an early effort made before 1768. It is still running in the rooms of -the Bostonian Society, in the Old State House in Boston. - -The clock in Illustration 345 was made by Gawen Brown, and is in a very -handsome mahogany case. It is also owned by the Bostonian Society. - -Illustration 346 shows a clock owned by the writer, and is given as an -example of the use of curly maple, of which the entire case is made. It -is unusually tall, over eight feet in height. - -The clock in Illustration 347 was made by David Rittenhouse, in -Philadelphia, and is owned by Charles D. Clark, Esq., of Philadelphia. -David Rittenhouse was a maker of clocks and mathematical instruments, -and an astronomer. He held various positions of importance, and was -State Treasurer of Pennsylvania during the Revolutionary war, and -President of The American Philosophical Society. This clock has a very -handsome case of mahogany with fine inlaying, and possesses seven -dials. The large dial has three hands, two for the hours and minutes, -and the third to point the day of the month. This is set on the first -day of each month. At the two upper corners are two small dials, one of -which is set to designate which of the twelve tunes shall be played, -and the other has on it “strike” and “silent,” also for the tunes. -Above, the moon shows its phases and the sun rises and sets every day. -Upon the round dial below, the planets revolve around the sun. - -[Illustration: Illus. 346.—Maple Clock, 1770.] - -[Illustration: Illus. 347.—Rittenhouse Clock, 1770.] - -Illustration 348 shows a tall clock in a mahogany case made about 1770. -The maker’s name is Richard Simestere, Birmingham, but I can find no -record of him in Britten or elsewhere. The shape of the clock-case, -particularly the top, is modelled after a Chippendale design. - -[Illustration: Illus. 348.—Tall Clock, about 1700.] - -The columns at the corners of the case, sometimes fluted and sometimes -plain, are characteristic of Chippendale, and appear on the majority of -tall clocks made after 1760. This clock is owned by Francis H. Bigelow, -Esq., of Cambridge. - -After the War of the Revolution enamelled or painted dials took the -place of brass dials in this country, to a great extent, the chief -reason being, of course, their smaller cost. The works were made by -clock-makers who sold them to pedlers, and they took them, four or five -at a time, into the country towns to sell; the local cabinet-maker made -the case, while the local clock-maker put his own name upon the dial. -During the latter years of the eighteenth century, there was a fashion -for using moving figures above the dial, a ship heaving upon the waves -being the favorite. Many clocks have a painted moon, which rises -and sets each month. Miniature tall clocks were made at this time, -corresponding in proportions to the tall clocks. - -[Illustration: Illus. 349.—Miniature Clock and Tall Clock, about 1800.] - -Illustration 349 shows a tall clock and a miniature one, both made -about 1800, with painted faces. The tall clock has the name upon its -face of Philip Holway, Falmouth. The case is mahogany, and the twisted -pillars have brass bases and caps. The brass ornaments upon the top -are rather unusual, a ball with three sprays of flowers. The clock was -bought in Falmouth by the writer. The small clock has the name of Asa -Kenney upon the face. Its case is inlaid with satinwood and ebony. This -little clock belonged to the late Sumner Pratt of Worcester, and is now -owned by his daughter, Miss E. A. Pratt. - -Illustration 350 shows a clock owned by Mrs. E. A. Morse of Worcester. -The case is beautifully inlaid with satinwood, holly, ebony, and two -varieties of mahogany. - -[Illustration: Illus. 350.—Tall Clock, 1800-1810.] - -It has the painted moon above the dial, and plays seven tunes—one tune -being played each hour during the day. The tunes are - - Hob or Knob, - Heathen Mythology, - Bank of Flowers, - Paddy Whack, - New Jersey, - Marquis of Granby, - Amherst. - -Amherst is the psalm tune which this pious clock plays upon Sundays, to -atone for the rollicking jigs which are tinkled out upon week-days. All -of the tall clocks illustrated in this chapter have brass works, but -many were made with wooden works, and in buying a clock one should make -sure that the works are of brass. - -Illustration 351 shows two sizes of a kind of clock occasionally found, -which winds by pulling the chain attached to the weights. These clocks -were made in Europe; the smaller one, which is owned by the writer, -having the label of a Swiss clock-maker. The larger clock belongs to -Irving Bigelow, Esq., of Worcester. Both date to the first quarter of -the nineteenth century. - -[Illustration: Illus. 351.—Wall Clocks, 1800-1825.] - -The most famous name among American clock-makers is Willard. There were -three Willard brothers,—Benjamin, Simon, and Aaron,—clock-makers -in Grafton, Massachusetts, in 1765. Benjamin and Simon established a -business in Roxbury, and in December, 1771, Benjamin advertised in the -_Boston Evening Post_ his “removal from Lexington to Roxbury. He will -sell house clocks neatly made, cheaper than imported.” February 22, -1773, he advertised that he “at his shop in Roxbury Street, pursues the -different branches of clock and watch work, and has for sale musical -clocks, playing different tunes, a new tune each day, and on Sunday a -Psalm tune. These tunes perform every hour.... All the branches of the -business likewise carried on in Grafton.” The third brother, Aaron, -may have remained in Grafton, for he went from there later to Roxbury, -as fifer of a company of minute-men, in the first days of the War of -the Revolution. Simon Willard remained in the same shop in Roxbury for -over seventy years, dying in 1848 at the great age of ninety-six years. -Aaron Willard built a shop in Boston and made a specialty of tall -striking clocks. - -[Illustration: Illus. 352.—Willard Clock, 1784.] - -Illustration 352 shows a clock owned by Dr. G. Faulkner of Jamaica -Plain. Inside the clock is written in a quaint hand, “The first short -time-piece made in America, 1784.” Dr. Faulkner’s father was married at -about that date, and the clock was made for him. It has always stood -upon a bracket upon the wall, and has been running constantly for one -hundred and seventeen years. Upon the scroll under the dial is the -inscription “Aaron Willard, Roxbury.” The case is of mahogany, and -stands twenty-six inches high. Upon the lower part are very beautiful -scroll feet, turning back. The upper part stands upon ogee feet, and -can be lifted off. The glass door is painted so that it forms a frame -for the dial. - -Mr. Howard, the founder of the Howard Watch Company, has told me that -the Willards invented this style of clock as well as the style known as -the banjo clock. Mr. Howard was born in 1813 and when he was sixteen he -started to learn his trade in Boston, in the shop of Aaron Willard, Jr. -I have not been able to find that clocks of this style were made in -England at all, and they seem to be purely American, but in Britten’s -“Old Clocks and Watches and their Makers” is an illustration of an -astronomical clock made by Henry Jenkins, 1760 to 1780, with a case -very similar in shape to these clocks, and with a top like the centre -one of the three in Illustration 353. Aaron Willard may have obtained -his idea from such a clock. The clock in Illustration 352 is the -earliest one that I have heard of. - -Illustration 353 shows three clocks made some years later, probably -about 1800 to 1815. The clock with the ogee feet is a Willard clock, -and belongs to W. S. G. Kennedy, Esq. The clock with the door of -bird’s-eye maple and the inlaid fan-shaped top is owned by Mrs. E. A. -Morse. The third clock is owned by the writer. - -[Illustration: Illus. 353.—Willard Clocks, 1800-1815.] - -[Illustration: Illus. 354.—Hassam Clock, 1800.] - -Another New England clock-maker of long and picturesque life was -Stephen Hassam, sometimes called Hasham. He was born in 1761, and is -said to have lived to be over one hundred years old. He was a witness, -when a boy, of the battle of Bunker Hill from the steeple of a church -in Boston, and he lived until after the beginning of the Civil War. -He moved from Boston to Grafton and then to Worcester, where he -learned the clock-maker’s trade, perhaps with the Willards who lived -in those towns at about that time. He established himself finally in -Charlestown, New Hampshire, where he lived and made clocks, which -are highly valued for their excellent qualities, as well as for the -associations with the name of the centenarian clock-maker. - -A clock similar in size, and also in design, to the last four -illustrated is shown in Illustration 354. It was made by Stephen Hassam -and bears his name. It is owned by Charles H. Morse, Esq., and has -always stood since it was made, about 1800, upon a mahogany bracket in -the corner. The case is of very finely grained mahogany. - - -Simon Willard patented in 1802 an improved time-piece, which Mr. Howard -says is the clock now known as the “banjo” clock. Illustration 355 -shows a clock bought by the writer in a country town from an old man -who called it a time-piece, which is the name given it in the country, -“banjo” being suggested to the modern mind by the shape of the upper -part. The sides of the clock are of mahogany. The glass door to the -face is convex and is framed in brass, and the ornaments at the sides -of the clock are also of brass. - -[Illustration: Illus. 355—“Banjo” Clock, 1802-1820.] - -The long glass in the middle of the case is framed like the door of -painted glass in wood gilt. The turned ornament on the top of the clock -and the bracket below it are of wood gilt. Plainer clock-cases of this -shape were of mahogany without the bracket below. - -[Illustration: Illus. 356.—Presentation Clock.] - -Aaron Willard, Jr., entered his father’s employ in his shop in Boston -in 1823, and continued the business for forty years. When one considers -that members of this family manufactured clocks for over one hundred -years, it does not seem singular that so many clocks are found with the -name of Willard upon them. - -Occasionally one finds a banjo clock with striking attachment, but they -are not common. - -[Illustration: Illus. 357.—Willard Timepiece.] - -Illustration 356 shows a clock called a presentation or marriage clock. -It is owned by Dwight M. Prouty, Esq., of Boston, and it was made for -an ancestor of Mr. Prouty, when he was married, as a wedding gift. The -decorations are in light colors, pink and blue with gold, very delicate -and suitable for a bride. Upon the square glass door, painted above -the centre is “S. Willard” and below it “Patent.” The bracket is gilt. - -Illustration 357 shows another Willard time-piece, with a mahogany case -and gilt mouldings and bracket. Upon the door is painted the battle -between the _Constitution_ and _Guerrière_. The name A. Willard is -painted upon the long glass. This clock belongs to Francis H. Bigelow, -Esq. - -[Illustration: Illus. 358.—Willard Timepiece, 1802-1810.] - -The clock in Illustration 358 has the name Willard upon the face. The -case is mahogany, and the mouldings which frame the glass and the -bracket beneath the clock are japanned in colors. It belongs to Charles -A. Moffett, Esq., of Worcester. - -[Illustration: Illus. 359.—Lyre Clock, 1810-1820.] - -The clock in Illustration 359 is of an entirely different style, and -the case, the lower part of which is lyre shaped, is very beautifully -carved with scrolls, which are finished in gilt. There is no maker’s -name upon this clock, which belongs to Frank C. Turner, Esq., of -Norwich. - -The clock in Illustration 360 is in the lyre shape usually seen, which -was made as a variation from the banjo. Such clocks are found of wood -finished in gilt, or like this clock, in the natural wood, which is -mahogany in most cases. The carving is generally in the same design, -but some have the lyre strings, made of wood or brass. - -[Illustration: Illus. 360.