NYPL Digital Galleries

While securing sources for my thesis, I discovered the digital galleries of the New York Public Library! They have a large number of sources fully digitized and available for your consumption, including things by George Smith (who I used while writing a furnishing plan), James and Robert Adam, and Thomas King - all big names in my world. This wealth of design sources is unexpected and AWESOME, and I wish I had known about it last year. I cannot get over how cool this is, and I could literally spend hours looking through all of these images of costume, furniture, architecture, and other decorative arts and interiors. And, to top it off, you can buy prints of any page you want (if you could ever choose).

Cutlery, Cutlery, Everywhere

Going along with my last post, here are two more cutlery-related objects. These, however, are affordable enough for me to own (which I do). The ribbon comes from the Cooper-Hewitt museum shop and was designed by Laura Foster Nicholson. The bag is from Target, of all places. Unlike the ribbon, the bag is pretty poorly made (only $10, what do you expect), but the fabric itself seems fairly sturdy, so I'm contemplating buying a couple more, just to use the material for some other project (pillows or place mats, maybe?).

Delicious Lighting

The New York Times personal shopper slide show in the Home and Garden section features this chandelier designed by Jose Esteves, in France (but you can buy it in New York). He calls it the Brocante Chandelier, and you can buy single tier versions, as well as two sizes of the multi-tiered one. I'm starting to think my future holds business ownership: I love any decorative art within a decorative art, and there is so much out there, I think a whole shop could be devoted to these sorts of objects.

These lighting devices also remind me of undergrad, when I used to spend a lot of time in the jewelry studio. I wish I knew then what I know now (isn't that always the case...) about decorative arts and the possibilities of things I could have made. I want to go back and make objects like this.

A Tale of Two Tea Tables

Last week there were two tea tables (well, more than two, but two major ones) up for sale at Christie's and Sotheby's (the one with Mr. Keno). The Christie's table had a low estimate, and brought over $4 million, while the Sotheby's table was estimated to bring $2-6 million, and only took in $1.6 million. The Christie's table was sold first, on Friday, and the other table sold on Saturday. Perhaps this had an effect on the prices. Some people felt that the Sotheby's table's surface ended up hurting it (refinished too recently). I was not completely shocked at the outcome (I just liked the Christie's one better anyway), but there was so much hype about the Sotheby's table, it even had its very own catalogue, so I feel a little bad for it. Yes, I just said I feel bad for a table... I hope it goes to a loving home.

Zuber Wallpaper

My trip to NYC is giving me a lot to write about, since we had a week packed with antiques, design, museums, and auctions.

While on our way to the design center in New York, a few of my classmates and I stopped in the Zuber showroom! It is very tiny, but so so cool. Here I'm posing with a trompe l'oeil paper, made to look like lace. I wanted my picture with this particular paper because it is one of the patterns from the early 19th century (I think 1830s?) that they still produce! I think most of what they sell today is comprised of the older designs, which includes tons of the scenic papers they are most famous for. One of my first posts was about a wallpaper made by one of their competitors, Merii. That paper came from an awesome book about French wallpapers that this lace paper is in too.

P. E. Guerin

While in New York this week, our class made a visit to P. E. Guerin, the oldest remaining hardware manufacturer in America - and it was awesome. While there, they did a pour, so not only did we get to see tons of new and old hardware, but the entire manufacturing process. After the pour, we saw plating, finishing, etc., and all the work that goes into the hardware. Along with their usual stock (which is huuuuge), they also do custom work. One of the coolest things is that they have all of their records, since the beginning of the company in 1857. Although I think the building could pretty much burst into flames at any minute, based on what I saw, and I think they should at least digitize or move those records, for posterity...

I know that one person has done some scholarly work on the company. They made hardware for Herter Brothers, which I think was connected to the Art-in-Trades Club somehow, maybe through Herter Looms? I'm not exactly sure on that, but I'm going to go back in my records and see if any Guerin employees were club members. It would be really cool to connect them.

Hello, Chandelier.

I got a chandelier! For this picture, my dad just rigged it up to see if it worked: it needs a good cleaning, perhaps rewiring, and new bulbs. And a home, of course (once I move again I will figure this out). I should have taken a picture from slightly below, so you would see the decoration on the candle arms and cups, the tops of them were left unfinished because they wouldn't have been seen from below. Its mostly brass, with molded decoration, and has all its glass drops. It really is pretty, more than you can tell in this picture, and one day I will post it in all its glory. My dad got a great price on it though, and we've all been keeping our eyes out for so long, it just had to be bought.

Banner Source

From Ackermann's Repository, 1809.

"A representation of a shew-room, 57 feet long and 21 broad, fitted up with great taste, and forming part of the extensive premises of Messrs. Pellatt and Green [later Apsley Pellatt], glass-makers to the king, St. Paul's churchyard. In this room is exhibited an elegant assortment of glass, china and earthen-ware, in a word, of all those articles of humble utility, or costly decoration, which are to be found in the principal glass-shops of this metropolis."

Best Nerdy Christmas Ever

In September, I wrote about 17th-century Dutch inspired glassware. For Christmas, my parents gave me this version, made in France! This glass, or roemer, is a bit more modern - a slightly stylized version of the ones usually pictured in Dutch still lifes. Mom says it was modeled after pieces found in Strasbourg (century unknown). I looove it. It might be one of the best presents I've ever received.