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.

Place: Boston

Mallard Shooting

This print is one of fifteen chromolithographs that were included in the 1889-1890 folio "Sport or Fishing and Shooting" published by Bradlee Whidden of Boston and edited by A.C. Gould.
Description (Brief)
This print is one of fifteen chromolithographs that were included in the 1889-1890 folio "Sport or Fishing and Shooting" published by Bradlee Whidden of Boston and edited by A.C. Gould. These prints are based on watercolors that were commissioned for the publication, and illustrated by prominent American artists. Each folio illustration was accompanied by a single leaf of descriptive text followed by an account of the depicted sporting scene. The publication was advertised as having been reviewed for accuracy by a renowned group of anglers and hunters prior to printing.
This print was originally titled and numbered on the text page as 7. Mallard Shooting. S.F. Denton. It depicts two men in a boat in a marsh. One man is shooting at mallard ducks while the other is paddling.
The artist was Sherman Foote Denton (1856-1937), a naturalist and noted illustrator of drawings of fish. Denton also invented a method of mounting fish that preserved their colors as in life. His work was frequently commissioned by the U.S. Fish Commision, forerunner of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1890
publisher; copywriter
Bradlee Whidden
lithographer
Forbes Lithograph Manufacturing Company
artist
Denton, Sherman Foote
ID Number
DL.60.2722
catalog number
60.2722
accession number
228146

Genl Israel Putnam: The Iron Son of "76" Effecting his Escape from British Dragoons

Hand colored print of General Israel Putnam (1718-1790) on horseback escaping from British troops.
Description (Brief)
Hand colored print of General Israel Putnam (1718-1790) on horseback escaping from British troops. While Putnam had several heroic episodes during the American Revolution, this print depicts "Old Put" narrowly escaping the British in Greenwich on February 26, 1779 while he escaped out a window on his saddled horse and galloping off the edge of a rocky embankment while waving his sword in warning as he is being fired upon.
The graphic artist or lithographer of this print is unknown though it may be James Baillie but Sowle and Shaw is identified as the publisher/distributor of this print. John Sowle and Albert Shaw were principals in the firm of Soule and Shaw, listed in the Boston city directory as dealers of pictures (prints and engravings). The company was in business from 1845-1850 until Shaw was replaced by Joseph Ward as an owner.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1845
publisher
Sowle & Shaw
ID Number
DL.60.2536
catalog number
60.2536
accession number
228146