—Lyre-shaped Clock, 1810-1820.] - -Eli Terry was the first of another famous family of American -clock-makers. He started in business in 1793, in Plymouth, near -Waterbury, Connecticut, a town well known ever since for its clocks -and watches. His first clock was made a year earlier, a wooden clock -in a long case with a brass dial, silver washed. He manufactured the -works for tall clocks, selling them to pedlers, who took them into the -country to dispose of. In 1810 Seth Thomas with Silas Hoadly bought -the Terry factory, and continued the manufacture of clocks for long -cases. Eli Terry in 1814 invented a wooden shelf-clock, called “The -Pillar Scroll Top Case, with pillars 21 inches long resting on a square -base, dial 11 inches square, table below dial 7 inches by 11.” This -clock sold for fifteen dollars, and was made in enormous quantities. -Illustration 361 shows two clocks, one an Eli Terry “Pillar Scroll -Top” clock, with carved pillars similar to the ones upon pieces of -furniture of that period. The other clock was made by Terry at about -the same time. Inside each of these clocks is pasted a paper upon -which is printed the following: “Patent Clocks, invented by Eli Terry, -Plymouth, Connecticut.” - -[Illustration: Illus. 361.—Eli Terry Shelf Clocks, 1824.] - -“Warranted if well used. N.B. The public may be assured that this -kind of Clock will run as long without repairs and be as durable and -accurate for keeping time as any kind of Clock whatever.” These clocks -are owned by D. Thomas Moore, Esq., of Westbury, Long Island. - -[Illustration: Illus. 362.—French Clock, about 1800.] - -From the time when such mantel clocks were manufactured in great -numbers, the fact that they were cheap and good time-keepers put the -tall clock out of the market, and its manufacture practically died out -soon after, so that but few tall clocks were made later than 1815-1820. - -Illustration 362 shows a French clock with onyx pillars, and elaborate -Empire brasses. The large ornaments at the side of the dial are of -wood gilt. The middle of the dial is occupied by a beautifully wrought -design in brass, of an anvil and grindstone, each with a little Cupid. -Upon the quarter-hour one Cupid sharpens his arrow at the grindstone, -running the grindstone with his foot upon a treadle, and at every hour -the other Cupid strikes the anvil with his hammer the necessary number -of strokes. A brass figure of a youth with a bow stands below the dial, -in front of the mirror in the back of the clock. The base is of black -marble. I have seen several clocks similar with the onyx pillars, but -none with such beautiful, hand-wrought brass in the face and upon the -case. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -LOOKING-GLASSES - - -[Illustration] - -A STRONG distinction was made in America during the seventeenth and -eighteenth centuries between mirrors and looking-glasses; the name -“mirror” was applied to a particular kind of glass, either convex or -concave, and one old authority states that “a mirror is a circular -convex glass in a gilt frame.” - -Looking-glasses appear in inventories in this country as early as 1650, -and in 1658 William Bartlett of Hartford left no less than ten, the -dearest valued at one pound. - -In 1670 the Duke of Buckingham brought Venetian workmen to England, -and established glass works in Lambeth; but up to that date the -looking-glasses occasionally mentioned in inventories must have -been made in Venice. Some of the records are “a great looking -glass,”—“looking glass with brasses,”—“great looking glass of -ebony,”—“an olive wood diamond cut looking glass,”—and “a looking -glass with a walnut tree frame.” The glass usually had the edge -finished with a slight bevelling about an inch wide, made by hand, of -course, which followed the outline of the inside of the frame. - -[Illustration: Illus. 363.—Looking-glass, 1690.] - -Hungerford Pollen, in “Furniture and Woodwork,” says: “The -looking-glasses made in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries ... -had the plates finished by an edge gently bevelled, of an inch in -width, following the form of the frame, whether square or shaped in -curves. It is of great difficulty in execution, the plate being held by -the workman over his head, and the edges cut by grinding.... The angle -of the” (modern) “bevel is generally too acute, whereby the prismatic -light produced by this portion of the mirror is in too violent and -showy contrast to the remainder.” - -One can always distinguish an old bevel, by rubbing the finger upon it. -The bevel is so slight that it can hardly be felt, where the modern -bevel is sharp and distinct. - -[Illustration: Illus. 364.—Looking-glass, 1690.] - -Looking-glasses of large size were made in two sections, the lower -piece with the edge bevelled and lapped over the plain upper piece. -This was to avoid the tax upon glass beyond a certain size. - -The fashion for japanning or lacquering which obtained vogue at -the close of the seventeenth century was followed in looking-glass -frames. A London newspaper of 1689 thus advertised: “Several sorts of -Screwtores, Tables, Stands and Looking-glasses of Japan and other work.” - -Illustration 363 shows a looking-glass in a japanned frame, owned by -Dwight M. Prouty, Esq., of Boston. The wood of the frame is walnut, and -it is covered with lacquer in gold and colors. The shape of the frame -around the glass is followed by the bevel, and the lower piece of glass -laps over the upper. - -Illustration 364 shows the top section of a looking-glass with a -lacquered frame. In this case the frame was made in sections, the lower -section being lost. The curves in the frame are followed in the glass -by the old shallow bevelling over an inch in width, and a star is cut -in the middle of the glass. The frame is elaborately japanned with gold -and bright colors, and is twenty-six inches in height, showing that -the looking-glass, when whole, was of generous size. The design of the -sawed edge is of a very early style. The glass is owned by the American -Antiquarian Society, of Worcester. - -The looking-glass at the head of this chapter is owned by E. R. Lemon, -Esq., of the Wayside Inn. It is of walnut veneer, and the old bevelled -glass is in two sections, the upper one cut in a design, and with the -lower edge lapped over the other piece of glass. Another glass of the -same period, the first quarter of the eighteenth century, owned by Mr. -Lemon, heads Chapter XI. This frame has a top ornament of a piece of -walnut sawed in curves which suggest those upon later frames. - -Such a looking-glass as this was probably what Judge Sewall meant when -he sent for “A True Looking Glass of Black Walnut Frame of the Newest -Fashion (if the Fashion be good) as good as can be bought for five or -six pounds.” This was for wedding furniture for the judge’s daughter -Judith, married in 1720. - -[Illustration: Illus. 365.—Looking-glass, about 1730.] - -A looking-glass of the same date, with a carved wood frame, silvered, -heads Chapter VI. It was originally owned by an ancestor of the late -Major Ben: Perley Poore, and was probably made in Europe. It has -always, within the memory of the family, been silvered, and it is safe -to say that it was so originally. The carving is rather crudely done, -the ornament at the top containing a bird which is sitting upon a -cherub’s head. This glass is now at Indian Hill, Newburyport. - - -In nothing is the charm of association more potent than in an old -looking-glass, when one considers the faces and scenes that have been -reflected in it. Illustration 365 shows a looking-glass which hung -in the Schuyler mansion at Stillwater, New York, in which Washington -stopped over night; and although the quicksilver is somewhat worn off -the back of the glass, the thought that it must have mirrored the face -of Washington preserves it from being restored. The shape is extremely -graceful, and the outline of the inside of the frame is followed by -little scrolls cut in the glass. The frame is carved in wood, and gilt, -and was probably made in Italy about 1730. It is now owned by the -writer. The low-boy in the illustration is described upon page 39. - -Rococo and Chinese designs were rampantly fashionable in frames -for looking-glasses from 1750 to 1780. They present an astonishing -combination of Chinese pagodas, shells, flowers, branches, animals, -and birds, with occasionally a figure of a man or woman considerably -smaller than the flowers and birds upon the same frame. - -Some of the famous designers of frames were Matthias Lock, who -published “A Book New of Pier Frames, Oval Girandoles, Tables, -etc.,” in 1765; Edwards and Darley; and Thomas Johnson; besides the -better-known cabinet-makers Ince and Mayhew and Chippendale. Lock and -Johnson devoted much space to frames for girandoles, pier glasses, -ovals, and chimney-pieces, all elaborately carved with scrolls and -shells with dripping water, birds, and animals of every sort from a -monkey to a cow, the latter unromantic and heavy creature figuring upon -a dripping scroll in one of Johnson’s frames. - -[Illustration: Illus. 366.—Pier Glass in “Chinese Taste,” 1760.] - -Illustration 366 shows a looking-glass of the size which was called -a “pier” glass, which must have been made about 1760. It is carved -in walnut, and the natural wood has never been stained or gilt. It -presents many of the characteristic designs fashionable at that time, -of scrolls and dripping water, while no less than seven pagoda roofs -form a part of the frame. The figure, probably a Chinese lady with a -parasol, is missing from the pagoda at the top. Below the frame is -carved a little monkey sitting in the lower scroll. The frame is rather -unusual in having side branches for candles. This looking-glass and the -one in the following illustration are owned by Mrs. Charles Barrell of -Barrell’s Grove, York Corner, Maine, and are in the old Barrell house, -which stands with its original furniture, as it stood one hundred -and fifty years ago. These looking-glasses were bought by a Barrell -ancestor at an auction in London, about 1795. The articles sold at this -auction were the furnishings of one of the households of the Prince -of Wales, which was, temporarily at least, given up by him upon his -marriage, and these glasses have reflected many a gay scene in which -the “First gentleman in Europe” figured, while Beau Brummel may have -used them to arrange the wonderful toilettes which won him his name. -What a change to the little Maine village! - -Another looking-glass of carved wood, with the same history, is shown -in Illustration 367. This frame is gilded, and possesses none of the -Chinese designs of the other frame, but is purely rococo. It has the -old glass with bevelled edges. Both of these looking-glasses must have -been made at least twenty-five years before the time when they were -sold at auction by the royal bridegroom. - -[Illustration: Illus. 367.—Looking-glass, about 1760.] - -At the head of Chapter V is shown a looking-glass with a frame of white -with gilt ornaments. It formerly belonged to Governor Wentworth, and -is now in the Poore collection at Indian Hill. It is similar in design -and decoration to the looking-glasses seen in French palaces, and was -probably made in France about 1760. - -[Illustration: Illus. 368.—Looking-glass, 1770-1780.] - -A charming oval looking-glass which might be of the present latest -fashion forms the heading to Chapter III. It has the flowing ribbon -bow-knot which Chippendale employed, and which has been fashionable -ever since. This looking-glass was made about 1770, and was inherited -by Miss H. P. F. Burnside of Worcester from her great-grandmother. - -Illustration 368 shows a fine looking-glass with a frame of carved -wood. There is a small oval medallion below the frame with emblems of -Freemasonry in gilt upon a black ground. A large medallion is above -the glass, with Cupids painted upon a black ground, and the frame is -surmounted by an eagle. This looking-glass is owned by Mrs. Charles R. -Waters of Salem. - -[Illustration: Illus. 369.