Domestic Furnishings

Tiffany Floor Lamp

Washboards, armchairs, lamps, and pots and pans may not seem to be museum pieces. But they are invaluable evidence of how most people lived day to day, last week or three centuries ago. The Museum's collections of domestic furnishings comprise more than 40,000 artifacts from American households. Large and small, they include four houses, roughly 800 pieces of furniture, fireplace equipment, spinning wheels, ceramics and glass, family portraits, and much more.

The Arthur and Edna Greenwood Collection contains more than 2,000 objects from New England households from colonial times to mid-1800s. From kitchens of the past, the collections hold some 3,300 artifacts, ranging from refrigerators to spatulas. The lighting devices alone number roughly 3,000 lamps, candleholders, and lanterns.

Date: 1850s

1850 - 1851 Eliza Jane Baile's "Bride's" Quilt

Eliza Jane Baile lovingly stitched and inscribed this cotton album quilt top, finishing a few weeks after her marriage to Levi Manahan in 1851. Original patterns of wreaths of strawberries and flowers are framed by a strawberry vine along the quilt border.
Description
Eliza Jane Baile lovingly stitched and inscribed this cotton album quilt top, finishing a few weeks after her marriage to Levi Manahan in 1851. Original patterns of wreaths of strawberries and flowers are framed by a strawberry vine along the quilt border. Three blocks incorporate inked inscriptions within scrolls. On one corner, one may read “E J Baile. Commenced June 1850” and on the opposite corner, “Finished October 30 185l.” A third scroll has the following sentiment carefully penned:
“Sweett flowers bright as Indian Sky
Yet mild as Beauty’s soft blue eye;
Thy charms tho’ unassuming shed /
A modest splendoure o’er the mead.”
Great attention was given to the completion of this quilt. The sawteeth of the border are individually appliquéd and the strawberries stuffed. All of the motifs have outline quilting, with closely quilted background lines, 10 stitches to the inch. The overall design is further enhanced with embroidery and small details drawn in ink or watercolor.
Eliza Jane Baile, the daughter of Abner Baile (1807-1894) and Frances Pole Baile (1813-1893) was born February 13, 1832, in Maryland. According to Eliza’s obituary, her mother was a descendent of Edward III, King of England. At age nineteen, Eliza married Levi Manahan ((1824-1893) on October 11, 1851. They reared eight children on a farm near Westminster, Carroll County, Maryland.
Eliza was not only an accomplished quilter, she was also known as a folk artist. One of her oil paintings, Stone Chapel of the Methodist Church is at the Historical Society of Carroll County. Other paintings are owned and treasured by her descendents. An active member of the Stone Chapel United Methodist Church, Eliza also founded a Ladies Mite Society and served as president for 50 years. Mite Societies were voluntary organizations that were established in the nineteenth century to raise monies for mission work.
Eliza died June 25, 1923, age 91, at her home in Westminster and is buried at the Stone Chapel Cemetery. As her obituary in the Daily News, Frederick, Maryland, notes, “Her Christian character endeared her to many friends. She was well known as an artist.” In 1954, Eliza’s youngest daughter, Addie, donated her mother’s quilt to the Smithsonian. Eliza's artistic abilities are well represented in the “Bride’s Quilt” she designed and made for her marriage.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1850-1851
maker
Baile, Eliza Jane
ID Number
TE.T011149
accession number
202673
catalog number
T11149

Double Litre Measure

Bracket-handled, cylindrical metric measure with a sloped collar pinched into spout at front and an overhanging pouted lid; molded lower rim and base. Curved-back thumb piece with wedge extension; five-knuckle hinge has hinge pin impressed with a domed star at one end.
Description
Bracket-handled, cylindrical metric measure with a sloped collar pinched into spout at front and an overhanging pouted lid; molded lower rim and base. Curved-back thumb piece with wedge extension; five-knuckle hinge has hinge pin impressed with a domed star at one end. Stamped on front of body "DOUBLE LITRE" in incuse serif letters; on front of lower rim with a small imperial crown; and on extension and tip of lid with 25 letter verification marks. Underside of flat bottom struck once with circular touchmark "BAZIRE (arched) / A / AVRANCHES (curved)" in incuse serif letters.
Maker is Bazire of Avranches, France.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1851
ID Number
DL.67.0343
catalog number
67.0343
accession number
250853

