Oil Painting on paper of General John Steele. Gen. Steele is seated with his right arm on the arm of a chair, left hand on his right wrist. He's attired in a black coat high with high back collar. A high white collar around his neck has a bow tied in the front with a ruffled front.
Porcelain china compote with hand-painted landscape scenary on outer body of the bowl. Acquired by James Buchanan while serving as Secretary of State from then outgoing French Ambassador, Louis Adolphe Aimé Fourier, comte de Bacourt.
Nast or Darte Freres factory. Jean-Pierre Feuillet, designer.
Provenance
French Ambassador, Louis Adolphe Aimé Fourier, comte de Bacourt
Mark applied over glaze, therefore some of the ojects no longer have the designer's signature
Height (cm)
13.97
Height (ft)
0.4583333333
Height (in)
5.5
Diameter (cm)
25.4
Diameter (ft)
0.8333333333
Diameter (in)
10
Condition
Fair
Condition Date
2023-03-31
Condition Notes
Some thinning of decorative paints, chipping, broken.
Object ID
W.1935.010.001
Notes
In 1995 the JBF staff assigned the Object ID W.95.69.2 to this Compote as a FIC probably because original paper records were not found.
In March 2023 the paper file has been found that identifies Lois Cassatt Thayer as the donor in 1935. Mrs. Thayer was the daughter to Alexander Cassatt and his wife, Maria Lois Buchanan Cassatt. Maria Lois Buchanan was the daughter to Rev. Dr. Edward Y. Buchanan, the youngest sibling to President James Buchanan.
This frog doorstop serves as an iconic symbol of James Buchanan's attachment to his favorite spring at his Wheatland farm, and was donated because it was an appropriate piece.
Lignum vitas wood caster with round, bowl-like top, pierced for shaking out pounce. Base is ring-turned tapers smaller to broad top, flat bottom. Small, shallow dotted pattern in two bands near bottom. Lip at top has thin groove. Top screws onto base that would be filled with pounce, which is a fine powder made from powdered cuttlefish bone. Pounce was used both to dry ink and to sprinkle on a rough writing surface to make it smooth enough for writing.
Esther 'Hetty' Parker, James Buchanan's housekeeper, chose this among several other household items that Buchanan noted she was to be allowed to choose after his death. Miss Hetty gave this to the daughter of her neighbor. Miss Steckman donated this to the Wheatland collection in 1938.
Wine bottle. Brown glass, shallow pontil, seamed shoulder and neck. Cork with red wax to seal mouth. Wine inside almost to shoulder level. Found by volunteers sometime during the early years of the James Buchanan Foundation. Bottle was found in the east end of the basement level in the Wheatland mansion.
Religious text by Christian Strenge on wove paper, pasted on Kraft type brown paper and mounted in a hinged window mat. Horizontal orientation.
Within heavy black borders with red corner blocks are multiple lines of text, each separated by several motifs resembling a sideways ampersand. Top line is "Preiset mit mur den herren und lasset uns" done with large open letters and decorative infill. Followed by 3 lines of fraktur red lettering, ending with the reference Psalm 34 verses 4, 5 and 6. Remaining text is script, ending with "April 1788."
Dominating fraktur design are two very large distinctive, colorful flowers drawn with a compass. Main stem with drooping tulips & other flowers at sides and is rooted in a heart containing verse. A bold red predominates
First line translation is "Praise with me the Lord and let us...". On fraktur back is printed "property of Lancaster County Historical Society."
Extensive damage. Very dark with overall acid burn. Multiple losses, especially at left side and upper left corner with very ragged edges and holes. Additional heavy paper losses at bottom, right of center and significant holes extend across area above "Preiset". Paint is chipped, abraded and missing, especially black. Thin wrinkle extends across bottom about 1 inch from bottom. Pasted to acidic Kraft type paper.
"Needs restoring" according to Pastor F. Weiser (appraisal of 1988)
Object ID
2003.077
Notes
Appraisal conducted by Pastor Fred Weiser, Sept. 2, 1988. He suggests looking at article by David Johnson in Reggeboge for early examples of Strenge.
Broadside: Notice of Public Sale - 1 story brick dwelling, estate of Thomas M'Caslin. December 26, 1829, at 3 p.m. at public house of Bernard M'Gonigle.
Sheraton-inspired mahogany veneer night table with satinwood inlay accents that outline the apron, drawer and keyhole, as well as the legs. The table top has eight sides and surmounts four saber legs that also support a lower inward-curved shelf.
Fraktur birth certificate for Lydia Glasz / Glass, daughter of Leonard Glass and wife Christina, nee German. Hand drawn and colored on paper. Unusual confronting women with yellow dresses and red parasols flank central textblock within border. Tree of life above textblock; undulating plant w/ flowers sit on shelf at sides. Triple-line outside border.
German text translates to "Lydia Glasz daughter of Leonard Glasz and his wife Christina a born German. Was born 25th day of Jan. in the year of our Lord 1811.
Some buckling of paper overall. Some bleeding of ink, causing brown marks around letters; also in entire upper left corner. Small 1.4" brown streak below the word "Christina" in center panel.
Condition report of 1986 by the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts in Phila. in file. No documented treatment. Matted and framed in 1996 by conservator Brian Howard.
Object ID
P.77.12
Notes
Similar to designs of Plate #61 in Weiser & Heaney, Penna. German Fraktur of The Free Library of Phila., v.1.
Research: Ancestry.com gives the marriage of fraktur recipient Lydia Glass to John Kempfer on 20 Nov. 1828 in Ephrata at the Bethany United Church of Christ. Husband John was born 19 Feb. 1809, died 4 April 1865. Lydia died 24 June 1853. Their daughter Elizabeth Kempfer (1836-1909) married David Rudy Buch (1834-1925) and lived in Lititz.
Ancestry also gives the 1810 Census in Earl, Lancaster Co. that lists Leonard Glase with 4 household members under 16 yrs., 1 at 16-25 yrs., and 2 over 25 yrs. Total of seven in home. Lydia was born the following year in 1811.
Place of Origin
Lancaster County
Credit
Gift of the James Hale Steinman Foundation, Heritage Center Collection