—Looking-glass, 1725-1750.] - -Another of the same period, with a carved wood frame, is shown at the -beginning of Chapter IV. This frame has a classical design of garlands -of laurel with an urn at the top. The small oval medallion at the base -of both of these frames seems to be a feature of such looking-glasses, -together with the garlands of carved wood. This looking-glass is owned -by the writer. Upon its back is an oak board which must have been -prized highly, for it has been carefully repaired with two patches of -wood set into it. - -Illustration 369 shows a looking-glass made in the first half of the -eighteenth century, of walnut. The gilt mouldings are carved in wood, -as are the gilt leaves and flowers at the side. The waving line of -the inside of the frame is followed in the bevelling of the glass. -Glasses of this period were usually made in two pieces, to lessen the -expense, the edge of one piece of glass being simply lapped over the -other. This looking-glass is unusually large, seven and one-half feet -high and three feet wide. It is now owned by the Philadelphia Library -Association, and was used in 1778 at the famous Mischianza fête, where -probably the lovely Peggy Shippen and the beautiful Jewess, Rebecca -Frank, and perhaps the ill-fated André, used the glass to put the -finishing touches to their toilettes, or to repair the damages wrought -during the gay dances of that historic ball. - -A looking-glass showing the development from the one in Illustration -369 may be seen in Illustration 26 upon page 39. The frame is more -elaborate than the older one in its curves and in the pediment with the -broken arch, and its date is about 1770. The original glass is gone, so -we cannot tell if it was bevelled, but it probably was. This very fine -frame came from the Chase mansion in Annapolis, and is now owned by -Harry Harkness Flagler, Esq., of Millbrook, New York. - -[Illustration: Illus. 370.—Looking-glass, 1770-1780.] - -Another looking-glass owned by Mr. Flagler is shown in Illustration -370. The frame is of walnut veneer, and the shape of the glass without -any curves at the top, and the garlands at the side more finely -modelled and strung upon a wire, determine it to have been made some -years later than the frame in Illustration 369. - -A looking-glass with a mahogany and gilt frame, owned by the writer, is -shown in the heading to Chapter IX. This looking-glass dates between -the last two described; the curved form of the upper edge of the glass -in Illustration 26 leaving a slight reminder in the cut-off, upper -corners of this glass, which vanishes in the square corners of the one -in Illustration 370. The garlands at each side are carved from wood, -without wire. These looking-glasses are now reproduced in large numbers -and are sometimes called Washington glasses, from the fact that one -hangs upon the wall in a room at Mount Vernon. - -A very unusual looking-glass is shown in Illustration 371, a long -mantel looking-glass of very early date, probably not later than 1750. - -[Illustration: Illus. 371.—Mantel Glass, 1725-1750.] - -[Illustration: Illus. 372.—Looking-glass, 1770.] - -The glass is made in three sections, the two end sections being lapped -over the middle one. The glasses are not bevelled. Short garlands -carved in wood are upon the sides, and the moulding around the glass -is made in curves, while the upper and lower edges of the frame are -perfectly straight. - -[Illustration: Illus. 373.—Looking-glass, 1770.] - -A glimpse may be caught above the frame of the two pieces of metal -fastened to the back, which are found upon such frames, with a hole -for a screw to fasten the heavy frame to the wall. This looking-glass -belongs to Dwight M. Prouty, Esq. - -The looking-glasses in Illustrations 372 and 373 also belong to Mr. -Prouty. - -Glasses of this style are not uncommon. They are never large, and as -they are always about the same size, they must have been made for a -certain purpose, or to follow a certain fashion. - - -The decorations vary, but are always applied in gilt upon the high top -above the frame, and upon the piece below, while the sides are straight -and plain. - -[Illustration: Illus. 374.—Looking-glass, 1776.] - -Illustration 374 shows a beautiful looking-glass in the Chase mansion -in Annapolis. It is carved in wood and gilt, and four pieces of glass -are set in the frame, which is surmounted by the eagle holding a shield -with stars and stripes. - -[Illustration: Illus. 375.—Looking-glass, 1780.] - -Illustration 375 shows a very large looking-glass, from the Ogle house -in Annapolis. It is finished in white and gold and has the original -bevelled glass. - -The looking-glass which heads Chapter XIII is in the Metropolitan -Museum of Art and is of the same period as the glass in Illustration -371. - -A looking-glass is shown in the heading to Chapter VIII in which the -decoration is produced by both carving and sawing, as well as by gilt -ornaments. The sawing of ornamental outlines appears upon the earliest -frames, such as Illustration 364, and is found upon frames made during -the eighteenth century until its close. - -During the last quarter of the eighteenth century frames which are -apparently a cheaper form of the mahogany and gilt looking-glasses -described, were most popular, and are commonly found. These frames are -veneered with mahogany or walnut, and are sawed in outlines similar to -those of the richer frames of walnut or mahogany and gilt. The inside -of the frame next the glass has a narrow hand-carved gilt moulding, and -there is sometimes a gilt bird flying through the opening sawed in the -upper part of the frame, while in other frames the opening is partially -filled by three feathers, a conventional shell, or a flower in gilt. -Occasionally a line of inlaying follows the gilt moulding next the -glass. In smaller looking-glasses a gilded plaster eagle was glued upon -the frame above the glass. Such frames may be found, or rather might -have been found, in almost any old house. - -Illustration 376 shows two of these looking-glasses. The larger glass -is owned by the writer, the smaller by W. S. G. Kennedy, Esq., of -Worcester. - -A looking-glass with some variations from those previously shown forms -the heading to Chapter X. The lower part of the frame has the sawed -outlines which appear upon so many, while the upper part has a broken -arch cornice of a high and slender design, showing the influence of the -lighter Hepplewhite styles. A colored shell is inlaid in the top of -this frame, and there are two rows of fine inlaying around the glass. -The frame is surmounted by an urn or vase with flowers and stalks -of wheat, upon wires, like the slender garlands at the sides. This -looking-glass belongs to H. H. Kohn, Esq., of Albany. - -[Illustration: Illus. 376.—Looking-glasses, 1750-1790.] - -Illustration 377 shows another looking-glass of the same style, with -the wheat and flowers upon wires springing from an urn at the top, and -leaves of plaster strung upon wires at the sides. - -Illustration 378 shows a looking-glass carved and sawed in fantastic -outlines, with ribbons at the sides. These two looking-glasses are in -the Metropolitan Museum of Art. - -[Illustration: Illus. 377.—Looking-glass, 1790.] - -[Illustration: Illus. 378.—Looking-glass, 1780.] - -Wooden frames with sawed outlines continued fashionable until the close -of the century. - -It was customary for these mahogany-framed glasses to rest upon two -mirror knobs, which fitted into the lower curves of the frame and were -screwed into the wall. - -[Illustration: Illus. 379.—Enamelled Mirror Knobs, 1770-1790.] - -These knobs were sometimes made of brass, but the most fashionable -mirror knobs were those with a medallion, round or oval, of Battersea -enamel upon copper, framed in brass. The design of the medallions -varied, heads of historical personages being very popular, while -flowers, landscapes, fancy heads, the eagle and thirteen stars, and -the ever-favorite design of the monument and weeping willow appear in -the bright tints of the enamel. Dwight Blaney, Esq., of Boston, has a -collection of over one hundred knobs. Washington, Lafayette, Franklin, -Lord Nelson are some of the heads found upon mirror knobs. Four pairs -of enamelled knobs, owned by the writer, appear in Illustration 379. -The head of Lord Nelson figures upon one pair. - -[Illustration: Illus. 380.—Girandole, 1770-1780.] - -“A circular convex glass in a gilt frame” is shown in Illustration -380. Such glasses were advertised as “mirrors,” in distinction from -the looking-glasses which were in ordinary use, and they were sold in -pairs, for sconces, the convex or occasionally concave glass precluding -the possibility of its use for a literal looking-glass, as any person -will agree who has caught in one a glimpse of a distorted reflection of -face or figure. - -These mirrors were fashionable during the last quarter of the -eighteenth century, and were made in various sizes, from twelve inches -in diameter to three feet. The eagle formed the most popular ornament -for the top, but many were made with a winged horse, or a sort of -dragon, instead of the eagle. These mirrors were called girandoles, -like others with branches for candles. The girandole in Illustration -380 is owned by the Albany Historical Society. - -[Illustration: Illus. 381.—Looking-glass, 1780.] - -The looking-glass in Illustration 381 belongs to the writer, and is -in the same style as the glass at the head of Chapter IV, which is -described upon page 384. - -[Illustration: Illus. 382.—Looking-glass, 1790.] - -The garlands upon this frame are carved in fruit, grapes and plums -with leaves, instead of the laurel which is generally the design, and -the medallion above the frame has a classic head in profile, and is -surmounted by a ribbon bow-knot of three loops. The glass is of quite a -large size. - -Illustration 382 shows a looking-glass owned by Mrs. William Preston -of Richmond, Virginia. The upper section of the glass is divided from -the lower by a gilt moulding, and is delicately painted, in black and -gold upon a white ground, with three panels, the middle one having a -classical design. The pyramid-shaped pieces at the top are of painted -glass and from them go chains, held by an eagle above. - -[Illustration: Illus. 383.—Hepplewhite Looking-glass, 1790.] - -Illustration 383 shows a large and handsome looking-glass made in the -fashion of Hepplewhite’s designs, the fan-shaped ornament below the -glass being quite characteristic of Hepplewhite’s frames. The eagle -at the top holds in his beak chains which extend to the urns upon the -upper corners of the frame. - -This looking-glass was made about 1790, and is owned by Mrs. Thomas H. -Gage of Worcester. - -A looking-glass made to fit the panel over the mantel is shown in -Illustration 384. This mantel with the looking-glass is in the Nichols -house, in Salem, in a room built in 1783 for a young bride. The upper -part of the frame has the lattice and ornaments in gilt upon a white -ground, and the overhanging cornice has a row of gilt balls beneath it. -The pillars framing the three sections of glass are fluted and bound -with garlands. - -Another large looking-glass of a similar design, but of a few years’ -later date, is shown in Illustration 385. It is owned by Dwight Blaney, -Esq., and was probably made to fit some space, as it is of unusual -shape and very large. - -[Illustration: Illus. 384.—Mantel Glass, 1783.] - -The three panels at the top are painted upon glass, the middle panel -having one of the mortuary subjects which were so popular with our -ancestors, of a monument with a willow carefully trained to weep over -the urn, and a despondent female disconsolately gazing upon the ground. -The glass may have been ordered by the grief-stricken lady who is -depicted in the panel, as evidence that while the looking-glass was a -tribute to the vanities of life, the doleful scene in the panel above -the glass should serve as a reminder that such vanities are fleeting. - -[Illustration: Illus. 385.