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: 1870s

Teakettle

Pit-bottom teakettle with bellied gooseneck spout and cast-in arched ears above its high, rounded shoulder for the mushroom-shaped strap bail handle, concave in section; no feet. Removable, pivoting, double-stepped lid swings on bearing next to back ear.
Description
Pit-bottom teakettle with bellied gooseneck spout and cast-in arched ears above its high, rounded shoulder for the mushroom-shaped strap bail handle, concave in section; no feet. Removable, pivoting, double-stepped lid swings on bearing next to back ear. Both pieces are hollow cast: body has a pronounced horizontal seam that extends to top of spout and a single gate mark and raised "8" on bottom exterior; cover bordered by "B & S. 272 PEARL ST.N.Y." and "PATENTED DEC.18.1866", both cast in raised serif letters.
"B & S." appears to stand for Benham & Stoutenborough, a housewares merchant and manufacturer at 272 Pearl Street, run by Darius Benham and Xenophon Stoutenborough. William Hailes of Albany, NY, received U.S. Patent No. 60,508 for his "mode of attaching covers to kettles, boilers, stoves, etc." on December 18, 1866.
Location
Currently not on view
date patented
1866-12-18
date made
ca 1870
patent date
1866-12-18
ID Number
1982.0090.17
accession number
1982.0090
catalog number
1982.0090.17

Fearnaught Stallions

A color print of two chestnut horses (Lancet and Fearnaught Boy) with light manes pulling a cutter on a country road. They are joined by a T-shaped tongue, and their harnesses are light and handsome.
Description
A color print of two chestnut horses (Lancet and Fearnaught Boy) with light manes pulling a cutter on a country road. They are joined by a T-shaped tongue, and their harnesses are light and handsome. The driver is wearing a black coat with lapels, gloves, a boat-shaped hat, and a beaver rug over his knees. He is probably their owner David Nevins, Jr. A split rail fence borders the road. Mountains are in the distance, and the landscape is covered with snow.
Lancet and Fearnaught Boy were owned by David Nevins Jr. of Framingham, Massachusetts.
Haskell and Allen’s most memorable productions were their horse prints. A Boston based publisher of lithographs, the firm seems to have issued more large folio images than small. Haskell began as a print seller with Haskell and Ripley (1868) but in 1869 he began a partnership with George Allen. In 1873 they moved to 61 Hanover St in Boston where they prospered for a few years. They went bankrupt in 1878.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1875
maker
Haskell & Allen
artist
Eaton, L. G.
original artist
Leighton, Scott
ID Number
DL.60.3555
catalog number
60.3555

Frying Pan

Long-handled frying pan with flared sides, flat bottom and a nearly horizontal, chamfered-edge, forged handle with stamped hanging hole triple-riveted to side.
Description
Long-handled frying pan with flared sides, flat bottom and a nearly horizontal, chamfered-edge, forged handle with stamped hanging hole triple-riveted to side. Top of handle is stamped incuse at middle of shaft "FOWLER" in serif letters next to a sideways "0" (zero).
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1850-1875
ID Number
1979.1254.03
accession number
1979.1254
catalog number
1979.1254.03

What Is Love ?

Black and white print of a black man and woman who carry burlap bags of trash? lean across a trash barrel to kiss. Their clothes are in tatters. Two little boys observe from a doorway. This is one of over 100 in a series of comic parodies of popular songs.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Black and white print of a black man and woman who carry burlap bags of trash? lean across a trash barrel to kiss. Their clothes are in tatters. Two little boys observe from a doorway. This is one of over 100 in a series of comic parodies of popular songs.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1875
maker
Vance, Parsloe and Company
ID Number
DL.60.3437
catalog number
60.3437

My Protector

Colored print of a little boy wearing eyelet-trimmed shorts, vest and jacket. He holds the leash of a brown and white dog that is seated next to him. Toys are scattered on the rug at his feet and on a table in background.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Colored print of a little boy wearing eyelet-trimmed shorts, vest and jacket. He holds the leash of a brown and white dog that is seated next to him. Toys are scattered on the rug at his feet and on a table in background.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1874
maker
Schile, Henry
ID Number
DL.60.2463
catalog number
60.2463
accession number
228146