Florence

This black and white print is a bust portrait of actor Billy Florence wearing a suit and jewelry in the shape of a horseshoe. Below the print the words “Park Theatre, / Saturday, March 11th” appear to have been pasted on, but part of the printing is destroyed.
Description
This black and white print is a bust portrait of actor Billy Florence wearing a suit and jewelry in the shape of a horseshoe. Below the print the words “Park Theatre, / Saturday, March 11th” appear to have been pasted on, but part of the printing is destroyed. This addition of the location and date of the performance is known as a "datebill."
The Park Theater was built in 1798 on Park Row in Manhattan and was New York City’s premiere performance space in the early 19th Century. It attracted a diverse audience with each class sitting in its preferred section. Working class men sat in the pit; members of the upper class and women in the boxes; the least affluent sat or stood in the balcony. This included immigrants, people of color, and prostitutes.
William J. (Billy) Florence (1831-1891) was an Irish American performer, song writer and playwright. He was born William Jermyn Conlin (his birth name is cited in some sources as Bernard Conlin) in Albany, New York and raised in New York City. He broke into show business working as a call boy at the Old Bowery Theater while rehearsing plays at night. Florence made his professional debut in Richmond, Virginia in 1849 in The Stranger and returned to New York to perform in Home in 1850. His unassuming charm, skill at imitating various dialects and ability to convey the humanity of his characters all helped him win over audiences. He married actress Malvina Pray (1831-1906) in 1853, and the two frequently appeared together, with Florence playing the part of an Irishman and Malvina Pray as that of a Yankee. In 1836, Florence launched a successful national tour starring in The Ticket-of-Leave Man, a detective melodrama about a former convict. He and Pray also scored a hit in an 1875 play called The Mighty Dollar, which was inspired by her observations of wealthy Americans abroad. They performed together in the play more than 2500 times during the 1870s and 1880s. In his later years, Florence formed a comedy act with actor Joseph Jefferson. His stage name was inspired by his love for Florence, Italy, where he had an apartment. Billy Florence was also a Freemason and has been credited with co-founding the Shriners, whose official name was the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine.
This lithograph was produced by the artist Joseph E. Baker and Forbes Lithograph Manufacturing Company. Joseph E. Baker (1837-1914) was a lithographer, cartoonist and pencil portraitist who became especially well known for an 1860 portrait of Abraham Lincoln. He began his printing career as an apprentice at J. H. Bufford & Co. in 1857, and eventually became John Bufford’s principal draftsman and illustrator of sheet music. During the Civil War Baker produced political cartoons and lithographs for Bufford. He also did playbills and advertisements for the Forbes Company. Baker later worked for Armstrong & Company, remaining active until 1888.
The Forbes Lithograph Manufacturing Company was founded by William H. Forbes (ca 1836-1915), who immigrated to the United States from Liverpool, England in 1848. Forbes became an apprentice in the lithography business while still a boy and established William H. Forbes and Company in Boston in 1861. The firm expanded to become Forbes Lithograph Manufacturing Company in 1875 with hundreds of employees and offices in Boston, New York, Chicago, and London. During World War II the company became a major printer of allied military currency but went out of business later in the twentieth century.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
n.d.
depicted
Florence, William Jermyn
maker
Baker, Joseph E.
Forbes Lithograph Manufacturing Company
ID Number
DL.60.3022
catalog number
60.3022
accession number
228146

Massachusetts Senate

Black and white print of forty-two bust portraits; each is in an oval frame containing the person's name.
Description (Brief)
Black and white print of forty-two bust portraits; each is in an oval frame containing the person's name. The portraits are arranged in two concentric ovals around a title and a small scene of Boston across the Charles River with the state capitol building in the background.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1856
lithographer
Homer, Winslow
artist
Bufford, John Henry
publisher
Usher, James M.
ID Number
DL.60.2583
catalog number
60.2583
accession number
228146

Summer

Colored print; rural scene of a farm during summer. At center two men load hay on a haywagon pulled by two oxen. A group of people nearby enjoy a picnic in the field. A body of water and hills are in the background.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Colored print; rural scene of a farm during summer. At center two men load hay on a haywagon pulled by two oxen. A group of people nearby enjoy a picnic in the field. A body of water and hills are in the background.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1871-1875
maker
Haskell & Allen
artist
Howe, E.R.
ID Number
DL.60.2637
catalog number
60.2637
accession number
228146

Charity

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1830
maker
Pendleton's Lithography
ID Number
DL.60.2529
catalog number
60.2529
accession number
228146

Andrew Jackson

Black & white print; full length portrait of a man holding a hat and cane in an outdoor setting (Andrew Jackson at his home, The Hermitage). Facsimilie of sitter's signature serves as the title.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Black & white print; full length portrait of a man holding a hat and cane in an outdoor setting (Andrew Jackson at his home, The Hermitage). Facsimilie of sitter's signature serves as the title.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1832
depicted
Jackson, Andrew
maker
Pendleton's Lithography
Pendleton, William S.
Bufford, John Henry
original artist
Earle, Ralph Eleaser Whiteside
ID Number
DL.60.3116
catalog number
60.3116
accession number
228146

Mohomet and Saladin

Colored print on folding gameboard. Playing surface has 33 diamond shaped positions arranged in the shape of a cross. The four corners of the board depict knights on horseback; the two on the right are engaged in combat.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Colored print on folding gameboard. Playing surface has 33 diamond shaped positions arranged in the shape of a cross. The four corners of the board depict knights on horseback; the two on the right are engaged in combat.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1847
maker
J. H. Bufford and Company
W. & S. B. Ives
ID Number
DL.60.2367
catalog number
60.2367
accession number
228146

The Great Fire at Boston, November 9th & 10th 1872.