—Looking-glass, 1790-1800.] - -The cornice and the capitals of the pillars are very elaborate, and -around the top runs a fluted band wound with garlands similar to the -pillars in Illustration 384. - -Illustration 386 shows a looking-glass in a frame the main portion of -which is of salmon-colored marble, which is glued or cemented to the -wood in small thin pieces. Upon the edges of this marble is a narrow -gilt moulding, and the ornaments at the top and bottom are of gilt, -the fine scrolls at the top being made of wire. Such looking-glasses -have been found in New England, chiefly in Massachusetts, and the -majority that have been traced have Marblehead as their starting-point -in this country. In Marblehead they are known as “Bilboa glasses,” -and the story of the old wives of Marblehead is that these glasses -were all brought home by sailors who had been to Bilboa, “In the bay -of Biscay, oh,” and that the looking-glasses were either given as -presents to wives or sweethearts, or more prosaically exchanged for a -cargo of Marblehead dried fish. The frames, however, would appear to -be of Italian origin, if one wishes to be accurate, and discard the -picturesque Marblehead legend. - -The looking-glass in Illustration 386 is now in the Boston Art Museum. -The “Bilboa glasses” are nearly all similar to this in design, with -marble pillars at the side and gilt ornaments at the top and bottom. -The glass is the original one with the shallow, wide bevel, and the -frame, exclusive of the ornaments at the top and bottom, measures -twenty-five inches in height and eighteen in width. - -[Illustration: Illus. 386.—“Bilboa Glass,” 1770-1780.] - -Another “Bilboa glass” is shown in the heading to Chapter VII. This -glass is owned by Mrs. M. G. Potter of Worcester, and the story in -the family is that this looking-glass was made by Captain John Potter -of North Brookfield, a well-known clock-maker and metal-worker, as a -present to his bride, about 1790. The glass has always been fastened -to the black panel behind it, within the memory of the family. The -probability is that the black panel was made by Captain Potter, the -frame of marble with its fine gilt ornamentation having been brought -originally with other Bilboa looking-glasses to Marblehead, from Italy -or Spain, whichever place they may have been brought from. - -[Illustration: Illus. 387.—Mantel Glass, 1790.] - -The top of this glass is distinctly different from the one in -Illustration 386, and is on the order of Chippendale or other designers -of his day. Several “Bilboa” frames have been found with this little -fence at the top. Other Bilboa frames have an oval or round painted -panel in the centre of the light, open gilt ornament at the top. Two -Bilboa glasses are in the collection of Francis H. Bigelow, Esq., with -the marble in the frame dark with white veins, instead of the usual -salmon color, but made in the same design with the columns at the sides. - -[Illustration: Illus. 388.—Mantel Glass, 1800-1810.] - -During the eighteenth century, particularly the latter years, it -was fashionable to have a looking-glass on the mantel, extending -nearly the length of the shelf, and divided into three sections, the -larger section in the middle. The line where the glass was joined was -covered by a narrow gilt moulding. Such a looking-glass is shown in -Illustration 387. It has the overhanging cornice which was a feature -of these glasses, and which was used as early as 1783. A panel of -black basalt with a classical design is set into the cornice above the -glass, and two small panels above the side columns. Francis H. Bigelow, -Esq., owns this looking-glass. It probably was made about 1790, when -Wedgwood and Flaxman designs were popular. Another mantel glass of -simpler style is shown in Illustration 334. - -[Illustration: Illus. 389.—Cheval Glass, 1830-1840.] - -It has the projecting cornice but not the balls beneath. The design of -the frame is in the usual classical style, with pillars at the sides. -Another similar looking-glass is shown in Illustration 335. Both of -these glasses belong to Francis H. Bigelow, Esq., of Cambridge, and -they were made from 1800 to 1810. - -Illustration 388 shows a very handsome mantel glass owned by Harry -Harkness Flagler, Esq., of Millbrook, made about 1810. - -[Illustration: Illus. 390.—Looking-glass, 1810-1825.] - -Cheval glasses were not common in early times, to judge from the small -number of old specimens found. Illustration 389 shows one with a frame -and stand of mahogany, owned by Mrs. N. F. Rogers of Worcester, and -made about 1830 to 1840. - -Looking-glasses were made from 1810 to 1825, following the heavy -designs which were fashionable at that period, and these glasses are -commonly found. By this time the shallow bevel upon the glass had -disappeared, and the glass in these heavy gilt frames is always plain. -The overhanging cornice, often with acorns or balls beneath, is a -feature of these glasses, one of which is shown in Illustration 390, -with a classical design below the cornice, and with the upper section -filled with a gilded panel. It is owned by Francis H. Bigelow, Esq., -of Cambridge. - -[Illustration: Illus. 391.—Looking-glass, 1810-1815.] - -[Illustration: Illus. 392.—Looking-glass, 1810-1828.] - -A glass of the same period is shown in Illustration 391, with the glass -in two sections, separated by a gilt moulding. The sides of the frame -are made in a double column, ending at the division in the glass. The -frame continues from there in a bracket effect, with a heavy cornice -above, and is more classical in design than one with twisted columns. -This looking-glass is owned by the writer. - -The glass in Illustration 392 is owned by Dwight M. Prouty, Esq. The -frame is gilt, and the heavy drapery is carved in wood and gilded. - -The richest and largest form of the looking-glass with a projecting -cornice is shown in Illustration 393. It is nearly the height of the -room as it rests upon a low shelf. The plain surface of the columns at -the side is broken by ornaments, and there are no capitals, but the -same round moulding with ornaments extends across the frame between the -heavy overhanging cornice and the top section, which is very large, -with scrolls and a basket of flowers in high relief, in gilt. This fine -looking-glass belongs to George W. Holmes, Esq., of Charleston, South -Carolina. - -[Illustration: Illus. 393.—Looking-glass, 1810-1820.] - -[Illustration: Illus. 394—Looking-glass, 1810-1825.] - -The glass with a heavy frame in Illustration 394 belongs to the writer. -Looking-glasses were made in this style of mahogany also, with pillars -twisted, fluted, or carved with the acanthus leaf. - -The glass was sometimes divided in two sections, separated by a narrow -moulding, and the upper section was often filled by a gilded panel, -as in Illustration 390. The frame at the head of Chapter II shows -a looking-glass owned by Mr. Bigelow. The panel above the glass is -gilded, and its design, of a cornucopia, was extremely popular at -this period. The upper section was frequently filled with a picture -painted upon glass. A looking-glass with such a picture is shown in -Illustration 31, and another, owned by Mrs. H. H. Bigelow of Worcester, -heads Chapter I. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -DOORWAYS, MANTELS, AND STAIRS - - -[Illustration] - -NOWHERE in this country can the interiors of the old houses and -their woodwork be studied as in Salem. The splendid mansions around -Philadelphia and in Maryland and Virginia are detached and not always -accessible, but in Salem one may walk through the old streets with a -certainty that almost any of the houses passed will prove to contain -features of interest to the student. The town was the home of wealthy -ship-owners and East India merchants, who built there the houses which -we study, for their homes. They did not spare expense—the Derby house -cost $80,000; and they were fortunate in having for a fellow citizen -a wood-carver, and designer, Samuel McIntire, whose work will bear -comparison with that of men whose names have been better known. Within -the last few years, however, McIntire’s name and work have attracted -more attention, and his mantels and doors in Salem have been shown to -the reading public in the book “The Woodcarver of Salem,” by Frank -Cousins and Phil M. Riley. - -McIntire built the eighty thousand dollar Derby house, which within a -short time of its completion was torn down, owing to the death of Mr. -Derby, none of the heirs wishing to keep so costly a mansion. Just at -that time, in 1804, Captain Cook was building the house now known as -the Cook-Oliver house. McIntire, who was the architect also of this -house, persuaded Captain Cook to use much of the fine woodwork which he -had made for Mr. Derby, and it was embodied in the Cook house, which -was, when finished, given to the daughter of Captain Cook, who married -General Oliver, the composer of the hymn, “Federal Street,” named for -the street upon which this house stands. - -Illustration 395 shows a doorway in the hall of the Cook-Oliver house, -which was taken from the Derby mansion. The wood is pine, as in most -of the Salem houses, painted white, and the ornamentation is all -hand-carved. The design is thoroughly classical, with its graceful -drapery across the top, and the urns, also ornamented with drapery. -Through the doorway may be seen the mantel, which was taken from the -Derby mansion, with the fine hob-grate, and a little of the old Zuber -paper, which extends around the room, with scenes of the Paris of -1810-1820. - -[Illustration: Illus. 395.—Doorway and Mantel, Cook-Oliver House, -Salem, 1804.] - -The doorway in Illustration 396 is in a very different style from that -of McIntire, with its delicate and graceful ornamentation. - -[Illustration: Illus. 396.—Doorway in Dalton House, Newburyport, 1720.] - -This doorway is in the house built in 1720 by Michael Dalton, in -Newburyport, Massachusetts, and now occupied by the Dalton Club. It -was Michael Dalton who built this house, but its golden years were -during the ownership of his son, Tristram Dalton, who married the -daughter of “King” Hooper, and who might well be called by the same -name as his father-in-law. In evidence of his wealth and lavish manner -of life is the story of his splendid coach, lined with white satin, -drawn by six white horses, and attended by four outriders, all in white -and mounted upon white steeds. In this dazzling equipage the various -brides of the family left the house, and the same royal splendor -probably attended the arrival at the house of famous guests, of whom -there were many. All this display does not agree with the common notion -of sober New England, but smacks rather of the aristocratic Virginians -who built mansions on the James River. The doorways and mantels in -the Dalton house tell of great wealth, for those early years of 1720. -They are made of pine, painted white, and all of the woodwork is hand -carved. The doorway in Illustration 396 is in the same room with the -mantel in Illustration 397 and is designed in the same classical style, -with fluted columns and Ionic capitals. The cornice is the same, and -the egg and dart moulding upon it extends with the cornice entirely -around the room. The immediate frame of the door has the same carved -moulding as the lower part of the cornice, and the window frames. -The door itself is very fine with eight panels. The knob is new. The -original knob was of iron. - -Illustration 397 shows the mantel in the room with the doorway, and at -one side is a glimpse of the cornice and frame of the window with its -deep seat. The fluted square pilasters of the doorway, in the mantel -are changed to round detached columns, and there is a plain panel with -simple mouldings over the narrow shelf. - -[Illustration: Illus. 397.—Mantel in Dalton House, 1720.] - -Illustration 398 shows another mantel in the Dalton house, of a plainer -form, without columns, but with a heavy moulding, a variation of the -egg and dart, around the fireplace and the plain centre panel. - -[Illustration: Illus. 398.—Mantel in Dalton House, 1720.] - -The narrow shelf is curiously set between the panel and the moulding. -There is a panelled door upon each side of the chimney, opening into a -cupboard, and below each cupboard may be seen a tinder box, in early -days a useful adjunct to a fireplace. - -[Illustration: Illus. 399—Hall and Stairs in Dalton House, 1720.] - -The stairs in the Dalton house are shown in Illustration 399. The newel -is carved with a detached twist around the centre post, and each of the -three balusters upon every stair has a different twist, in the fashion -of the seaport staircases of the eighteenth century. - -[Illustration: Illus. 400.—Side of Room, with Mantel; Penny-Hallet -House, 1774.] - -[Illustration: Illus. 401.