Overshot coverlet panel, Civil War era

Blue and white overshot coverlet panel or length. According to the donor, this coverlet was acquired whole during the Civil War by Union officer, Capt. Peter Stamats during General Sherman’s “March to the Sea.” Stamats took this coverlet from an evacuated enemy encampment.
Description
Blue and white overshot coverlet panel or length. According to the donor, this coverlet was acquired whole during the Civil War by Union officer, Capt. Peter Stamats during General Sherman’s “March to the Sea.” Stamats took this coverlet from an evacuated enemy encampment. Stamats is a grandfather of the donor. This blue and white overshot coverlet panel was woven in a pattern similar to “Seven Stars.” When Capt. Stamats returned home, he separated the coverlet into panels and gave them to his three children. The panel measures 93 inches by 26.25 inches. All of the yarns, both the cotton ground warp and weft and the wool supplementary weft yarns are Z-spun singles. It is possible that this coverlet was produced by enslaved weavers.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
19th century
date made
mid 19th century
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T12724
catalog number
T12724.000
accession number
238999

bouquet, wax

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1850 - 1879
ID Number
1979.0862.02
accession number
1979.0862
catalog number
1979.0862.02

fork

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1873 - 1874
ID Number
DL.66.0585H
catalog number
66.0585H
accession number
265238

vase

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
about 1877
ID Number
CE.75.117
catalog number
75.117
accession number
317832

Pastry Server (Pie Knife)

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1870 - 1875
design patent date
1870-11-15
maker
Tiffany & Co.
ID Number
DL.61.0330
catalog number
61.0330
accession number
200122

Jewel Box or Casket

Japonesque rectangular box with pyramidal cover and fixed, tall arched handle on four ball feet.
Description
Japonesque rectangular box with pyramidal cover and fixed, tall arched handle on four ball feet. Box and cover have satin- or matte-finish grounds with bright cut floral sprigs divided by polished diagonal bands containing wrigglework geometric motifs; angled, low-relief, die-rolled bands of birds amidst flowering branches and plant-filled urns trim rim and base of box, while a shield-like palmate finial with 3 ball tips tops cover. Double-wire handle with triple semicircular fan finial. Underside of box bottom struck with an incuse circular mark containing a pointed shield with balanced scales bordered by "x MERIDEN x / B. COMPANY." in sans serif letters and "8".
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1873 - 1877
maker
Meriden Britannia Company
ID Number
1984.0424.09
accession number
1984.0424
catalog number
1984.0424.09

Box or Trunk

Plain, rectangular box with scrolled hasp lock on front, wire ring handle pinned to top, and two hinges at back. Flat lid is made of one piece with a wire-rolled rim.
Description
Plain, rectangular box with scrolled hasp lock on front, wire ring handle pinned to top, and two hinges at back. Flat lid is made of one piece with a wire-rolled rim. Box is made of three pieces, two for body and one for flat bottom, with soft-soldered, folded edges; top edge of front and sides are folded down with a wire bead below. No marks.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1850 - 1870
ID Number
DL.245425.0082
catalog number
245425.0082
accession number
245425

Domestic Boiler Patent Model

Full-size patent model (U.S. Patent No. 150,222) of a domestic boiler, made by Ernest B. Beaumont of Ann Arbor, MI, and patented on April 28, 1874.
Description
Full-size patent model (U.S. Patent No. 150,222) of a domestic boiler, made by Ernest B. Beaumont of Ann Arbor, MI, and patented on April 28, 1874. Consists of a wire-rimmed, lipped, conical cup with a hinged flat lid and braced triangular strap handle soldered to a small, shallow fuel pan on a conical, wire-edged base. Hinges for lid and handle are perpendicular to one another with lip opposite lid hinge; handle can fold inside the cup or on top of lid when in use to prevent it from getting hot. Folded vertical seams. No marks. Three darkened paper tags stored with object are printed and handwritten with patent information.
Location
Currently not on view
patent date
1874-04-28
inventor
Beaumont, Ernest B.
ID Number
DL.251415
catalog number
251415
patent number
150,222
accession number
48890

dish

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
about 1879
ID Number
CE.75.125E
catalog number
75.125E
accession number
317832

