I noticed something interesting several years ago when several of us were asked to examine two highly ornamented 18th century Philadelphia tea tables that are similar in overall form, to see if we could determine whether they were made as a pair of tables for a single client or simply two similar tables made by … Continue reading “I should have been a pair of ragged claws / Scuttling across the floors of silent seas.” T. S. Eliot
Craft
“The understanding eye sees the maker’s fingerprints. They are evident in every detail … Leave Fingerprints.” James Krenov
The Philadelphia Museum of Art today announced a new on-line resource - "In Proportion to the Trouble: Considering Mount Pleasant". All of the entries found here are included at the new site, several new entries have been added and the new site will continue to be updated coming months with new information about the history … Continue reading “The understanding eye sees the maker’s fingerprints. They are evident in every detail … Leave Fingerprints.” James Krenov
“Gratitude is the sign of noble souls.” Aesop
Some things to be thankful for... Those that came before you Accidental survivals There are still those who can teach you how to hew a log and split a shingle That people take their camera with them everywhere Busy, bustling times And times for contemplation
“Another Chimney-piece, with a very rich frame over it, adorned with a Pediment.” Abraham Swan, The British Architect.
With an ashlar base beneath thick rubble stone walls covered in stucco, brick quoins on the corners, and cut stone jack arches above the sash windows, the facades of the main house at Mount Pleasant were predominantly the concern of the masons. But it is the woodwork that describes the interior spaces, creates their variations … Continue reading “Another Chimney-piece, with a very rich frame over it, adorned with a Pediment.” Abraham Swan, The British Architect.
“I have endeavored all along to form such designs as are capable of receiving good Decorations” Abraham Swan, London, 1757
Swan continued by comparing bad “Decorations with Superadded Ornaments” to a “clown in a laced Waistcoat.” That was written on the second page of his preface to his two volume publication, A Collection of Designs in Architecture. Swan made it clear that by hiring him, he would be able to “accommodate the Great and Noble … Continue reading “I have endeavored all along to form such designs as are capable of receiving good Decorations” Abraham Swan, London, 1757
In Proportion to the Trouble 