—Parker-Inches-Emery House, Boston, 1818.] - -Two of the Dalton chairs stand at the foot of the stairs, and above -them hangs the portrait of Tristram Dalton, a fine gentleman in a white -satin waistcoat. Over the stairs hangs a “hall lanthorne” like the one -in Illustration 333. - -Illustration 400 shows the side of a room in the Penny-Hallett house at -685 Centre St., Jamaica Plain. It dates to 1774, and is all elaborately -carved by hand, with scrolls, birds, garlands of flowers and fruit, and -a head over each arch at the side of the mantel. All of this woodwork -has been removed, and embodied in a Boston house. - -The house known by the names of past occupants as the -Parker-Inches-Emery house is now occupied by the Women’s City Club of -Boston, which is fortunate in being able to preserve this house from -changes for business purposes. - -[Illustration: Illus. 402.—Mantel in Lee Mansion, Marblehead, 1768.] - -[Illustration: Illus. 403.—Landing and Stairs in Lee Mansion, -Marblehead, 1768.] - -The woodwork is probably the finest in Boston, and is attributed, with -the building, to Bulfinch. The doorway in Illustration 401 is from the -back parlor of the house. The door is mahogany, and the carved woodwork -of the frame is in a severely classical design. The anthemion figures -upon the pilasters and in the capital, and the design of the frieze is -beautiful in its severity. The house was built in 1818. - -In his “Complete Body of Architecture” Isaac Ware says of the -chimney-piece: “No common room, plain or elegant, could be constituted -without it. No article in a well-finished room is so essential. The eye -is immediately cast upon it on entering, and the place of sitting down -is naturally near it. By this means it becomes the most eminent thing -in the finishing of an apartment.” - -The mantelpiece in Illustration 402 is in the banquet hall of the house -built in 1768, upon generous plans, by Col. Jeremiah Lee in Marblehead. -The depth of the chimney is in the rear, and the mantel is almost flush -with the panelled walls. It is painted white like the other woodwork, -and is richly ornamented with hand carving, in rococo designs, with -garlands of fruit and flowers in high relief, after the fashion of the -time, and has a plain panel over the narrow shelf, which rests upon -carved brackets. - -Illustration 403 shows the beautiful landing at the head of the -stairway in the Lee mansion, with the large window and Corinthian -pilasters, and the wonderful old paper, all in tones of gray. The turn -of the stairs is seen, and the finely twisted balusters. - -[Illustration: Illus. 404.—Stairs in Harrison Gray Otis House, Boston, -1795.] - -Illustration 404 shows the rear of the stairway, with the front door, -in the house built in 1795 by Harrison Gray Otis, in Boston. It is -now the property and headquarters of the Society for the Preservation -of New England Antiquities, having reached that safe haven after the -descent from an elegant and fashionable residence to a lodging house. -It has now been restored with great care to much of its original -appearance. The illustration shows the fine boxing of the stairs and -the ornamentation of the stair-ends. The balusters are twisted and end -in a turn without a newel post. - -[Illustration: Illus. 405.—Mantel in Harrison Gray Otis House, Boston, -1795.] - -Illustration 405 shows a mantel in the Otis house of painted wood, with -the space above the shelf taken by two sets of doors, one sham, of -wood, and the other of iron, which opens into a safe. It is difficult -to imagine why this transparent device was placed in such a conspicuous -place. - -[Illustration: Illus. 406.—Stairs in Robinson House, Saunderstown.] - -Illustration 406 shows a very good stairway in the Robinson house in -Saunderstown, R. I. It has two turns, and the panelling on the side -wall has a mahogany rail which turns with the one above the twisted -balusters. - -[Illustration: Illus. 407.—Stairs in Allen House, Salem, 1770.] - -[Illustration: Illus. 408.—Balusters and Newel of Stairs at “Oak -Hill,” Peabody.] - -The return of the stairs is panelled beneath, and at each corner of the -turn of the balusters is a large post like the newel, which extends -below the stairs and is finished in a twisted flame-like ornament. - -The beautiful stairway with panelled ends and boxing in Illustration -407 is in the Allen house in Salem. The balusters are particularly good. - -A section of the fine stairway at “Oak Hill,” Peabody, Massachusetts, -in Illustration 408, gives the detail of the twisted balusters -and newel so often seen in the old seaport towns. Each one of the -balusters, of which there are three upon a stair, has a different -twist, and the newel is a twist within a twist, the outer spiral being -detached from the inner one. The balusters are painted white, and the -rail and newel are of mahogany. - -[Illustration: Illus. 409.—Stairs in Sargent-Murray-Gilman House, -Gloucester, 1768.] - -Illustration 409 shows the staircase in the Sargent-Murray-Gilman house -in Gloucester, and Illustration 410 shows a mantel in the same house, -which was built in 1768, by Winthrop Sargent, for his daughter when -she married Rev. John Murray, who was the founder of the Universalist -church in America. Later, the house was occupied by the father of Rev. -Samuel Gilman, the author of “Fair Harvard.” - -[Illustration: Illus. 410.—Mantel in Sargent-Murray-Gilman House, -1768.] - -[Illustration: Illus. 411.—Mantel in Kimball House, Salem, 1800.] - -The mantel is of wood, hand carved, with a broken pediment supported -by plain columns with Corinthian capitals, while those below the shelf -have Ionic capitals. The stairway is very fine, with panelled boxing -and ends, and twisted balusters and newel. There is a good window upon -the landing, with fluted pilasters at each side. - -A McIntire mantel is shown in Illustration 411, from the Kimball house -in Salem. The carving is done by hand and is very elaborate, with urns -in the corner insets, and a spray in the ones over the fluted pilaster -which completes the return of the mantel. A curious row of little -bell-shaped drops is beneath the shelf, the edge of which has a row of -small globes set into it, like beads upon a string. - -[Illustration: Illus. 412.—Mantel in Lindall-Barnard-Andrews House, -Salem, 1800.] - -Another McIntire mantel is shown in Illustration 412, the parlor -mantel in the Lindall-Barnard-Andrews house in Salem. The carving is -done by hand, and the sheaves of wheat, the basket of fruit, and the -flower-filled draperies are delicate and charming. - -[Illustration: Illus. 413.—Doorway in Larkin-Richter House, -Portsmouth, about 1800.] - -It was put in the house in 1800, but the paper dates to 1747, the time -when the house was built, and it was imported for this room from France. - -[Illustration: Illus. 414.—Doorway in the “Octagon,” Washington.] - -A very charming doorway is shown in Illustration 413, from the -Larkin-Richter house in Portsmouth. It has urns and festoons of flowers -and wonderfully fine carvings upon the cornice. Illustration 414 shows -a doorway leading into the hall in the “Octagon” in Washington, D. -C. The house derives its name from its shape, built to conform to a -triangular lot. Col. John Tayloe built it in 1800, and for twenty-five -years the entertainments given in the Octagon were famous. It is now -occupied by the American Institute of Architects. The entrance to the -house is in a circular tower of three stories in height, thus utilizing -the shape of the triangle. This gives a large, circular vestibule from -which a wide, arched doorway leads into the hall with the stairs, which -are very simple, with plain small balusters, and a mahogany rail. The -doorway is very fine, with fluted columns and carved capitals and on -the inside of the arch a row of carving, making a beautiful entrance to -the house. - -[Illustration: Illus. 415.—Mantel in the “Octagon,” Washington.] - -The mantel in Illustration 415 is in the “Octagon” house, and is made -of a cement composition, cast in a mould, and painted white. The -cement is fine and the effect is much as if it were wood or stone. -The designs are graceful and well modelled. This style of mantel with -figures at the sides was used more in the South, and one would hardly -find in a Northern home a mantel the motif of which was a frankly -portrayed praise of wine, with the centre panel quite Bacchanalian in -its joviality. - -[Illustration: Illus. 416.—Mantel in Schuyler House, Albany.] - -The mantel in Illustration 416 is in the Schuyler mansion in Albany, -New York, which has been wisely and thoroughly restored to its -original beauty, and stands a monument not only of the Albany life -of the eighteenth century, but to the early efficiency of woman, for -it was built in 1760 by the wife of Gen. Philip Schuyler, during the -absence of her husband in England. This mantel is in the room called -the Hamilton room, because it was here that the daughter of the house, -Elizabeth Schuyler, was married to Alexander Hamilton. The wood of -the mantel is, like that in the other rooms, pine, painted white, and -the room is handsomely panelled, with a heavy cornice. The shelf is -narrow with a panel above it which is surmounted by a cornice, with a -broken pediment. The mantel is very dignified and does credit to the -excellent taste of the colonial dame who chose it and superintended its -instalment. - -Illustration 417 shows a mantel in Philipse Manor in Yonkers, New York. -The original house was built in the seventeenth century, but in 1745 it -was greatly enlarged by Judge Philipse, the second lord of the Manor, -and it was probably at about that time that the fine woodwork in the -house was installed. Judge Philipse was the father of Mary Philipse, to -whom in 1757 Washington paid court—unsuccessfully. She married Roger -Morris in 1758, and in 1779 fled with him to England, attainted as -Royalists, together with her brother, the third and last lord of the -Manor, which then passed from the Philipse family. - -[Illustration: Illus. 417.—Mantel and Doorways in Manor Hall, -Yonkers.] - -It was purchased in 1868 by the village of Yonkers, and remained in -the possession of the city until 1908, when the title to the Manor was -taken by the State of New York, and the American Scenic and Historic -Preservation Society was appointed custodian, thus insuring the -preservation of this historic house. - -[Illustration: Illus. 418.—Mantel and Doorways in Manor Hall, Yonkers.] - -The mantel in Illustration 417 is in the East parlor, where Mary -Philipse was married, and is, like all of the woodwork, painted white -and very finely hand carved, with flowers in high relief. The iron -fire back which was originally in the fireplace is still there, but the -tiles are new. - -[Illustration: Illus. 419.—Mantel in Manor Hall, Yonkers.] - -The pilasters have composite capitals, and are used as a part of the -decoration of the side of the room with the mantel. The ceiling in -this room, a glimpse of which may be seen in the illustration, is -elaborately decorated with rococo scrolls, framing medallions, in two -of which are portrait heads. The entire house bears evidence of the -wealth of the lords of the Manor. - -[Illustration: Illus. 420.—Doorway and Stairs, Independence Hall.] - -Illustration 418 shows the mantel in the chamber over the East parlor, -also beautifully carved with flowers and fruit and scrolls, after the -fashion of the period. The three feathers above were an indication -of loyalty to the crown, as they were placed there years before the -division of parties for the King and the Prince of Wales, when the use -of the three feathers meant allegiance to the latter. Over the doors -is a carved scroll with the broken pediment, and a small scroll in the -centre. - -Illustration 419 shows another mantel in Manor Hall of a less ornate -type, very dignified and fine with its simple pilasters and the smaller -ones at the sides of the panel. The cornice over the doors is one -that was used often in fine houses. These doorways and mantels are -restored, but the greater part was intact or simply out of repair. -Illustration 420 shows the beautiful panelled arch to the doorway, and -the stairs in Independence Hall in Philadelphia, with a glimpse of the -frame of the window upon the landing. - -[Illustration: Illus. 421.