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
Lancaster Amish quilt, Diamond in the Square pattern. Machine assembled and hand quilted.
Top: Plain-weave and crepe wool and rayon. Rust red diamond of wool in a Williamsburg blue square; two inner borders (one on diamond and one around square) of the same shiny crepe rayon and red corner blocks. Green wool outer border with Williamsburg blue corner blocks of crepe wool. (Herr notes that the blue fabric in the corner blocks varies from that of the inner borders. Binding is rust red and machine sewn to both back and front.
Back: green plain-weave cotton, machine-joined in three widths.
Quilting: Done in black thread. Diamond has a large repeating star within wreath and a floral or butterfly motif in each corner. Both narrow borders have grapevine pattern. Four triangular blocks of square have a large branching rose & tulip in each, with scallop on all edges. Outer green borders have a vining flower extending into corners to form tied bows.
Herr writes: "The rather stiff open floral quilting patterns seen here are associated with later quilts. One sees more geometric densely quilted flowing patterns in earlier examples."
Provenance
Esprit purchased May 1984 from Phyllis Haders for $9,000.
Vibrant colors but LARGE, HEAVY liquid staining esp. within the triangular blocks.
Quilt report by conservator Linnea S. Davis in 1990 states condition is excellent, almost new. Says batt may have substantial natural oils affecting color of backing. She does note "very faint" blue-green rings from moisture or wool oils within 3 color triangles in turquoise; also 3 tiny white paint spots within inner border.
Lancaster Amish quilt, Diamond in the Square pattern. Machine assembled and hand quilted with black cotton thread in a fine, even manner consistent with the early date of c.1910.
Top: Twill-weave wool, three colors (brown, turquoise and purple) & three borders. Binding is machine joined strips, sewn by machine to back and front.
Back: Black-and white woven-pattern cotton flannel, with white "streaking" achieved with white warp threads. An initial "J" embroidered in red is found in one corner of back.
Quilting: Large feather wreath in diamond with cross-hatching inside; border has pumpkin seed florets within a geometric diamond pattern, and a flower in each corner block. Triangles have double-quilted flower motifs flanking a fruit-filled basket. Border of square has pumkin seed florets within the same diamond pattern as previous border. Outer border has tightly scrolling feathers.and corners have a circular wreath filled with cross-hatching.
Provenance
Purchased from Phyllis Habers in May 1984 for $9,000.
Condition report/sketch done by volunteer Aug. 2010. Condition report by Linnea Davis, 1990, states "Excellent to VG. Faded overall. Some small areas of abrasion (moth). Previous hoes with wax residue around sides at back, due to mounting with waxed cord." Fading most significant at outer border, with streaking.
Lancaster Amish quilt, Diamond in the Square pattern w/ Sunshine and Shadow variation, stitched "E S" and "1943", although date stitching now removed. Evidence of this late date are the lighter colors and the use of rayon and crepe fabrics.
Top: Plain-weave and crepe wool and rayon. Center diamond has multi-color S & S squares on purple ground; red triangles in square; inner border of purple and outer border of medium blue. No corner blocks. Binding is blue.
Back: Blue plain-weave cotton.
Quilting is well executed and traditional for this late date. Crosshatching in centerfield. Inner border has loosely meandering flowery vine. Outer border has feather scrolls with two double-line stars centered at each side.
Script initials stitched at center of one outer border are "E S", indicating maker or more likely the recipient. Flanking the lower adjacent star is evidence of the now-removed stitching of the date "1943".
Provenance
Esprit purchased from America Hurrah Antiques of NYC, April 14, 1980 for $4,800
Condition report by student intern E. Miller, 7/18/13. Multiple blue marks around outer border. Several small holes in inner border and one at edge of purple in center diamond. Wide borders are splotchy with fading. Reverse has several large liquid stains and significant areas of fading/ discoloration.
Lancaster Amish quilt, Diamond in the Square pattern w/ Sunshine and Shadow variation, c. 1940. Unusual features, especially the one outer border of plum fabric that has no corner blocks. Open quilting style based on rose patterns suggests a later date than for most of the quilts in this collection.
Top: Plain- and twill-weave wool. Dark multi-colored diamond of S & S blocks uses turquoise, brown, purple and plum. Triangles are blue and inner border is reddish brown with blue corner blocks. Outer borders are blue?? with only two plum corner blocks. One entire side is made of the plum fabric! Binding is black.
