Oil on canvas painting of Chickee's Rock and the Susquehanna River, depicting several modes of transportation. The left side is dominated by Chickee's Rock, with the Samuel S. Haldeman mansion (demolished 1911) at its base. The Susquehanna Canal runs along the base of the cliff, with a canal boat on it. A dirt road runs from bottom center off to the left with an oxcart hauling multiple sacks and driven by a man in a hat.
The river appears in the lower right quadrant. A man in a rowboat is rowing across the river and the covered bridge between Columbia and Wrightsville is in the far distance.
Mounted in a gold-painted modern frame (not original). Painting is signed "F. deB. Richards / 184[0 or 6]" on a rock at bottom right. A plaque attached to the bottom center of the frame reads "VIEW OF CHICKEE ROCKS / SUSQUEHANNA RIVER / by F. de B. Richards - 1840".
A red-bordered paper sticker attached to upper left of stretcher reads: "209 F. de B. Richards/ 1840 VIEW OF CHICKEE Rocks/ SUSQUEHANNA RIVER/ CANVAS/ 35 x 47 $3,500" The back of the canvas originally had the inscription: "View of Chickee Rocks/ Susquehanna River Painted by F deB Richards/ Wilmington/ 1840" This has since been covered up or replaced.
According to vendor, "Before 1856 (Richards) exhibited chiefly PA views" and was a landscape painter in NYC 1844-45 and in Phila. 1848-66.
Born in Wilmington, DE in 1822, Richards would have been 18 years old if he executed this painting in 1840. The Oxford Gallery notes that "By 1840, he was perfecting his skills as an artist as a student."
Provenance
Harry Shaw Newman of the Old Print Shop bought the painting from dealer Charlotte Sittig of Delaware, PA. She had purchased it at an antiques show at the Hotel DuPont in Wilmington, DE, in the early 1970s.
Crazed paint throughout. A grouping of small stains/marks in upper right, about 8" down from top and 13" from right. Frame has some nicks and paint loss along the edges.
Painting was cleaned, revarnished and relined in the early 1970s.
Object ID
P.79.097.1
Place of Origin
Lancaster County
Credit
Acquired through the generosity of the James Hale Steinman Foundation, Heritage Center Collection
Two-piece corner cupboard, white pine, painted with brown glaze over yellow (possibly a mid-19th century repainting). Bold cornice over a band of thin reeding in staggered blocks on fascia. Pilasters of thin reeding flank door sections. Upper section has large door with 12 lights (7.5" x 6.5") of old glass, hand-cut tin lock escutcheon and latch with brass pendant ring handle. with; staggered fluting on fascia. The bottom section has bracket feet with below carved sunbursts. Double doors with triple-raised panels and latch with brass pendant ring handle. The interior is painted off-white, and has four shelves furnished with plate moldings along back.
Pencil inscriptions at top inside rail of each bottom door. Left door appears to have "John Rentschler" or similar name, likely an owner. Rentschler name is found in Berks County in mid-19th c.
Lancaster County, possibly Strasburg area
Provenance
Purchased from Park Edwards at a Strasburg, PA sale in April, 1969. It was then purchased from a Walter Himmelreich sale in October, 1971 by Harry Hartman Antiques. Purchased by Museum Sept. 1979.
Scattered losses overall, with chipping and gouges. Evidence of most wear and damage is at cornice, mid-line molding and feet. Existing finish likely a late 19th c. repaint. Strong paint losses on molding at base of upper section. Large area of wood loss in lower left door adjacent to latch. Upper cupboard has wood losses along back edge of right side and reeding at fascia.
Object ID
P.79.101.1
Place of Origin
Lancaster County
Credit
Acquired through the generosity of the James Hale Steinman Foundation, Heritage Center Collection
A: Homemade awl or piercing tool with hand-shaped shank with turned up tip set into a crude wooden handle with no finish. L: 5.25"
B: Awl or bodkin with decoratively turned walnut or rosewood handle fitted with a foresection of bone set into handle that tapers to a sharp point. L: 5"
C: Section of cow's horn (thumb protector?) L: 3.25"
D. Section of cow's horn (thumb protector?) L: 3"
Provenance
These four items were designated as basketweaving tools by donor. Unknown origin.
Portfolio of medium brown leather, book form opening to inside with two expandable side pouches for holding papers. Interior is lined with a very dark brown leather. Front and back covers decorated with foliate designs witin lined borders created with wire stitching over a filler of heavy paper or leather. Designs are further embellished with tooled lines throughout. Top and bottom edges of folio are stitched.
Porfolio was owned and used by Blanche Nevin (1841-1925), Lancaster poet and sculptor.
Generally sound condition with considerable wear with some losses of decoration, ink stains scattered mostly on back and leather worn with some breaking at edges and fold. Darkened areas from handling.
Object ID
2014.020
Credit
Gift of Sarah Nevin Schindler, Collection of LancasterHistory.org
Large iron box lock from Conestoga Cotton Mill #3 gate. Very long rectangular box has four screw holes for securing to gate and two very small butt hinges attached with screws to back edge. A projecting hollow key escutcheon is riveted to front of box about 5" from one end. Key would be inserted into lock through escutcheon.
In addition, there is an iron latch plate with L-shaped projection mounted onto face of plate, for receiving a lift latch bar. It has five screw holes for mounting on gate.
Depth or thickness is box lock only. Overall thickness including projecting handle holder is 3".
Condition
Fair
Condition Date
2014-10-07
Condition Notes
Expected strong weathering, resulting in surface pitting, rust, white paint residue and 3 significant cracks branching out from one screw hole near latch holder. Latch plate is extremely worn with apparent missing sections. L-shaped projection has lost its original surface due to grinding. Interior of box lock also ground away in sections.
Small German language clothbound hardback child's book with title stamped in gold within an oval: "Das goldene ABC. / zur / Nachfolge Christi". Green covers also stamped with outer border on front and back. Title page has gold printed title within outer border and decoration: "Das goldene ABC. / Fur unser Jugend". Large image of a seated Christ at center and "Pilger-Buchhandlung, Reading, Pa." below.
Inner pages have large Old English font letter on left page illuminated with scenes from the life of Christ and on right page a corresponding religious subject beginning with that letter of the alphabet, along with Bible verses and religious citations. The letters I, X and Y are not represented.
Inscribed in ink inside front cover is "Johnnie Sachs / Dec. 25, 1882". This was likely John Sachs, Jr. of Lancaster City, born 1874 (see file).
Covers have moderate abrasion and wear. Bindings loose with detaching title page. Page with letter "A" has stitched repair where torn. Some soil and stains throughout.