—Stairs at “Graeme Park,” Horsham.] - -The balusters are plain and substantial, with a mahogany rail, and the -rise of the stairs is very gradual. The thickness of the wall allows -wide panels in the inside of the arch, and the doorway and the pillars -at the side are of imposing height. - -[Illustration: Illus. 422.—Mantel and Doorways, Graeme Park.] - -Illustration 421 shows the stairway at “Graeme Park,” the house built -in 1722 by Sir William Keith, Governor of Penn’s Colony, at Horsham, -Pennsylvania. The place is named from Dr. Graeme, who married the -step-daughter of Gov. Keith, and occupied the house after 1727. Gov. -Keith lived here in great style, with a large household, as his -inventory implies, with “60 bedsteads, 144 chairs, 32 tables and 15 -looking-glasses.” The discrepancy between the number of bedsteads -and looking-glasses is accounted for by the price of glass, and the -probability that many of the sixty occupants of the bedsteads were -servants or slaves, whose toilet was not important, and who did not -live in the mansion, but in the outbuildings around it. The house -was built in accordance with the manner of life of the Governor, -and contained large rooms, handsomely panelled and finished in oak, -unpainted. The stairs in Illustration 421 are all of oak, stairs, -balusters, and rail, and are of an entirely different style from the -twisted balusters and newels of the northern seaport towns, but of a -solidity and simplicity that is attractive. - -Illustration 422 shows the side wall of a chamber at Graeme Park, also -of oak. The fireplace is surrounded by tiles, and the chimney-piece is -panelled above, but there is no shelf. The doorways at each side of the -mantel are charming, with the arch above and the semicircular window. -The old hinges and latches are still upon the doors. - -The doorway in Illustration 423 is from the Chase house in Annapolis, -Maryland, and is in a room with several doors and windows, all with -their deeply carved frames, painted white, with solid mahogany doors, -and hinges and latches of silver. The heavy wooden inside shutters have -large rosettes carved upon them, and the effect of all this carving is -extremely rich. The Chase house was built in 1769, by Samuel Chase, -afterwards a Signer of the Declaration of Independence, and Associate -Justice of the Supreme Court. - -[Illustration: Illus. 423.—Doorway in Chase House, Annapolis.] - -It was sold soon after its completion, but in 1847 came back into the -possession of Chase descendants, and finally, in 1888, it was left by -will to found the Chase Home for Aged Women, together with furniture -and china, much of which still remains there. A looking-glass from this -house is shown in Illustration 374. The door latch of solid silver is -of the shape of handles shown in Illustration 11, letter F. - -[Illustration: Illus. 424.—Entrance and Stairs, “Cliveden.”] - -Illustration 424 shows the noble entrance from the outer hall to the -inner hall with the stairs, at “Cliveden,” in Germantown, Pennsylvania. - -[Illustration: Illus. 425.—Mantel in Cliveden, Germantown.] - -The house was built in 1761 by Chief Justice Benjamin Chew, and is now -owned by Mrs. Samuel Chew. Cliveden was famous for its entertainments, -and during the Revolutionary War was the scene of the Battle of -Germantown, when the house was seized by the British. - -[Illustration: Illus. 426.—Fretwork Balustrade, Garrett House, -Williamsburg.] - -The marks of bullets may still be seen in the wall at the right of the -illustration. One of the daughters of Chief Justice Chew was the lovely -Peggy Chew, who was one of the belles of the Mischianza fête, where -Major André was her knight. - -[Illustration: Illus. 427.—Stairs, Valentine Museum, Richmond.] - -Cliveden had many famous guests—Washington, Lafayette, John Adams, -and others, who came to Philadelphia while it was the seat of the -administration. The door at the right of the stair in Illustration 240 -opens into a parlor, the mantel in which is shown in Illustration 425. -It is plain, but attractive for its simplicity. - -The balustrade in Illustration 426 is in the house of the Misses -Garrett in Williamsburg, Virginia, and is in a Chinese fretwork design. -There is one with the same fretwork in the Paca house in Annapolis, -and probably of the same date, about 1765. The winding staircase in -Illustration 427 is in the house now occupied by the Valentine Museum, -in Richmond, Virginia. It was built about 1812, and was given to the -city for a museum, by the Valentine family. It is a very good example -of the stairway known as a “winder.” Illustration 428 shows a beautiful -mantel in the residence of Barton Myers, Esq., in Norfolk, Virginia. - -[Illustration: Illus. 428.—Mantel in Myers House, Norfolk.] - -The mantel is in the Adam style, with festoons of flowers and scrolls -beneath the shelf, in applied ornaments, and long lines of the -bell-flower, looped in graceful lines upon the panel. The chandelier is -brass, of about 1850-1860. - - - - -GLOSSARY OF TERMS USED IN CABINET WORK - - -A - - =Acanthus.= The conventionalized leaf of the acanthus plant. - - =Anthemion.= A Greek form of ornament made from the conventionalized - flower of the honeysuckle. - - =Apron.= The ornamental wooden piece extending between the legs of a - table, below the body frame. - - =Applied ornament.= One which is carved or sawed separately and - fastened upon the surface. - - =Armoire.= The French term for cupboard. - - -B - - =Bail.= The part of a handle, in ring or hoop shape, which is taken - hold of. - - =Bandy= or =Cabriole leg=. One which is made in a double curve. - - =Banister back.= A chair back made of vertical pieces of wood - extending between an upper and lower rail. - - =Baroque.= A term applied to a style of extravagant over-ornamentation. - - =Bead= or =Beading=. A small convex moulding, sometimes divided and - cut like beads. - - =Beaufat= or =Bowfatt=. A corner cupboard, extending to the floor. - - =Bergère.= A French chair with a very wide seat. - - =Bible box.= A box, usually of oak, for holding the Bible. - - =Block front.= A term applied to the front of a desk or chest of - drawers, to indicate the blocked shape in which the drawer fronts are - carved or sawed. - - =Bombé.= Kettle-shaped. - - =Bonnet top.= A top made with a broken arch or pediment. - - =Bracket.= The piece of wood of bracket shape, used in the angle made - by the top and the leg. - - =Bracket foot.= A foot in bracket form. - - =Broken arch= or =Pediment=. One in which the cornice is not complete, - but lacks the central section. - - =Buffet.= A sideboard, or piece of furniture used as a sideboard. - - =Buhl.= A form of inlaying engraved brass upon a thin layer of - tortoise shell, over a colored background. Named from its inventor, - Buhl, or Boulle. - - =Bureau.= In early time, and even now in England, a desk with a - slanting lid. Now used chiefly to indicate a chest of drawers. - - =Bureau-table.= A small chest of drawers made like a desk, but with a - flat top. - - =Butterfly table.= A small table with turned legs and stretchers and - drop leaves, which are held up by swinging brackets with the outer - edge curved like a butterfly wing. - - -C - - =Cabinet.= The interior of a desk, fitted with drawers and - compartments. - - =Cabriole leg.= Bandy leg, curved or bent. - - =Capital.= The upper part of a column or pillar. - - =Carcase.= The main body of a piece of furniture. - - =Cellaret.= A low, metal-lined piece of furniture, sometimes with the - interior divided into sections, used as a wine cooler. - - =Chaise longue.= The French term for a day bed or couch. - - =Chamfer.= A corner cut off, so as to form a flat surface with two - angles. - - =Claw-and-ball foot.= The termination of a leg with a ball held in a - claw, usually that of a bird. - - =Comb back.= A Windsor chair back, with an extension top, shaped like - a comb. - - =Commode.= A chest of drawers. - - =Console table.= One to be placed below a looking-glass, sometimes - with a glass between the back legs. - - =Court= or =Press cupboard=. A very early cupboard with doors and - drawers below and a smaller cupboard above, the top being supported by - heavy turned columns at the corners. - - -D - - =Day bed= or =Chaise longue=. A long narrow seat used as a couch or - settee, usually with four legs upon each side, and a chair back at the - head. - - =Dentils.= An architectural ornament made of a series of small - detached cubes. - - =Desk.= A piece of furniture with conveniences for writing. - - =Desk box.= A box similar to a Bible box, made to hold books or papers. - - =Diaper.= A small pattern or design, repeated indefinitely on a - surface. - - =Dish top.= A table top with a plain raised rim. - - =Dovetail.= Fastening together with mortise and tenon. - - =Dowel.= A wooden pin used to fasten sections together. - - =Dresser.= A set of shelves for dishes. - - =Dutch foot.= A foot which spreads from the leg in a circular - termination. - - -E - - =Egg and dart.= A form of ornament made of egg-shaped pieces with - dart-shaped pieces between. - - =Empire style.= A style which became popular during the First Empire, - largely formed upon Egyptian styles, found by Napoleon during his - Egyptian campaign. Later the term was applied to the heavy furniture - with coarse carving, of the first quarter of the nineteenth century. - - =Escritoire.= A secretary. - - =Escutcheon.= The metal plate of a key-hole. - - -F - - =Fan back.= The back of a Windsor chair with the spindles flaring like - an open fan. - - =Fender.= A guard of pierced metal, or wire, to place before an open - fire. - - =Field bedstead.= One with half high posts which uphold a frame - covered with netting or cloth. - - =Finial.= The ornament which is used at the top of a pointed effect as - a finish. - - =Flemish foot= or =leg=. An early scroll form with one scroll turning - in and the other turning out; found upon Jacobean furniture. - - =Fluting.= A series of concave grooves. - - =French foot.= In Chippendale’s time, a scroll foot terminating a - cabriole leg; in Hepplewhite’s time, a delicate form of a bracket foot. - - =Fretwork.= A form of ornament in furniture, sawed or carved in an - open design. - - -G - - =Gadroon= or =Godroon=. A form of ornament consisting of a series of - convex flutings, chiefly used in a twisted form as a finish to the - edge. - - =Gallery.= The raised and pierced rim upon a table top, usually in - Chinese fretwork. - - =Gate-legged=, =hundred-legged=, or =forty-legged table=. An early - table with drop leaves and stretchers between the legs, of which there - are six stationary upon the middle section, and one or two which swing - out to hold up the drop leaves. - - =Girandole.= A mirror with fixtures for candles. - - =Guéridon.= A stand to hold a candelabra,—a candle-stand. - - =Guilloche.= An ornamental pattern formed by interlacing curves. - - -H - - =High-boy.= A tall-boy or chest of drawers upon high legs. - - =Hood.= The bonnet top of a high-boy. - - =Husk.= The form of ornament made from the bell-flower, much used by - Hepplewhite. - - -J - - =Jacobean.= A term applied to furniture of the last quarter of the - seventeenth century, although properly it should apply to the period - of James I. - - =Japanning= or =Lacquering=. In the eighteenth century a process - copied from the Chinese and Japanese lacquer; in Hepplewhite’s time a - method of painting and gilding with a thin varnish. - - -K - - =Kas= or =Kos=. A Dutch high case with drawers and doors, made to hold - linen, and extending to the floor, from which it was sometimes held up - by large balls. - - =Kettle front= or =bombé=. A form of chest of drawers or secretary, in - which the lower drawers, toward the base, swell out in a curve. - - =Knee.= The term applied to the upper curve, next the body, of a bandy - leg. - - =Knee-hole desk.= A desk with a table top, and an open space below - with drawers at each side. - - -L - - =Lacquer.= A Chinese and Japanese process of coating with many layers - of varnish. - - =Ladder back.= A chair back of the Chippendale period, with horizontal - carved or sawed pieces across the back. - - =Low-boy.= A dressing-table, made to go with a high-boy. - - -M - - =Marquetry.= Inlay in different woods. - - =Mortise.= The form cut in a piece of wood to receive the tenon, to - form a joint. - - =Mounts.= The metal handles, escutcheons, or ornaments fastened upon a - piece of furniture. - - -O - - =Ogee.