Washington As a Freemason by Strobridge and Company, 1870

Chromolithographic print depicting George Washington, standing, facing left as the central figure, wearing a Masonic apron and holding a trowel in his right hand and a mallet and parchment in his left.
Description
Chromolithographic print depicting George Washington, standing, facing left as the central figure, wearing a Masonic apron and holding a trowel in his right hand and a mallet and parchment in his left. He is standing in under a Gothic arch flanked by columns with capitals of different orders and quatrefoil windows with a staircase is in the background. Bust portraits of the Marquis de Lafayette and Andrew Jackson appear in upper left and right corners, respectively. Bordering the central image are Gothic niches containing biblical scenes, allegorical figures, numerous inscriptions, and Masonic symbols and rites. Washington's coffin appears below the central image and is surrounded by a commemorative poem.
Lithography company was founded in Cincinnati, Ohio about 1847 by lithographer Elijah C. Middleton. Middleton was known as one of the pioneers of chromolithography in the United States. By 1854 lithographer W. R. Wallace and bookseller Hines Strobridge (1823-1909) had joined the firm as partners. After the Civil War Strobridge acquired sole ownership of the company and renamed it after himself. Strobridge and Company was especially well known for circus, theater and movie posters. After leaving Strobridge and Company, Elijah Middleton became known as a portrait publisher, producing prints of George and Martha Washington, Daniel Webster and other American historical figures.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1870
depicted
Washington, George
publisher
J. Hale Powers & Company
depicted
Jackson, Andrew
Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert Du Motier Marquis de Lafayette
maker
Strobridge and Company
ID Number
DL.60.2597
catalog number
60.2597
accession number
228146

Foot Warmer for Vehicles Patent Model

Full-size patent model (U.S. Patent No. 185,290) of a foot warmer or stove for vehicles, made by Harold P. Buckland of Stony Ridge, Wood County, OH, and patented on December 12, 1876; painted green.
Description
Full-size patent model (U.S. Patent No. 185,290) of a foot warmer or stove for vehicles, made by Harold P. Buckland of Stony Ridge, Wood County, OH, and patented on December 12, 1876; painted green. Watertight, hollow body has a recess for placing one's feet and is fitted with an interior triangular chamber, accessed by the hinged doors on both sides, for holding one or more lamps to heat the water. Top has a screw-cap opening for the water and a hole for the smoke escape. Horizontal flanges at sides of top and bottom allow attaching it to the frame of a buggy, sleigh, or wagon. Top back edge has printed letters cut and pasted into the patentee's name "HENRY PETER BUCKLAND".
Location
Currently not on view
patent date
1876-12-12
inventor
Buckland, Henry P.
ID Number
DL.251767
catalog number
251767
patent number
185,290
accession number
48890

Abandonment of the Whalers in the Arctic Ocean Sept 1871. Plate 3.

Black and white print of whaling ships; seventeen whaling vessels are on the edge of an ice field. All the ships names are listed below the image and above the title.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Black and white print of whaling ships; seventeen whaling vessels are on the edge of an ice field. All the ships names are listed below the image and above the title.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1872
maker
Bufford, John Henry
Newell, J.P.
original artist
Russell, Benjamin
ID Number
DL.60.3258
catalog number
60.3258

Dinner Fork

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made; year pattern introduced
1871 or later
patent date
1870-09-30
parent company
Meriden Britannia Company
ID Number
DL.66.0584A
catalog number
66.0584A
accession number
265238