Color print of a large fire along the waterfront of Boston.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Color print of a large fire along the waterfront of Boston.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
after 1872
maker
Haskell & Allen
ID Number
DL.60.3299
catalog number
60.3299

Ocean House Nantucket, Massachusetts

Black and white advertising print for a hotel (Ocean House) with a view of a three-story Federal style building above the text.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Black and white advertising print for a hotel (Ocean House) with a view of a three-story Federal style building above the text.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1862-06-01
maker
Daniels, J.H.
ID Number
DL.60.3664
catalog number
60.3664

The Famous Roan Horse Capt Mc Gowan as He Appeared in His 20th Mile

Color print of a trotting horse (Capt. McGowan) pulling a sulky on a racetrack. A white picket fence borders the track. The caption indicates that this is River Side Park, Brighton, Mass. on Oct.
Description (Brief)
Color print of a trotting horse (Capt. McGowan) pulling a sulky on a racetrack. A white picket fence borders the track. The caption indicates that this is River Side Park, Brighton, Mass. on Oct. 31, 1865.
Description
A color print of a brown horse attached by a light harness to a sulky with a driver who is intent on holding the reins. The driver wears a heavy red sweater and beaked cap. The sulky is red and highly polished. A picket fence borders the track. Pretentious country homes are in the wooded area beyond the park. It is a scene of River Side Park, Brighton, Mass. on Oct. 31, 1865.
Captain McGowan was bred in 1857 by Sovereign and Sally Miller, but his pedigree is debated. It is believed that he was born in Kentucky and owned by Samuel Emerson of Boston. He set a record in 1865 of trotting 20 miles in one hour (56 minutes, 25 seconds).
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1865
maker
J. H. Bufford and Sons
ID Number
DL.60.3595
catalog number
60.3595

Spoon

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1711
1720 - 1730
ID Number
DL.314557.1
catalog number
314557.1
accession number
314557

A Hunt Above The Timber Line

This print is one of fifteen chromolithographs that were included in the 1889-1890 folio "Sport or Fishing and Shooting" published by Bradlee Whidden of Boston and edited by A.C. Gould.
Description (Brief)
This print is one of fifteen chromolithographs that were included in the 1889-1890 folio "Sport or Fishing and Shooting" published by Bradlee Whidden of Boston and edited by A.C. Gould. These prints are based on watercolors that were commissioned for the publication, and illustrated by prominent American artists. Each folio illustration was accompanied by a single leaf of descriptive text followed by an account of the depicted sporting scene. The publication was advertised as having been reviewed for accuracy by a renowned group of anglers and hunters prior to printing.
This print was originally titled and numbered on the text page as 13. A hunt above the timber line [Big-horn]. Edward Knobel. Depicted are four big horn sheep running across boulders in the foreground. A fifth sheep falls, shot by one of two hunters visible in the left background.
The artist was Edward Knobel (1839-1908), noted for his illustrations of plants and animals.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1890
publisher; copywriter
Bradlee Whidden
lithographer
Forbes Lithograph Manufacturing Company
artist
Knobel, Edward
ID Number
DL.60.2730
catalog number
60.2730
accession number
228146