Foot Warmer

Perforated tin box with drawn-wire bail handle hooked through loops on top; one side is a wire-rimmed hinged door with bent wire pull. Box top has three bands of punched circles, while sides feature an 8-segment circle with semicircles at the corners. No marks.
Description
Perforated tin box with drawn-wire bail handle hooked through loops on top; one side is a wire-rimmed hinged door with bent wire pull. Box top has three bands of punched circles, while sides feature an 8-segment circle with semicircles at the corners. No marks. No brazier or pan for heat source.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1820 - 1850
ID Number
DL.392937
catalog number
392937
accession number
206516

The Wedding Night

Sentimental genre prints documented the social image of Victorian virtue through domestic scenes of courtship, family, home life, and images of the “genteel female.” Children are depicted studying nature or caring for their obedient pets as they learn their place in the greater w
Description
Sentimental genre prints documented the social image of Victorian virtue through domestic scenes of courtship, family, home life, and images of the “genteel female.” Children are depicted studying nature or caring for their obedient pets as they learn their place in the greater world. Romantic scenes picture devoted husbands with their contented, dutiful wives. In these prints, young women educated in reading, music, needlework, the arts, the language of flowers, basic math and science are subjugated to their family’s needs.
These prints became popular as lithography was introduced to 19th Century Americans. As a new art form, it was affordable for the masses and provided a means to share visual information by crossing the barriers of race, class and language. Sentimental prints encouraged the artistic endeavors of schoolgirls and promoted the ambitions of amateur artists, while serving as both moral instruction and home or business decoration. They are a pictorial record of our romanticized past.
This colored print depicts an indoor scene of a man kneeling behind a woman untying the stays of her corset. He wears a high-collared shirt, lace bowtie and striped trousers. Both are wearing slippers and earrings. The man’s expression is somewhat cartoonish. The fireplace has a carved mantle upon which sits a candle holder and lit candle. There is a chair with clothing draped over it. Heavy drapery and a bed are in the background. The rug is patterned.
This lithograph was made by J Shutz, a lithographer who worked for Currier & Ives from 1849-1850. He was the firm’s primary letterer, and was responsible for lettering a large quantity of prints.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1850
maker
Schutz, J
ID Number
DL.60.2281
catalog number
60.2281
accession number
228146

spoon

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1850
ID Number
DL.66.0560G
catalog number
66.0560G
accession number
265238

Button Mold

Three-part, single button mold for a plain, self shank, domed button. Top halves have iron loop handles and join to form a diamond or lozenge sprue hole. Bead-bordered domed button inside; fits mold but does not match it. No marks.Currently not on view
Description
Three-part, single button mold for a plain, self shank, domed button. Top halves have iron loop handles and join to form a diamond or lozenge sprue hole. Bead-bordered domed button inside; fits mold but does not match it. No marks.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1800 - 1850
ID Number
1980.0250.03
accession number
1980.0250
catalog number
1980.0250.03

Hempfield Railroad; coverlet; Figured and Fancy; double-cloth; c. 1851; Pennsylvania or West Virginia

An unidentified weaver wove this blue and white, Figured and Fancy, double cloth coverlet. The centerfield design features oak leaf and flower, sprig and floral, foliate swag, and leaf carpet medallions. All four of the borders depict the No.
Description
An unidentified weaver wove this blue and white, Figured and Fancy, double cloth coverlet. The centerfield design features oak leaf and flower, sprig and floral, foliate swag, and leaf carpet medallions. All four of the borders depict the No. 240 engine and coal car being operated by the engineer. The cornerblocks depict four profile portraits of M. T. McKennon, the first president of the railroad. He is surrounded by the woven inscription, “Hemfield Railroad.” The Hempfield Railroad was began in 1851 and designed to connect Wheeling, Virginia (current West Virginia) to Washington, Pennsylvania. Construction was not complete until 1857 and the railroad operated until 1871 when it was sold to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. It is not clear if these coverlets were used on the passenger cars or sold to subscribers. The railroad was initially funded through subscription, and it is possible that these coverlets were made to help facilitate that process or just to commemorate the arrival of the railroad. The coverlet was likely made c. 1851 either in Wheeling or Western Pennsylvania. The railroad operated three locomotive engines, six freight and passenger cars, and eleven coal cars.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1851
c. 1851
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T7317
catalog number
T07317.000
accession number
123286