= A cyma, or double curve, as of a moulding. - - =Ormolu.= Mountings of gilded bronze or brass, used as ornaments. - - -P - - =Pie-crust table.= A table with a raised edge made in a series of - curves. - - =Pier-glass.= A large looking-glass. - - =Pigeon-hole.= A small open compartment in the cabinet of a desk or - secretary. - - =Patina.= The surface of wood or metal acquired by age or long use. - - =Pediment.= The part above the body of a bookcase or chest of drawers, - with an outline low at the sides and high in the middle, similar to - the Greek pediment. - - =Pembroke table.= A small table with drop leaves, to use as a - breakfast table. - - -R - - =Rail.= The horizontal pieces across a frame or panel. - - =Reeding.= Parallel convex groovings. - - =Ribband= or =Ribbon-back=. A chair back of the Chippendale period, - with the back formed of carved ribbon forms. - - =Rococo.= A name derived from two words, rock and shell—applied to a - style of ornamentation chiefly composed of scrolls and shells, used in - irregular forms, often carried to extremes. - - =Roundabout= or =Corner chair=. An arm-chair, the back of which - extends around two sides, leaving two sides and a corner in front. - - -S - - =Scroll-top.= A top made of two curves broken at the center, a bonnet - top. - - =Secretary.= A desk with a top enclosed by doors, with shelves and - compartments behind them. - - =Serpentine= or =Yoke front=. A term applied to drawer fronts sawed or - carved in a double curve. - - =Settee.= A long seat with wooden arms and back, the latter sometimes - upholstered. - - =Settle.= A seat, usually for two, made with high wooden arms and - back, to stand in front of a fire. Often the back turned over upon - pivots to form a table top. - - =Slat-back.= A chair back very commonly found, with plain horizontal - pieces of wood across the back in varying numbers. - - =Spade foot.= A foot used by Hepplewhite and Sheraton, the tapering - leg increasing suddenly about two inches from the end, and tapering - again forming a foot the sides of which are somewhat spade-shaped. - - =Spandrels.= The triangular pieces formed by the outlines of the - circular face of a clock and the square corners. - - =Spanish foot.= An angular, grooved foot with a scroll base turning - inward. - - =Spindle.= A slender, round, turned piece of wood. - - =Splat.= The upright wide piece of wood in the middle of a chair-back. - - =Squab.= A hard cushion. - - =Stiles.= The vertical pieces of a panel, into which the upper and - lower rails are set, with mortise and tenon. - - =Strainers= or =Stretchers=. The pieces of wood extending between the - legs of chairs or tables to strengthen them, and in early times to - rest the feet upon, to keep them from the cold floor. - - =Swell front.= A front curved in a slightly circular form. - - -T - - =Tambour.= A term applied to a door or cover made from small strips - of wood glued to a piece of cloth which is fastened so that it is - flexible. - - =Tenon.= The form of a cut which fits into a mortise so as to make a - firm joint. - - =Torchère.= A candle stand. - - -V - - =Veneer.= A very thin piece of wood glued upon another heavier piece. - - =Vernis Martin.= A French varnish with a golden hue, named for its - inventor. - - -W - - =Wainscot chair.= An early chair, usually of oak, with the seat and - back formed of solid panels. - - - - -INDEX OF THE OWNERS OF FURNITURE - - - A - - Albany Historical Society, Girandole, 395; - forty-legged table, 247. - - Alexander Ladd House, Portsmouth. Chair, 161; - double chair, 224. - - Allen House. Stairs, 427. - - American Antiquarian Society, Worcester. Desk, 127; - double chair, 225; - high chair, 156; - looking-glass, 376; - slate-top table, 245; - tall clock, 354. - - American Philosophical Society, Philadelphia. Chair, 177. - - - B - - Barrell, Mrs. Charles C., York Corners. Looking-glass, 380, 382. - - Baxter, James Phinney, Portland. Sideboard, 97; - dressing-glass, 50. - - Bigelow, Francis H., Cambridge. Andirons, 319; - candelabra, 345; - cellaret, 111; - chairs, 183, 185, 197, 206, 207; - clock, 359; - desk, 129, 151; - lamps, 344; - looking-glass, 41, 403, 406; - secretary, 150; - sconce, 340; - settee, 228; - sideboard, 104,105; - sofa, 230; - table, 251, 253, 269; - time-piece, 368; - washstand, 60. - - Bigelow, Mrs. H. H., Worcester. Looking-glass, 10. - - Bigelow, Irving, Worcester. Clock, 362; - table, 266. - - Blaney, Dwight, Boston. Andirons, 318; - bureau, 52; - chair, 163, 198; - desk, 133; - high chest, 26; - looking-glass, 400; - music-stand, 303; - settle, 215; - sideboard, 108; - table, 243, 244, 245, 246, 253, 262, 276; - what-not, 267. - - Boston Art Museum. Clock, 354; - looking-glass, 402. - - Bostonian Society. Clocks, 356. - - Burnside, Miss H. P. F., Worcester. Looking-glass, 64; - table, 275. - - - C - - Carroll, Mrs. Elbert H., Worcester. Bureau, 48. - - Chase Mansion, Annapolis. Doorway, 445; - looking-glass, 389. - - Chickering & Co. Piano, 302, 310. - - Clark, Charles D., Philadelphia. Clock, 357. - - “Cliveden,” Germantown. Entrance and stairs, 446; - mantel, 447. - - Coates, Miss Mary, Philadelphia. Chair, 161, 176, 187, 189, 204; - table, 253. - - Colonial Dames of Pennsylvania. Bedstead, 79; - sideboard, 110; - sofa, 220. - - Concord Antiquarian Society. Bedstead, 69; - chair, 190; - couch, 217; - looking-glass, 242; - settee, 234; - table, 262, 264. - - Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford. Chest, 14. - - Cook-Oliver House, Salem. Mantel and doorway, 413. - - Corbett, George H., Worcester. Bedstead, 82. - - Crowninshield, Frederic B., Marblehead. Settee, 233. - - Cutter, Mrs. J. C., Worcester. Chair, 209. - - - D - - Dalton House, Newburyport. Doorway, 414; - mantel, 416, 417; - stairs, 418. - - Darlington, Dr. James H., Brooklyn. Piano, 294, 327. - - Deerfield Museum. “Beaufatt,” 90; - chair, 182; - chest, 11, 15; - dulcimer, 304; - settle, 214; - spinet, 282. - - Dyer, Clinton M., Worcester. Table, 258; - table and chair, 267. - - - E - - Earle, Mrs. Alice Morse, Brooklyn. Chair, 187; - desk, 138. - - Essex Institute, Salem. Chair, 158; - cupboard, 88; - settee, 216. - - - F - - Faulkner, Dr. G., Roxbury. Clock, 363. - - Flagler, Harry Harkness, Millbrook. Andirons, 320; - candle-stand, 343; - chair, 164, 186, 188, 195; - clock, 359; - double-chair, 222; - dressing-table, 39; - fender, 320; - high chest, 37; - lantern, 346; - looking-glass, 39, 386, 404; - side table, 93; - settee, 221; - table, 254, 255, 256, 258, 261; - writing table, 136. - - - G - - Gage, Mrs. Thomas H., Worcester. Bureau, 53, 56; - case of drawers, 55; - desk, 152; - looking-glass, 398; - sofa, 239. - - Gage, Miss Mabel C., Worcester. Desk, 120. - - Garrett, The Misses, Williamsburg. Mixing table, 116; - stairs, 448. - - Gay, Calvin, Worcester. Clock, 372. - - Gilbert, J. J., Baltimore. Bedstead 71; - bookcase, 143; - chair, 199; - table, 256; - music-stand, 306. - - Gilman, Daniel, Exeter. Chest of drawers, 36. - - Girard College. Settee, 229. - - Graeme Park, Horsford. Mantel, 443; - stairs, 442. - - Grisier, Mrs. Ada, Auburn. Piano, 295. - - - H - - Harrison, Mrs. Charles Custis, St. David’s. Mixing-table, 115. - - Henry, Mrs. J. H., Winchendon. Desk, 153. - - Herreshoff, J. B. F., New York. Double-chest, 33. - - Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Chair, 173, 201; - desk, 112. - - Hogg, Mrs. W. J., Worcester. Settee, 227. - - Holmes, George W., Charleston. Bookcase, 144; - looking-glass, 409; - side-table, 94. - - Hosmer, The Misses, Concord. Couch, 218; - sofa, 235; - table, 268. - - Hosmer, Walter, Wethersfield. Chair, 180; - couch, 218; - cupboard, 88; - desk, 125, 126; - dressing-table, 35. - - Huntington, Dr. William R., New York. Desk with cabinet top, 130. - - Hyde, Mrs. Clarence R., Brooklyn. Comb-back rocker, 175; - chair, 202; - knife-box, 100; - settee, 232; - table, 275. - - - I - - Independence Hall. Doorway and stairs, 441. - - Ipswich Historical Society. Bedstead, 67; - chair, 170, 171. - - - J - - Johnson-Hudson, Mrs. Stratford. Bedstead, 66; - bureau, 47; - candle-shades, 332; - kas, 91; - looking-glass, 332; - screen, 338; - table, 259. - - - K - - Kennedy, W. S. G., Worcester. Chair, 190, 203; - clock, 364; - desk, 149; - looking-glass, 392; - piano, 293; - sideboard, 113; - sofa, 230. - - Kimball House, Salem. Mantel, 431. - - Knabe, William & Co., Baltimore. Harpsichord, 285. - - Kohn, H. H., Albany. Looking-glass, 315. - - - L - - Ladd House, Portsmouth. Chair, 161; - settee, 224. - - Lang, B. J., Boston. Piano, 308. - - Larkin-Richter House, Portsmouth. Doorway, 433. - - Lawrence, Walter Bowne, Flushing. Chair, 208. - - Lawton, Mrs. Vaughan Reed, Worcester. Harp, 313. - - Lee Mansion, Marblehead. Bedstead, 70; - fireplace, 316; - mantel, 422; - stairs, 425. - - Lemon, E. R., Sudbury. Chest of drawers, 19; - fire-frame, 328; - looking-glass, 349, 374. - - Lincoln, Waldo, Worcester. Chair, 209, 210; - sideboard, 109. - - Lindall-Barnard-Andrews House, Salem. Mantel, 432. - - - M - - MacInnes, J. C., Worcester. Side-table, 106. - - Manor Hall, Yonkers. Mantel, 438, 439, 440. - - Marsh, Mrs. Caroline Foote, Claremont-on-the-James. Chest, 13. - - Meggatt, William, Wethersfield. Lantern clock, 349. - - Metropolitan Museum of Art. Basin-stand, 59; - chair, 191; - dressing-table, 24; - high-boy, 27; - looking-glass, 393, 411; - table, 262, 277. - - Moffett, Charles A., Worcester. Clock, 369. - - Moore, D. Thomas, Westbury. Clock, 371; - chair, 196. - - Morse, Charles H., Charlestown. Bureau, 58; - clock, 366; - dressing-table, 54. - - Morse, Mrs. E. A., Worcester. Bedstead, 77; - chair, 194, 208; - clock, 361, 364; - table, 279; - washstand, 62. - - Morse, Miss Frances C., Worcester. Andirons, 324; - bedstead, 78, 81; - bureau, 45, 51; - candlesticks, 333; - chairs, 166-168, 169, 172, 174, 178, 184, 193, 200, 212; - clock, 350, 357, 360, 362, 364; - coasters, 102, 252; - desk, 146; - high chest, 30; - lamps, 329; - looking-glass, 84, 280, 378, 392, 396, 407, 410; - low-boy, 30, 40,378; - mirror-knobs, 394; - night-table, 62; - piano, 290; - piano-stool, 298, 300; - secretary desk, 147; - settee, 321; - sideboard, 102; - sofa, 236; - table, 250, 252, 260, 265; - washstand, 61, 63. - - Mount Vernon. Lamp, 335; - mantel, 324. - - Myers, Barton, Norfolk. Mantel, 450; - settee, 232; - table, 274. - - - N - - Newburyport Historical Association. Cradle, 65; - desk with cabinet top, 137; - table, 244. - - Newman, Mrs. M., New York. Sofa, 241. - - Nichols, The Misses, Salem. Chair, 205; - looking-glass, 399. - - - O - - “Oak Hill.” Peabody. Stairs, 428. - - “Octagon,” Washington. Doorway, 434; - mantel, 435. - - Ogle House, Annapolis. Looking-glass, 300. - - Orth, John, Boston. Clavichord, 288. - - Otis, Harrison Gray, House, Boston. Mantel, 425; - stairs, 424. - - - P - - Parker-Inches-Emery House, Boston. Doorway, 420. - - Pendleton Collection, Providence. Hall lantern, 348; - knife urn, 99. - - Pennsylvania Historical Society. Chair, 173, 183, 184; - desk, 124. - - Penny-Hallett House, Boston. Mantel, 419. - - Philadelphia Library Association. Looking-glass, 384. - - Pilgrim Society, Plymouth. Chairs, 157; - cradle, 65. - - Poore, Ben: Perley, Byfield. Bedstead, 72, 75; - candle-stand, 330, 342; - cellaret, 111; - chair, 159, 160, 162, 172, 181, 186, 204; - chest on frame, 18; - clock, 352; - looking-glass, 117, 154; - screen, 342; - sofa, 240. - - Potter, Mrs. M. G., Worcester. Looking-glass, 213. - - Pratt, Miss Emma A., Worcester. Miniature tall clock, 360. - - Prentice, Mrs. Charles H., Worcester. Dutch chair, 179. - - Preston, Mrs. William, Richmond. Looking-glass, 397. - - Priest, Mrs. Louis M., Salem. Piano, 296. - - Pringle House, Charleston. Chandelier, 336. - - Prouty, Dwight M., Boston. Andirons, 322; - chair, 166, 192, 202; - chest, 17; - chest of drawers, 20; - clock, 368; - bureau, 42; - hall lantern, 347; - looking-glass, 375, 384, 388, 408; - music-stand, 307; - screen, 341; - settee, 219; - side-table, 107; - stool, 167; - table, 248, 263, 270. - - - R - - Rankin, Mrs. F. W., Albany. Desk, 119, 120; - table, 249. - - Rines, Albert S., Portland. Chair, 192; - secretary, 135; - settee, 226. - - Robart, F. A., Boston. Dressing-table 23; - high-chest, 22. - - Robinson House, Saunderstown. Stairs, 426. - - Rogers, Mrs. N. F., Worcester. Cheval