Yankee Volunteers Marching into Dixie in 1862 by

This 1862 chromolithograph of Union soldiers in "Uncle Sam" costumes, parading down a road in formation, led by a uniformed Union officer with a raised sword.
Description
This 1862 chromolithograph of Union soldiers in "Uncle Sam" costumes, parading down a road in formation, led by a uniformed Union officer with a raised sword. The costumes include striped beige pantaloons, blue tailcoats, red vests, white top hats, and jack boots, and each man carries a rifles over his shoulder. A drummer and fife player proceed at the front of the group the men behind them fly several large American flags. This patriotic print portrays the confident and smiling volunteers as righteous heroes, marching for freedom. The unrecognizable topography of the land across the river suggests that this print depicts an imagined view of either Boston, where the lithographer and publisher resided, or Washington, D.C. Visible in the distance is either the domed Massachusetts State House with wings prior to their actual construction or an anticipated vision of the completed U.S. Capitol with dome. Perhaps the indistinct setting was meant to appeal to Union supporters both in New England and nationally. Initially published as a sheet music cover, this colorful print was also used as a recruitment wall print. The image highlights the shift from Brother Jonathan, an early character representing New England and the Northern states, to Uncle Sam, a symbol of the strength of the federal government. By the end of the Civil War, Brother Jonathan had been replaced by this new personification of the American nation.
The lithographer of this print was John Henry Bufford (1829-1870/71). The son of a sign painter and gilder, Bufford trained with Pendleton's Lithography in Boston, 1829-1831. He worked in New York with George Endicott and Nathaniel Currier (1835-1839) before returning to Boston where he developed a reputation for printing and publishing popular prints, commercial work, labels, and trade cards. The company went through several iterations and name changes until about 1865. He became the chief artist for Benjamin Thayer until buying out the firm to found J. H. Bufford & Co. (1844-1851). He continued to work in the lithography and publishing business for the remainder of his life. In 1865, his sons Frank and Henry John became partners in Bufford & Sons or J.H. Bufford’s Sons Litho. Co. After his death they continued the family business as Bufford Brothers and as Bufford Sons Engraving & Lithographing Company until 1911.
The work was copyrighted by Charles Fessenden Morse of Boston. Morse joined the Second Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry in 1861, and was a friend of Robert Gould Shaw, who commanded the 54th Massachusetts Infantry, one of the first all-black regiments formed during the Civil War. Morse fought at Cedar Mountain, Antietam, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg. After the war, he became influential in Kansas City, Missouri, where he was president of the Kansas City Stockyards.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1862
publisher
Morse, Charles Fessenden
Morse, A. G.
lithographer
Bufford, John Henry
printer; publisher
Morse, Charles Fessenden
maker
Bufford, J. H.
ID Number
DL.60.3308
catalog number
60.3308
accession number
228146

Hassock-Foot Warmer Patent Model

Full-size patent model (U.S. Patent No. 219,572) of a combined hassock or cushion and foot warmer, made by J. Augustus Folsom of Boston, MA, and patented on September 16, 1879.
Description
Full-size patent model (U.S. Patent No. 219,572) of a combined hassock or cushion and foot warmer, made by J. Augustus Folsom of Boston, MA, and patented on September 16, 1879. Consists of an oval padded footrest covered in floral, Brussels or looped-pile carpeting with leather piping that has a shallow cavity or compartment for holding an oval piece of soapstone with a brass bail handle. Cushion interior also carpet-lined. No marks.
Location
Currently not on view
patent date
1879-09-16
ID Number
DL.251768
catalog number
251768
accession number
48890
patent number
219572

The Colonel! Eric Bayley's The Colonel Comedy Company by Joseph E. Baker and published by Forbes Lithographic Manufacturing Company