The Lover's Walk

Sentimental genre prints documented the social image of Victorian virtue through domestic scenes of courtship, family, home life, and images of the “genteel female.” Children are depicted studying nature or caring for their obedient pets as they learn their place in the greater w
Description
Sentimental genre prints documented the social image of Victorian virtue through domestic scenes of courtship, family, home life, and images of the “genteel female.” Children are depicted studying nature or caring for their obedient pets as they learn their place in the greater world. Romantic scenes picture devoted husbands with their contented, dutiful wives. In these prints, young women educated in reading, music, needlework, the arts, the language of flowers, basic math and science are subjugated to their family’s needs.
These prints became popular as lithography was introduced to 19th Century Americans. As a new art form, it was affordable for the masses and provided a means to share visual information by crossing the barriers of race, class and language. Sentimental prints encouraged the artistic endeavors of schoolgirls and promoted the ambitions of amateur artists, while serving as both moral instruction and home or business decoration. They are a pictorial record of our romanticized past.
This colored print is a full length portrait of man and woman standing together outdoors holding hands, and gazing intently at each other. The man is wearing a large hat with plume, long, flowing cape and bows at the bottom of his pants. The woman is wearing an ankle length dress with lace, ruffles and a bow.
John Cameron (ca1828-1876) was a lithographer and a colorist for Nathaniel Currier and Currier & Ives. He is most known for his horse prints. A very heavy drinker and workaholic, he was quite prolific. In addition to his work with Currier & Ives, he worked with Henry Lawrence for the firm Lawerence & Cameron. He also was a principal in the firm Cameron & Walsh.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1859
lithographer
J. Cameron and Company
graphic artist
Cameron, John
ID Number
DL.60.2244
catalog number
60.2244
accession number
228146

Spoon

Large, misshapen, elongated oval spoon with an asymmetrical ruffled shell cast on back of bowl. Turned and incised wood handle is fitted into the conical shaft, which has two shallow rings around its top.
Description
Large, misshapen, elongated oval spoon with an asymmetrical ruffled shell cast on back of bowl. Turned and incised wood handle is fitted into the conical shaft, which has two shallow rings around its top. Lower half of a torn paper label affixed inside bowl is inscribed "[Ger]man spoon" in script. No marks.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1750-1850
ID Number
DL.309674.0002
catalog number
309674.0002
accession number
309674

spoon

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1840 - 1850
ID Number
DL.60.1016A
catalog number
60.1016A
accession number
71656

1830 - 1850 Boat Shaped Bathtub

Nineteenth–century bathtubs were viewed as furniture rather than fixtures. As such, tin tubs were often decorated with painted stripes and swags or marbleized to imitate wood.
Description
Nineteenth–century bathtubs were viewed as furniture rather than fixtures. As such, tin tubs were often decorated with painted stripes and swags or marbleized to imitate wood. This tub, with its multicolored stripes around the top edge and its painted wood stand, would fit appropriately among the other "fancy" household furniture of the period. This tub likely was used in a dressing room or bedroom.
For more information on bathing and bathtubs in the 19th and early 20th centuries, please see the introduction to this online exhibition.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1830 - 1850
maker
unknown
ID Number
DL.68.0723
catalog number
68.0723
accession number
275377

Summer-and-Winter Coverlet; New York; 1800-1850

This blue and white, Summer-and-Winter weave coverlet was woven from a warp of 2-ply, S-twist, Z-spun cotton, a ground weft of single ply Z-spun cotton, and a supplementary pattern weft of 2-ply, S-twist, Z-spun wool.
Description
This blue and white, Summer-and-Winter weave coverlet was woven from a warp of 2-ply, S-twist, Z-spun cotton, a ground weft of single ply Z-spun cotton, and a supplementary pattern weft of 2-ply, S-twist, Z-spun wool. The coverlet is constructed of two 35.5 inch widths that were woven as one length, cut, and seamed together to create the finished width. The pattern is a square variation of the “Whig Rose” pattern. There is fringe is along three sides. It appears the fringe was two inches long when new but has worn away over time. There are badly worn spots along the top and bottom edges and the center seam. The side fringe is detached and ragged in a few places. The condition of the coverlet overall is fair. According to the donors, this coverlet was woven in the first half of the nineteenth century in Cambridge, New York. The coverlet measures 92 inches by 66.5 inches.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1800-1850
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T16959
catalog number
T16959.000
accession number
309644