glass, 405. - - - S - - Sargent-Murray-Gilman House Gloucester. Mantel, 429; - stairs, 430. - - Schoeffer, Dr. Charles, Philadelphia. Sofa, 212. - - Schuyler House, Albany. Mantel, 436. - - Shapiro, L. J., Norfolk. Sideboard, 114; - table, 272. - - Sibley, Charles, Worcester. Bureau, 46. - - Smith, John, Worcester. Table, 273. - - Stevenson, Cornelius, Philadelphia. Screen, 341. - - - T - - Tappan, Mrs. Sanford, Newburyport. Piano, 292. - - Tilton, Miss M. E., Newburyport. Table, 251. - - Turner, Frank C., Norwich. Clock, 369. - - - U - - Unitarian Church, Leicester. Chair, 200. - - - V - - Valentine Museum, Richmond. Stairs, 449. - - Verplanck, Samuel, Fishkill. Desk with cabinet top, frontispiece. - - - W - - Warner House, Portsmouth. Bedstead, 76; - bill of lading, 139; - bookcase, 142; - bureau, 43; - chandelier, 334; - double chest, 32; - dressing-table, 34; - high chest, 28; - sofa, 337; - stove, 327. - - Waters, Charles R., Salem. Bedstead, 74; - bureau, 44; - candelabra, 325; - chair, 155, 160, 194, 196, 203; - chest, 16; - chest upon frame, 18; - cupboard, 87; - desk box, 118; - desk with cabinet top, 128; - hob grate, 325; - looking-glass, 383; - lantern clock, 350. - - Wing, Mrs. John D., Millbrook. - Music stand, 303. - - Woodward, Mrs. Rufus, Worcester. - High chest, 29. - - Woodward, Mrs. Samuel B., Worcester. - Bedstead, 80; - bureau, 57; - table, 268. - - Worcester Art Museum. Table, 274. - - - - -GENERAL INDEX - - - A - - Adam, Robert and J., 4, 5, 99, 184. - - Adam leg, 235, 241. - - Adams, John, quoted, 284. - - Allen house, 427. - - Andirons, 317. - - Argand lamp, 334. - - Astor piano, 292. - - - B - - Baldwin, Christopher Columbus, quoted, 314. - - Banister-back chair, 168. - - “Banjo” clock, 366. - - Basin-stand, 58. - - Beaufet or beaufatt, 89, 90. - - Bedstead, claw-and-ball foot, 69; - cording of, 73; - coverlid for, 78; - early, 65; - field, 67; - French, 82; - Hepplewhite, 73; - low post, 80; - ornaments for concealing bed screws, 77; - press, 66; - sleigh, 83; - steps for, 73, 79. - - Bell-flower, 197. - - Belter, John, 290. - - Betty lamp, 328. - - Bevelling, 375. - - Bible box, 118. - - “Biglow Papers,” quoted, 31. - - “Bilboa” looking-glass, 401. - - Bill of lading, 189. - - Bird-cage clock, 349. - - Bliss, Rev. Daniel, 190. - - Block, front, 42, 128, 129. - - Blythe, Samuel, 286. - - Bolles collection, 25, 26, 155, 242. - - Bonaparte chair, 209. - - Books on furniture, 4. - - Bowley, Devereux, 355. - - Bracket clock, 352. - - Brass beading, 237. - - Brewster chair, 157. - - Broadwood harpsichord, 287. - - Brown, Gawen, 355. - - Brown, John, Joseph, Nicholas, Moses, 34, 195. - - Bulkeley, Rev. Peter, 217. - - Bureau, 41, 113, 146. - - Burney, Dr., quoted, 281. - - Burnt work on chest, 12. - - Butterfly table, 245. - - - C - - Candelabra, 373, 375. - - Candle beam, 337. - - Candle extinguisher, 334. - - Candle shades, 332. - - Candle-stand, mahogany, 343; - iron, 331. - - Candlestick, 327, 333. - - Carroll, Charles, 235. - - Carver chair, 157. - - Cellaret, 111. - - Chair, bandy-leg, 177; - banister, 168; - cane, 159; - Carver and Brewster, 157; - comb-back, 175; - Dutch, 178; - easy, 182; - fan-back, 175; - Flemish, 160; - leather, 158; - Queen Anne, 167; - rocking, 173; - roundabout, 170; - slat-back, 171; - turned, 156; - Turkey work, 160; - wainscot, 157; - Windsor, 175; - writing, 177. - - Chair table, 243. - - Chaise longue, 217. - - Chambers, Sir William, 4. - - Chandelier, 334, 336. - - Chandler, John, 225, 355. - - Charters, John, 300. - - Chase, Samuel, 444. - - Chase house, 444. - - Chest, 10. - - Chest of drawers, 19. - - Chest on frame, 18. - - Cheval glass, 405. - - Chew, Benjamin, 447. - - Chickering & Co., 301, 310. - - China steps, 25. - - Chinese taste, 193, 223, 379. - - Chippendale, Thomas, 4, 184. - - Clavichord, 287. - - Claw-and-ball foot, 178. - - Clementi, 291. - - Cleopatra’s Barge, 233. - - Cliveden, 446. - - Clocks, 348. - - Coasters, 103, 251. - - Comb-back, 175. - - Commode, 41, 66; - table, 41. - - Cook-Oliver house, 412. - - Cording a bed, 73. - - Corner chair, 170. - - Cornucopia sofa, 238. - - Couch, 217. - - Cradle, 65. - - Creepers, 321. - - Cupboard, almery, 84; - corner, 90; - court, 86; - livery, 86; - press, 84. - - Cupboard cloths or cushions, 89. - - - D - - Dalton, Tristram, 415. - - Darby and Joan seat, 220. - - Darly, Matthias, 4. - - Day bed, 217. - - Dearborn, General Henry, 167. - - Derby house, 411. - - Desk, 107, 108. - - Desk-box, 108. - - Dish-top table, 252. - - Dodd & Claus, 289. - - Double chair, 222, 225. - - Double chest, 32. - - Drawing-table, 243. - - Dressing-glass, 50. - - Dulcimer, 304. - - Dutch marquetrie, 46. - - Dutch tea-table, 251. - - - E - - Easy-chair, 182, 183. - - Edwards and Darley, 379. - - Emerson, Rev. William, 190. - - Empire bureau, 56, 57, 58; - sideboard, 114; - dining-table, 272. - - Erben, Peter, 297. - - Extension-top chair, 191. - - - F - - Fan-back, 175. - - Fancy chair, 210. - - Faneuil, Peter, 347. - - Fender, 320. - - Fireback, 323. - - Fire-frame, 326. - - Fireplace, 316, 319. - - Flemish chairs, 160. - - Flucker, Lucy, 49. - - Foot, claw-and-ball, 178; - Dutch, 171; - Flemish, 163; - French, 48, 222; - spade, 210; - Spanish, 163. - - Forms, 139. - - Forty-legged table, 248. - - Franklin, Benjamin, 306, 326. - - Franklin stove, 326. - - French foot, Hepplewhite, 48; - scroll, 186, 222. - - Frets, 288. - - Friesland clock, 341. - - Fringe, netted, 68. - - - G - - Gas, 344. - - Gate-leg, 248. - - Gibbon, Dr., 3. - - Gilman, Rev. Samuel, 431. - - Girandole, 395. - - Girard, Stephen, 229. - - Graeme Park, 442. - - Guilloche, 200. - - - H - - Hadley chest, 16. - - Haircloth covering, 204, 241. - - Hall lantern, 346, 347. - - Hamilton, Alexander, 437. - - Hancock, John, 126, 225, 267, 211, 346, 353. - - Hancock, Thomas, 353. - - Handles, 21, 49. - - Harmonica, 305. - - Harp, 313. - - Harp-shaped piano, 311. - - Harpsichord, 286. - - Harris, John, 286. - - Hassam, Stephen, 365. - - Haward, Charles, 281. - - Hawkey, Henry, 312. - - Hawthorne, Nathaniel, quoted, 38. - - Heaton, J. Aldam, quoted, 9. - - Hepplewhite, 4, 6, 196. - - Hessians, 318. - - High-boy, 24, 31. - - Hipkins, A. J., 283. - - Hitchcock, John, 284; - Thomas, 281, 283. - - Hob-grate, 323. - - Holmes, O. W., quoted, 1, 132, 155. - - Howard, Edward, 364. - - Hundred-legged table, 2, 248. - - Huntington, Dr. William R., 133. - - - I - - Ince and Mayhew, 4, 184, 379. - - Independence Hall, 441. - - Irish Chippendale, 93. - - - J - - Jacobean furniture, 159. - - Japanning, 24, 123, 204. - - Japan work, 24, 123, 376. - - Jefferson, Thomas, 177, 334. - - Johnson, Dr. Samuel, 91; - Dr. William Samuel, 258, 338. - - Johnson, Thomas, 4, 5, 379. - - Joint or joined furniture, 10. - - Jones, William, 4. - - - K - - Kas or kasse, 91. - - Keene, Stephen, 281, 282. - - Keith, Sir William, 443. - - Kettle-shape, 44, 135. - - Kettle-stand, 257. - - Kimball house, 431. - - Knife-boxes, 99, 100. - - Knobs for looking-glasses, 394. - - Knox, General, 50, 98. - - - L - - Lacquered furniture, 24, 123. - - Lafayette, 238. - - Lamp, betty, 328; - mantel, 345; - silver, 335. - - Langdale, Josiah, 162. - - Lantern, 346. - - Lantern clock, 348. - - Larkin-Richter house, 433. - - Lee, Col. Jeremiah, 423. - - Lee mansion, 317, 423. - - Light-stand, 257. - - Lindall-Barnard-Andrews house, 432. - - Lock, Matthias, 4, 5, 379. - - Logan, James, 110. - - Looking-glasses, 374. - - Low-boy, 24, 31. - - Lowell, James Russell, quoted, 21. - - - M - - Macphaedris, Archibald, 140. - - Mahogany, 3, 4. - - Manor hall, 437. - - Mantel lamps, 345. - - Manwaring, Robert, 4, 184. - - Marie Antoinette, 97, 227. - - Marquetrie, 46. - - McIntire, 207, 411. - - Mather, Richard, 156. - - Mayhew, Ince and, 4, 184. - - Melville, David, 344. - - Miniature bureau, 53; - sofa, 239. - - Mirror knobs, 394. - - Mischianza fête, 385, 448. - - Mixing table, 115, 116. - - Morgan, Lady, 308, 314. - - Morris, Robert, 116. - - Mouldings, 19, 47. - - Mount Vernon, chair, 205; - fireplace, 324; - lamp, 335. - - Murray, Rev. John, 431. - - Musical clock, 361, 363. - - Musical glasses, 305. - - Music-stand, 303, 306, 307. - - Myers, Barton, house, 450. - - - N - - Newport chest, 33; - bureau, 45; - writing table, 136. - - Night table, 62. - - - O - - Oak, 3, 19. - - Oak Hill, 428. - - Octagon house, 434. - - Oliver, Gen. 412. - - Osborne, Sir Danvers, 122. - - Otis, Harrison Gray, house, 424. - - - P - - Parker-Inches-Emery house, 420. - - “Parson Turell’s Legacy,” quoted, 155. - - Pembroke table, 262. - - Pendleton collection, 100, 347. - - Penn, William, 125. - - Penny-Hallet house, 419. - - Pepperell, Sir William, 160. - - Pepys, Samuel, quoted, 281. - - Philipse, Mary, 437. - - Philipse Manor house, 437. - - Phyfe, Duncan, 275. - - Piano, 289. - - Piano-stool, 298, 300. - - Pie-crust table, 252. - - Pillar-and-claw table, 272. - - Pipe-case, 36. - - Pollen, Hungerford, quoted, 375. - - Popkin, Dr. John Smelling, 129. - - Portuguese twist, 168. - - Preston, John, 245. - - Prince of Wales feathers, 197. - - Pringle house, 337. - - Province House, 332. - - Putnam cupboard, 86. - - - Q - - Quadrille, 258. - - Queen Anne chair, 167. - - Quill work, 339. - - Quincy, Eliza Susan Morton, quoted, 335. - - - R - - Ripley, Dr. Ezra, 190, 234. - - Rittenhouse, David, 358. - - Robinson, G. T., quoted, 3. - - Robinson house, 426. - - Rockers, 173, 177. - - Roundabout chair, 170. - - Rumford, Count, 320. - - - S - - Sally, ship, 96, 226. - - Sargent-Murray-Gilman house, 429. - - Satinwood, 6. - - Schuyler, Gen. Philip, 437. - - Schuyler house, 437. - - Sconce, 377. - - Screen, 338, 341. - - Scrutoir, 118. - - Secret drawers, 132, 136. - - Settee, 216, 221. - - Settle, 214. - - Sewall, Judge Samuel, 280, 321, 377. - - Shaw, Miss Rebecca, 137, 189. - - Shearer, Thomas, 5, 96, 264. - - Sheraton, Thomas, 4, 184, 205. - - Sheraton quoted, 3, 7, 106, 146, 150, 295. - - Sherburne, John, 28. - - Sideboard, 91; - Shearer, 96; - Hepplewhite, 101; - Sheraton, 105; - measurements of, 106; - woods used in, 99. - - Side table, Chippendale, 93, 94. - - Slat-back chair, 171. - - Slate-top table, 245. - - Slaw-bank, 66. - - Smoker’s tongs, 331. - - Spade foot, 210. - - Spandrels, 353. - - Spanish foot, 165. - - Spindle-leg, 249. - - Spinet, 281. - - Splat, 179, 184. - - Squabs, 238. - - Stand, candle, 343; - Dutch, 251; - kettle, 257; - light, 257. - - Stein, André, 398. - - Stenton, 110, 221. - - Steps for beds, 73, 79. - - Storr, Marmaduke, 355. - - Strong, Governor Caleb, 190. - - Swan, Colonel, 96. - - - T - - Table, butterfly, 246; - card, 257, 264; - chair, 243; - dish-top, 252; - drawing, 243; - Dutch tea, 251; - framed, 248; - forty, gate or hundred-legged, 243; - joined, 243; - Pembroke, 262; - pie-crust, 252; - pillar-and-claw, 272; - slate-top, 245; - spindle-legged, 249; - work, 268. - - Table borde, 242. - - Table piano, 301. - - Tall clocks, 354. - - Tambour, 150. - - Taylor, Col. John, 434. - - Tea-tray, mahogany, 264; - Sheffield, 249. - - Terry, Eli, 370. - - Thomas, Seth, 370. - - Turkey work, 159, 216. - - - U - - Unitarian church, Leicester, 200. - - Upright piano, 309. - - - V - - Valentine Museum, 449. - - Vanderbilt, Mrs., quoted, 72. - - Van Rensselaer, Killian, 120. - - Van Rensselaer, Philip, 120. - - Virginal, 280. - - - W - - Wainscot chair, 157. - - Walnut, 3. - - Ware, Isaac, quoted, 423. - - Warner, Colonel Jonathan, 140. - - Warville, Brissot de, quoted, 289. - - Washington, George, 103, 151, 201, 205, 323, 378. - - Washstand, 57. - - Watson’s Annals, quoted, 306. - - Wendell, Elizabeth Hunt, 283. - - Wentworth, Governor John, 223. - - What-not, 267. - - Whipple house, 171, 319. - - Wig stand, 58. - - Willard, Aaron, Benjamin, Simon, 362. - - Windsor, chair, 174. - - Wood, Small & Co., 300. - - Work-table, 270. - - Writing-chair, 177. - - Writing-table, 136. - - -Printed in the United States of America. - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Furniture of the Olden Time, by Frances Clary Morse - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FURNITURE OF THE OLDEN TIME *** - -***** This file should be named 53057-0.txt or 53057-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/3/0/5/53057/ - -Produced by Giovanni Fini, Suzanne Shell and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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