This colored print depicts two scenes, one at the center and the other on the left, from the play The Colonel. The top corners each contain a circular portrait, one of Eric Bayley and the other of Mindha Bayley.
Description
This colored print depicts two scenes, one at the center and the other on the left, from the play The Colonel. The top corners each contain a circular portrait, one of Eric Bayley and the other of Mindha Bayley. Other characters are pictured down the right side and in an inset scene at the bottom, with a peacock and frogs in rushes in the light of a full moon. There are also several sunflowers in the design.
The Colonel tells the story of two imposters trying to get control of another family's fortune. It was written by F. C. Burnand (1836-1917), a British writer and editor of Punch, and based on an earlier drama called The Serious Family by Morris Barnett (1800-1856). It was first produced in London in 1881 and brought to the United States by Eric and Mindha Bayley in 1882. Eric Bayley played the role of Edward Langton and Mindha performed as a character named Olive.
This chromolithograph was produced by Forbes Lithograph Manufacturing Company and Joseph Edwin Baker. Baker (1837-1914) was a lithographer, cartoonist and pencil portraitist known for an 1860 portrait of Abraham Lincoln. He began his printing career as an apprentice at J. H. Bufford & Co. in 1857, and eventually became John Bufford’s principal draftsman and illustrator of sheet music. During the Civil War, Baker produced political cartoons and lithographs for Bufford. He also created playbills and advertisements for the Forbes Company and marine scenes. Baker later worked for Armstrong & Company, remaining active until 1888.
The Forbes Lithograph Manufacturing Company was founded by William H. Forbes (ca 1836-1915), who immigrated to the United States from Liverpool, England in 1848. Forbes became an apprentice in the lithography business while still a boy and established William H. Forbes and Company in Boston in 1861. The firm expanded to become Forbes Lithograph Manufacturing Company in 1875 with hundreds of employees and offices in Boston, New York, Chicago, and London. During World War II, the company became a major printer of allied military currency but went out of business later in the 20th century.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
n.d.
date made
1882-1888
depicted
Bailey, Eric
maker
Forbes Lithograph Manufacturing Company
Baker, Joseph E.
ID Number
DL.60.3050
catalog number
60.3050
accession number
228146

"Blood's Improved Sifter"

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1861 - 1885
Associated Date
1861-09-17
maker
Dover Stamping Company
ID Number
DL.257491.0110
catalog number
257491.110
257491.110
accession number
257491
catalog number
257491.0110

The Wounded American Soldier's Return

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
n.d.
maker
E.B. and E.C. Kellogg
Ward, Joseph
ID Number
DL.60.3311
catalog number
60.3311

Red Deer Shooting

Colored print of a hunter and his dog. The hunter is dressed in fitted red coat with top hat on ground beside him. He is shooting at deer from behind a rock while a man on horseback watches from the right.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Colored print of a hunter and his dog. The hunter is dressed in fitted red coat with top hat on ground beside him. He is shooting at deer from behind a rock while a man on horseback watches from the right.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1856-1864
maker
Bufford, John Henry
ID Number
DL.60.2680
catalog number
60.2680
accession number
228146

A New Method of Macarony Making As Practiced at Boston

Black and white print; outdoor scene of three men standing in front of a gallows with a broken rope hanging from the gallows. One man is tarred and feathered from from the neck down and has the other half of the broken rope around his neck.
Description (Brief)
Black and white print; outdoor scene of three men standing in front of a gallows with a broken rope hanging from the gallows. One man is tarred and feathered from from the neck down and has the other half of the broken rope around his neck. This refers to the 1774 tar and feathering of British custom officer John Malcom. The American holding the teapot is wearing a hat with "45" ,indicating his membership in the Sons of Liberty.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1830
maker
Pendleton's Lithography
artist
Johnston, David Claypool
ID Number
DL.60.2551
catalog number
60.2551
accession number
228146

The Firemen

Color print of firemen pumping water from a fire engine. The foreman or chief engineer stands on the engine giving orders with a speaking trumpet while another fireman climbs a ladder against a burning building carrying the hose in the background.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Color print of firemen pumping water from a fire engine. The foreman or chief engineer stands on the engine giving orders with a speaking trumpet while another fireman climbs a ladder against a burning building carrying the hose in the background.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
n.d.
date made
ca 1840
maker
Gotwell, G. W.
Strong, T. W.
Strong, Thomas W.
G.W. Cottrell & Co.
ID Number
DL.60.3302
catalog number
60.3303