Pot

Small cooking pot on three, triangular feet with a flared lip, bulbous body and wire bail handle looped around triangular lugs or ears.
Description
Small cooking pot on three, triangular feet with a flared lip, bulbous body and wire bail handle looped around triangular lugs or ears. Hollow cast with four irregularly-spaced fillets, one around rim and three around body, the lowest one is a horizontal seam; two vertical seams on upper half and single gate mark on bottom exterior. No additional marks.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1780-1850
late 18th-early 19th century
ID Number
DL.317836.0005
catalog number
317836.0005
accession number
317836

Child's Spoon

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1850
maker
Bailey and Company
ID Number
DL.65.1437C
catalog number
65.1437C
accession number
70138

Abby

Sentimental genre prints documented the social image of Victorian virtue through domestic scenes of courtship, family, home life, and images of the “genteel female.” Children are depicted studying nature or caring for their obedient pets as they learn their place in the greater w
Description
Sentimental genre prints documented the social image of Victorian virtue through domestic scenes of courtship, family, home life, and images of the “genteel female.” Children are depicted studying nature or caring for their obedient pets as they learn their place in the greater world. Romantic scenes picture devoted husbands with their contented, dutiful wives. In these prints, young women educated in reading, music, needlework, the arts, the language of flowers, basic math and science are subjugated to their family’s needs.
These prints became popular as lithography was introduced to 19th Century Americans. As a new art form, it was affordable for the masses and provided a means to share visual information by crossing the barriers of race, class and language. Sentimental prints encouraged the artistic endeavors of schoolgirls and promoted the ambitions of amateur artists, while serving as both moral instruction and home or business decoration. They are a pictorial record of our romanticized past.
This full length hand colored portrait print depicts a young woman with brown hair standing indoors beside a table. Her feathered bonnet and a parasol rest on the table. She wears a blue dress with a ruffled red garment that may be an overdress or a small decorative wrap called a mantelet.
This print was produced by the lithographic firm of Kelloggs & Comstock. In 1848, John Chenevard Comstock developed a partnership with E.B. and E.C. Kellogg. In 1850, Edmund Burke Kellogg left the firm, leaving his brother Elijah Chapman Kellogg and J.C. Comstock to run the lithography firm as Kellogg and Comstock. The short-lived partnership disbanded in 1851. It was not until 1855 that Edmund Burke Kellogg rejoined his brother E.C. Kellogg and continued the success of the family’s lithography firm.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1850
distributor
Needham, D.
maker
Kelloggs & Comstock
ID Number
DL.60.2504
catalog number
60.2504
accession number
228146

Foot Warmer

Rectangular, slat-top, wooden frame foot warmer or stove with opposed double-baluster supports that holds a perforated tin box with wire-rimmed, hinged door; a square brazier or pan for holding heat source, made of a single cut and folded piece with bent front rim for handling, i
Description
Rectangular, slat-top, wooden frame foot warmer or stove with opposed double-baluster supports that holds a perforated tin box with wire-rimmed, hinged door; a square brazier or pan for holding heat source, made of a single cut and folded piece with bent front rim for handling, is inside. Box top has three bands of punched circles, while sides feature one large hole at center enclosed by a heart in a circle. Drawn-wire bail handle hooked through loops on frame top; brass wire pull on box. Doweled through-tenon joints. No marks.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1820 - 1850
ID Number
DL.392936
catalog number
392936
accession number
206516

Flowers No 1

Colored print of an informal floral arrangement on a stone slab outdoors. A portion of a stone structure appears on the right. A bird (parrot?) perches on a branch in the upper left corner, with a nest containing four eggs below.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Colored print of an informal floral arrangement on a stone slab outdoors. A portion of a stone structure appears on the right. A bird (parrot?) perches on a branch in the upper left corner, with a nest containing four eggs below.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1850
distributor
Ensign, Thayer and Company
maker
Kelloggs & Comstock
ID Number
DL.60.2654
catalog number
60.2654
accession number
228146

chair, side

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1825 - 1850
ID Number
DL.312536.0001
catalog number
312536.0001
accession number
312536

