Interior Home Furnishings ca. 1850-1880?

[Stonewall_Greyfox]

Does anyone have any recommended readings/artwork with regards to mid-19th century furnishings/interior design (i.e. curtains, urns., artwork..etc.)?

Thanks,

Paul B.

[J. Donaldson]

Re: Interior Home Furnishings ca. 1850-1880?

I would think that these secondary resources might be a good starting place.

Jane C. Nylander. Our Own Snug Fireside: Images of the New England Home, 1760-1860. New Haven: Yale University Press. 1994.

Jack Larkin. The Reshaping of Everyday Life, 1790-1840. New York: Harper Perennial. 1988.

Daniel E. Sutherland. The Expansion of Everyday Life, 1860-1876. University of Arkansas Press. 2000.

Is there a particular region of the country you're interested in, as that might narrow the search.

[Busterbuttonboy]

Re: Interior Home Furnishings ca. 1850-1880?

Field Guide to American Antique Furniture. By Joseph Butler. Holt Publishing 1985.
If your going for furniture this is the best style guide available to determine what styles are which- broken down by splats, legs, turning styles, feet, etc.
I got turned onto this book by my undergraduate museums professor. He was a former decorative arts curator for the Smithsonian. I've had a ton of furniture books but none breaks style down into so many details which are equally easy to understand and follow. Theres another moderator who I am sure will back me up on this recommendation.

At Home: The American Family 1750-1870 by Elisabeth Donaghy Garrett. Abrams Press 1990.
"The vice-president at Sotheby's and associate director of its American Arts Course examines letters, diaries, travel accounts, novels, poetry, household inventories, newspaper advertisements, and housekeeping manuals as well as paintings, prints, and drawings for this study. Garrett's clear, easy style, coupled with nearly 200 illustrations (more than 100 in color), make this book accessible to the general reader."

Town House: Architecture and Material Life in the Early American City, 1780-1830 by Bernard Herman UNC Press 2005
Awesome book!

Our Own Snug Fireside: Images of the New England Home, 1760-1860 by Jane Nylander - Yale 1994.
I know its New England but there are some general style guides which transcend region.

Earl American Rooms 1650-1858. Russel Kettell- Dover Publications.
Its an older book but nice to reference.

Grab an index for MESDA journals and when you need or want to really get meticulous thumb through it and order up one of their articles.

[Spinster]

Re: Interior Home Furnishings ca. 1850-1880?

http://www.dar.org/omni/virtualtours/museum/index.html

Worth a look on line, at each of the rooms of period furniture maintained by the DAR. On site, in Washington DC, extensive descriptions of the furniture are available at the entrance to each room. A brisk walk from either the Farragut North or West Metro stations, and open to non-members.

[CSchneider]

Re: Interior Home Furnishings ca. 1850-1880?

All good sources. I'm a particular fan of At Home. There are numerous period sources to consult as well, but a good start would be Andrew Jackson Downing. His Architecture of Country Houses was considered fairly standard in its day. It covers everything from colors and wallpaper patterns in specific rooms (which, as noted in several of the secondary sources listed above, was generally followed in most homes), to proper locations for mirrors, colors and textiles for curtains in specific rooms, to the numbers and types of chairs necessary for different rooms, etc.

-Craig Schneider

[Stonewall_Greyfox]

Re: Interior Home Furnishings ca. 1850-1880?

Thanks all for the recommended reading.

The house is located in Ashland, VA - just North of Richmond (just South of Fredericksburg). Started life in 1854 as the Overseer's House for the nearby plantation - also operated as a dry goods store @ that time. House had two historic additions (approx. 1870 and approx. 1900). A few pictures of the house can be seen in my profile album.

This week we've nearly finished the Dining Room and Living Room floors - bringing new life to them after removing the decrepit polyurethane (1980s refinish), and restoring the floors with applications of a tung oil product called Waterlox. The difference is incredible! Next on the list is the refurbishment of the Dining Room Mantle (about 30% was lost due to termites).

Paul B.

[Drygoods]

Re: Interior Home Furnishings ca. 1850-1880?

I would suggest, Inside the Victorian Home: A Portrait of Domestic Life by Judith Flanders.

http://www.borders.com/online/store/SearchResults?keyword=Judith+Flanders&type=1&simple=1

[tomarch]

Re: Interior Home Furnishings ca. 1850-1880?

Have you communicated with the folks at The Old House Journal ? Sounds like your project might make for a great article in their magazine.