The Old, Old, Story

Colored print. Man is entering bedroom with shoes in hand; woman seated at table with a prayer book in one hand and a watch in the other. The watch reads 3:00.
Description (Brief)
Colored print. Man is entering bedroom with shoes in hand; woman seated at table with a prayer book in one hand and a watch in the other. The watch reads 3:00. Furnishings include a student lamp on a night table, a nightstand, a Renaissance Revival carved double bed, patterned carpeting and wallpaper. She is long flowing dressing gown over a nightgown and he is wearing a 3 piece suit. There is a small dog in the foreground.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1872
maker
Haskell & Allen
ID Number
DL.60.2299
catalog number
60.2299
accession number
228146

Killing Salmon

This print is one of fifteen chromolithographs that were included in the 1889-1890 folio "Sport or Fishing and Shooting" published by Bradlee Whidden of Boston and edited by A.C. Gould.
Description (Brief)
This print is one of fifteen chromolithographs that were included in the 1889-1890 folio "Sport or Fishing and Shooting" published by Bradlee Whidden of Boston and edited by A.C. Gould. These prints are based on watercolors that were commissioned for the publication, and illustrated by prominent American artists. Each folio illustration was accompanied by a single leaf of descriptive text followed by an account of the depicted sporting scene. The publication was advertised as having been reviewed for accuracy by a renowned group of anglers and hunters prior to printing.
This print was originally titled and numbered on the text page as 1. Killing Salmon. Henry Sandham. Two fishermen are depicted standing on a boulder beside a stream. They are bringing in a large salmon on a fishing line and a metal hook. A large fish lies behind them, already landed.
The artist was Henry Sandham (1842-1910), a Canadian born illustrator and artist of hunting and fishing scenes.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1889
publisher; copywriter
Bradlee Whidden
lithographer
Forbes Lithograph Manufacturing Company
artist
Sandham, Henry
ID Number
DL.60.2733
catalog number
60.2733
accession number
228146

Black Valley Railroad

This hand-colored allegorical print depicts the course of destruction through drinking in a series of symbols. It was designed to impress the dangers of drinking alcohol.
Description
This hand-colored allegorical print depicts the course of destruction through drinking in a series of symbols. It was designed to impress the dangers of drinking alcohol. A train labeled "Alcohol" is stopped at "Drunkard's Curve Station." It has left a tranquil valley and is heading toward doom in a land of evil serpents (as in Eden), skeletons, a vampire bat, and what appears to be a dangerous route to destruction, with fictional station names like "Horrorland," "Maniacville", "Prisonton" and “Woeland." The train runs on grain alcohol with the piston working in a decanter. Numerous travelers who can no longer pay the fare are lying abandoned, sick, or passed out along the side of the tracks, while others appear to be looking for ways to escape. Station names bear a cautionary tale of scriptural citations along the left and right borders and below the image is a considerable amount of interpretive text.
The print was issued by the Massachusetts Temperance Alliance, engraved by Nathaniel Rudd of Boston, and published by Reverend Steadman Wright Hanks in his book The Crystal River Turned Upon the Black Valley Railroad and Black Valley Country -- A Temperance Allegory (also known as The Black Valley: The Railroad and the Country). Hanks called the print "probably the most successful temperance lecture in the country." Stedman Wright Hanks (1811-1889) was a Congregational minister in Lowell, Massachusetts, as well as an author, artist, and fervent supporter of both the temperance and anti-slavery movements. Hanks spoke to audiences around the United States about the evils of overindulging in alcohol. In addition to his book about the Black Valley Railroad, his published works included Sailor Boys, or, Light on the Seaand Mutineers of the "Bounty and compiled a temperance song book and served as a representative in the Massachusetts General Court. He is also noted for performing the sermon commemorating John Quincy Adams death at the St. John Street Congregational Church.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1863
copyright holder
Hanks, S. W.
Maker
unknown
ID Number
DL.60.2885
catalog number
60.2885
accession number
228146

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