1877 - 1878 Caroline Granger's Prize-winning Child's Quilt

Agricultural fairs flourished in the mid-nineteenth century and exhibitions of women's needlework skills drew large audiences as they competed for prizes and recognition. A bronze medal, designed by William Barber, was inscribed, “Awarded to Mrs.
Description
Agricultural fairs flourished in the mid-nineteenth century and exhibitions of women's needlework skills drew large audiences as they competed for prizes and recognition. A bronze medal, designed by William Barber, was inscribed, “Awarded to Mrs. Joseph Granger for the best Crib Quilt – Worcester, Mass. 1878” by the New England Agricultural Society. A certificate from the office of the New England Agricultural Society states that: “Mrs. Joseph Granger Worcester, Mass. received a Bronze medal awarded at the New England and Worcester Agricultural Fairs, held in the City of Worcester, Mass. September, 1878, for the best Crib Quilt.” Mrs. Joseph (Caroline) Granger’s granddaughter, Claire L. Meyer, donated the quilt, medal, and certificate to the Smithsonian in 1972.
A note with the quilt, written by one of Caroline Granger’s children, states: “Mother’s quilt all hand quilted she made her own designs with a pin. She got first prize at the Sturbridge fair and every time she showed it at the New England fair – there was even questioning that it was machine made so every body had to examine it closely.” Another note, in different hand, that was with the quilt states: “Couverture de berceau piquee a la main por Mmes Joseph Granger qui importa le primier prix – (Medaille d’or) ‘New England Fair’ de 1878.”
The all-white child’s quilt, according to the note referred to in French as a “cradle cover,” is made of cotton. The stylized floral center medallion on a diagonal grid background is finely quilted, 12 stitches per inch. The 9-inch border is quilted with an undulating vine and flowers on a background of parallel diagonal lines. Caroline Granger’s design and precise hand quilting are definitely of prize-winning quality.
Marie Caroline Lamoureux was born on March 3, 1850 in St-Ours, Richelieu, Quebec, Canada. She was the daughter of Antoine Lamoureux and Marie Elizabeth Moge. On January 30, 1873, she married Joseph H. Granger in N. Grosvenordale, Connecticut. They lived in Worcester, Massachusetts, and had twelve children. Two children, born in 1873 and 1875, died before their first birthdays. A daughter, Marie Ida, was about two when Caroline’s quilt won a prize in 1878 and another daughter, Alam Victoria, was born in late 1878. Caroline died on June 9, 1936.
Claire L. Meyer, the Granger’s granddaughter, wrote; “Many thanks for your letter of July 7, 1972 regarding a crib quilt made by my grandmother a hundred years ago. I am also enclosing for your consideration a quilt machine stitched by my grandfather! . . . I hope it will be worthy of the national collection.” The two quilts are worthy, and provide an interesting contrast between the precise handwork of Mrs. Caroline Granger and the equally precise machine stitching of Mr. Joseph Granger.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1877-1878
maker
Granger, Caroline
ID Number
TE.T16317.00A
accession number
302043
catalog number
T16317A

Flatiron

Combination smoothing, polishing and fluting iron with two-part body, both upper and lower parts are corrugated lengthwise on their inside faces, joined by a three-knuckle hinge at pointed toe and fastened closed by a wire clip at rounded heel.
Description
Combination smoothing, polishing and fluting iron with two-part body, both upper and lower parts are corrugated lengthwise on their inside faces, joined by a three-knuckle hinge at pointed toe and fastened closed by a wire clip at rounded heel. Handle has a vertically-seamed, baluster block grip and S-curve or gooseneck sides individually attached into domed bases or sockets. Outside top inscribed "8". No other marks.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1875
ID Number
DL.307541.0007
catalog number
307541.0007
accession number
307541

Philadelphia in the Olden Time.

Color print of a large panoramic view of Philadelphia. The New Jersey shore is in the foreground. A key identifies aspects of the view. Three small vignettes, below the main image above the title, are of the State House, Old Courthouse and Friends Meeting House, and the prison.
Description (Brief)
Color print of a large panoramic view of Philadelphia. The New Jersey shore is in the foreground. A key identifies aspects of the view. Three small vignettes, below the main image above the title, are of the State House, Old Courthouse and Friends Meeting House, and the prison.
Date made
1875
maker
Wade, F. J.
ID Number
DL.60.3752
catalog number
60.3752

dish

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
about 1879
ID Number
CE.75.125D
catalog number
75.125D
accession number
317832

"Double Centilitre" Measure

Lidless, bracket-handled, cylindrical metric measure with a spouted, sloped collar and molded base; incised around collar and bottom of body.
Description
Lidless, bracket-handled, cylindrical metric measure with a spouted, sloped collar and molded base; incised around collar and bottom of body. Stamped on face of handle "DOUBLE / CENTILITRE" sideways in incuse serif letters; to left of handle with small clasped hands in an oval and "199"; on front of neck with four small letters; around collar and neck with an indiscernible number of raised letters in circles; and indiscernible numbers of small letters along top of inside rim and top of handle. Flat bottom struck once with touchmark "V-P" in a lozenge or diamond shape. One of an assembled set of eight metric measures, DL*67.0326-.0333.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1873
ID Number
DL.67.0332
catalog number
67.0332
accession number
250853

knife

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
c. 1860-1870
ID Number
DL.60.1141C
catalog number
60.1141C
accession number
56985

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