Hyetographic Map

Black and white print with applied color accents. Map showing the distribution of rain over the surface of the globe.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Black and white print with applied color accents. Map showing the distribution of rain over the surface of the globe.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1854
artist
Cameron, John
publisher
Griffin, E. W.
maker
Currier, Charles
ID Number
DL.60.2430
catalog number
60.2430
accession number
228146

Faustin 1Er Empereur D'Haiti

Black & white print; full length portrait of a black man in elaborate robes and crown, standing in front of a throne. (Faustin 1st, Emperor of Haiti).Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Black & white print; full length portrait of a black man in elaborate robes and crown, standing in front of a throne. (Faustin 1st, Emperor of Haiti).
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1852
depicted
Soulouque, Faustin-Elie
maker
Lacombe, Theodore
Grozelier, Leopold
original artist
Hartmann, Adam
ID Number
DL.60.3119
catalog number
60.3119
accession number
228146

St. Louis Paperweight

In the 1700s, paperweights made from textured stone or bronze were part of the writer’s tool kit, which also included a quill pen and stand, inkpot, and blotter.
Description (Brief)
In the 1700s, paperweights made from textured stone or bronze were part of the writer’s tool kit, which also included a quill pen and stand, inkpot, and blotter. By the mid-1800s, decorative paperweights produced by glassmakers in Europe and the United States became highly desired collectibles.
Decorative glass paperweights reflected the 19th-century taste for intricate, over-the-top designs. Until the spread of textiles colorized with synthetic dyes, ceramics and glass were among the few objects that added brilliant color to a 19th-century Victorian interior. The popularity of these paperweights in the 1800s testifies to the sustained cultural interest in hand craftsmanship during an age of rapid industrialization.
Glass production at Saint Louis was authorized by Louis XV in 1767. By 1782 the firm was creating high quality glass crystal, progressing into pressed glass in the 1800s. St. Louis produced paperweights from 1845 to about 1867.
This clear St. Louis paperweight features a large purple Aster with green leaves, and a white and blue center.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1845-1850
maker
St. Louis
ID Number
CE.65.495
catalog number
65.495
accession number
264964
collector/donor number
179

Good Night

Sentimental genre prints documented the social image of Victorian virtue through domestic scenes of courtship, family, home life, and images of the “genteel female.” Children are depicted studying nature or caring for their obedient pets as they learn their place in the greater w
Description
Sentimental genre prints documented the social image of Victorian virtue through domestic scenes of courtship, family, home life, and images of the “genteel female.” Children are depicted studying nature or caring for their obedient pets as they learn their place in the greater world. Romantic scenes picture devoted husbands with their contented, dutiful wives. In these prints, young women educated in reading, music, needlework, the arts, the language of flowers, basic math and science are subjugated to their family’s needs.
These prints became popular as lithography was introduced to 19th Century Americans. As a new art form, it was affordable for the masses and provided a means to share visual information by crossing the barriers of race, class and language. Sentimental prints encouraged the artistic endeavors of schoolgirls and promoted the ambitions of amateur artists, while serving as both moral instruction and home or business decoration. They are a pictorial record of our romanticized past.
This colored print is a three-quarter length portrait of a girl holding a chamberstick with a lit candle. She is wearing a simple dress with lace collar and cuffs. Drapery and a glass vase containing cut flowers can be seen in the background.
This print was produced by the lithographic firm of Kelloggs & Comstock. In 1848, John Chenevard Comstock developed a partnership with E.B. and E.C. Kellogg. In 1850, Edmund Burke Kellogg left the firm, leaving his brother Elijah Chapman Kellogg and J.C. Comstock to run the lithography firm as Kellogg and Comstock. The short-lived partnership disbanded in 1851. It was not until 1855 that Edmund Burke Kellogg rejoined his brother E.C. Kellogg and continued the success of the family’s Lithography firm.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1850
distributor
Ensign, Thayer and Company
maker
Kelloggs & Comstock
ID Number
DL.60.2258
catalog number
60.2258
accession number
228146

fork

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1850
ID Number
DL.60.1260
catalog number
60.1260
accession number
229363

chair, side

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1825 - 1850
associated date
1923
ID Number
DL.302841.0001
catalog number
302841.0001
accession number
302841

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