Back: Two halves of different cottons: each a blue-and-white printed plain-weave. One is a busy pattern of diamonds and the other is a more subdued pattern. Small-scale printed B & W and Blue & W fabrics were often used in comination as backs of Lancaster County Amish quilts.
Quilting is not dense. Crosshatch in S & S center; a variety of unusual stylized roses & tulips in all other areas.
Provenance
Esprit purchased from Holsteins on 6-12-1986 for $10,000.
Condition report by student intern E. Miller, 7/18/13, shows repair to outer seam of center diamond. Several small holes within outer border. Reverse has two brown stains near one side. Quilt does not hang well. See also Esprit condition reports.
Lancaster Amish quilt, Sunshine & Shadow pattern, circa 1940. Herr states: "The predominant use of cotton and rayon over wool in this quilt suggests a date close to 1940, when fine woolen fabrics previously used in Lancaster Co. Amish quilts were becoming less available..."
Top: plain-weave rayon, cotton and wool. Center square contains S & S pattern composed of 1 1/2 - 1 5/8" blocks with some very unusual color choices: red pink and maroon in adjacent blocks as well as 2 white blocks in place of lavender ones. The 4" inner border is light pink cotton as are the corner blocks. The 10 1/2" outer border is a raspberry colored rayon. The 1" binding is a dusty rose.
Back: blue-and-white woven-check (miniscule scale) of plain-weave cotton.
Quilting: Basket motif in outer border quilted with black thread. Pink thread (unusual choice for Amish) is used in the undulating floral vine of inner border and 3-flowered motif of corners. The single top center flower (tulip?) of the corner block motifs is repeated in the baskets.
Provenance
Purchased by Esprit from unknown vendor in June 1977 for $3,525, one of the first Amish quilts in Tompkins' collection.
Condition problems with fading, but especially extensive staining: variety of light & dark liquids and spatters & spills. Stains very evident within borders, although they extend into center area blocks as well. See condition reports by Esprit as well as Miller & Zercher, 8-1-2013.
Lancaster Amish quilt, Sunshine & Shadow pattern, c. 1940. Machine pieced squares form a diamond. Quilt quite heavy.
Top: Plain-and twill-weave wool, crepes, cotton, and rayon. The use of many cotton & rayon fabrics suggest a later date of c. 1940. Centerfield uses black fabric. Inner border is dark turquoise w/ dark red corner squares. Outer border is dark plum with maroon corner squares. Green binding machine sewn to front, turned & whip-stitched to back.
Back: Brown, pink and white printed plain-weave cotton. Unusual backing fabric.
Signed 'Samantha or Samuel Zook' according to conservator Linnea Davis. (Apparently hidden under velcro).
Quilting: Hand quilted with black thread. Cross-hatched centerfield. Inner border has slightly undulating vine of roses & leaves. Outer border has a similar rose motif which circles & repeats along the border. Leaves are more complex. Maroon corner squares have roses tied by a bow. This rose quilting also suggests a later date.
Provenance
Esprit purchased from the Holsteins, June 12, 1986, for $9,000.
Lancaster Amish quilt, Sunshine & Shadow pattern, c. 1940
Top: plain-weave, twill-weave and crepe wools as well as rayon. Center blocks are 2"-square, are of startling colors ranging from crimson to orange to pink. Inner border, 4 1/4" wide, is dark green with pink corner blocks. Outer border has two colors: two sides are dark steel-gray blue and two a denim blue. Corner blocks are again of pink. Dark green 1.25" binding.
Back: dark blue woven-stripe sateen-weave cotton.
Quilting: Waffle quilting through center blocks intersects center of each small square. Inner border has "pumpkin seed" 4-petal flowers within open diamonds. Five-petal flower in corner blocks. Outer border has scrolling feathers continued through corner blocks.
Provenance
Unknown provenance, although quilt wason the cover of Jonathan Holstein's book, says Julie Silber. This would indicate a purchase from Holstein.
See existing Esprit condition report. Multiple stains over surface, most noticeable are the strong blue paint(?) stains on opposing sides of steel-gray outer border and on several small squares near quilt center. Additional smaller, lighter stains overall. Fading as evidenced by back of binding.
