Mahogany sleigh bed. Sleigh-shaped bed with a headboard higher than footboard. Outcurved top rails. Cyma curved footboard. Headboard has side pieces with cyma curves. Low to ground. Side rails have curved top edge. Feet are rounded blocks that are caster
Provenance
Buchanan, James
to Johnston, Harriet Lane (niece)
to Kennedy, May (cousin)
to Taylor, Mrs. Edmund R. (Julia) (May's sister)
to Taylor, Mr. Edmund R. Taylor Jr. (Julia's grandson)
Walnut bed finish bleached by sun exposure, especially on back & headboard and footboard. Minor scratches on the wood througout.
Object ID
W.1989.344.001
Notes
Belonged to James Buchanan and Harriet Lane Johnston. According to letter from donor's wife, 'there is no written authentication of its origin, but my husband received the bed from his grandmother, Mrs. E.R. Taylor of Charles Town, Jefferson County, W. V
Mr. and Mrs. Edmund R. Taylor, Jr. donated a set of 8 linen handtowels marked with Harriet Lane Johnston's monogram and a letter from Francis Scott Key to James Buchanan at the same time of the bed donation. A campaign card was also donated at this time.
The matching sleigh bed is currently (2022) owned by Evelyn Byrd Hutton (evelynbyrdhutton@gmail.com), a sister of Betsy Henry Lehman & daughter to Reginald Buchanan Henry, Jr.
Urn-shaped wood candlestick cup and stem screws onto shallow bowl base. Incised line around outside lip. Outside bottom is flat, slightly concave. On the base is a circular image of a man and woman on a donkey comprised of varied colors of inlaid wood. Background of the image is dark brown.
Cotton bedspread. White on white quilting, square with fringed edging on three sides. Motifs of sunflowers, strawberries and grape vines. Continuous serpentine foliate vine around border. Signed in ink at bottom left corner: 'Mary E Lane; signed in cross-stitch, HRL at top right corner with additional note in ink: "for MS Kennedy 1899."
Mary E. Lane No 2 written in ink in bottom left corner. HRL cross-stitched with "for MS Kennedy 1899'" written in ink at top right corner.
Length (cm)
254
Length (ft)
8.3333333333
Length (in)
100
Width (in)
100
Condition
Good
Condition Date
2022-11-09
Condition Notes
Some staining.
Object ID
W.1992.015.001
Notes
Since the quilting on this bedspread is too sophisticated for a young girl, it is probable that Jane Buchanan Lane, Mary and Harriet's mother, was the person who made the bedspread. The signatures in ink and cross stitch inform us that sisters, Mary E. and Harriet R. Lane owned the coverlet at different times in their lives. In or before 1899, Harriet added the message that the textile was to be next owned by her maternal cousin, May Selden Kennedy.
Fashion plate print. Black line drawing of three women. 'Fashions for September 1831' at bottom. Picture is hand-watercolored. First woman wears a peach and white dress, off the shoulder, and a white and green hat with plumes. Second woman wears a green
Hand-painted porcelain bowl. Chinese export porcelain. Central medallion painted inside bottom. Decorative border around inner edge of boal. Entire exterior of bowl painted in multi-color designs, scenes containing figures, flowers, birds. Similar to 4 saucers.
Provenance
Bowl owned by Harriet Lane Johnston, then descent within family to donor.
Oval-shaped bowl with lid. On 1 inch base or foot with 2 gold-painted handles and indentation for spoon. Lid also has indentation for spoon. Large mushroom shaped gold painted finial. Detailed and multi-colored birds, flowers,a foliage on outer surfaces of bowl and lid. chinese export porcelain.
Provenance
Bowl owned by Harriet Lane Johnston, then descent within family to donor.
Handpainted dish of Chinese export porcelain. Center design of six Chinese ladies outside home playing board game. Four sections of rim repeat the same stylized design of fish, flowers, scrolled documents, etc.
Provenance
Dish owned by Harriet Lane Johnston, then descent within family to donor.
One of a set of five handpainted Chinese export porcelain plates. Gold edge. Center medallion of man walking on water while carrying a woman (?). Surrounding decoration has four medallions bordered with scrolling and surrounded by flowers. Within two medallions is a scene of three people sitting on floor at a table. Remaining two designs have floral designs. Glazed except for foot ring.
Provenance
Dish owned by Harriet Lane Johnston, then descent within family to donor.
One of a set of five handpainted Chinese export porcelain plates. Gold edge. Center medallion of man walking on water while carrying a woman (?). Surrounding decoration has four medallions bordered with scrolling and surrounded by flowers. Within two medallions is a scene of three people sitting on floor at a table. Remaining two designs have floral designs. Glazed except for foot ring.
Provenance
Dish owned by Harriet Lane Johnston, then descent within family to donor.
One of a set of five handpainted Chinese export porcelain plates. Gold edge. Center medallion of man walking on water while carrying a woman (?). Surrounding decoration has four medallions bordered with scrolling and surrounded by flowers. Within two medallions is a scene of three people sitting on floor at a table. Remaining two designs have floral designs. Glazed except for foot ring.
Provenance
Dish owned by Harriet Lane Johnston, then descent within family to donor.
One of a set of five handpainted Chinese export porcelain plates. Gold edge. Center medallion of man walking on water while carrying a woman (?). Surrounding decoration has four medallions bordered with scrolling and surrounded by flowers. Within two medallions is a scene of three people sitting on floor at a table. Remaining two designs have floral designs. Glazed except for foot ring.
Provenance
Dish owned by Harriet Lane Johnston, then descent within family to donor.
One of a set of five handpainted Chinese export porcelain plates. Gold edge. Center medallion of man walking on water while carrying a woman (?). Surrounding decoration has four medallions bordered with scrolling and surrounded by flowers. Within two medallions is a scene of three people sitting on floor at a table. Remaining two designs have floral designs. Glazed except for foot ring.
Provenance
Dish owned by Harriet Lane Johnston, then descent within family to donor.
Silver dome shaped cover. Silver surface decorated with inscribed floral patterns on both sides of the dome. One one side the floral decor also features the inscribed letters JB.
Provenance
Buchanan, James
To Johnston, Harriet Lane
To Lane, John Newton (nephew)
To Fay, Patty Lane Fay (daughter)
To Sebrell, Patty Lane Fay (PL Fay daughter) To James Buchanan Foundation
One pair of Chippendale brass and iron andirons. Contains large reeded ball at top, three graduated small balls center and large ball at base. Snake turned base with two small balls each side of snake turning. Rear of base small turned ball with double column base.
Oval top empire-style table with side skirt. Skirt has beaded top and bottom. Table divides to accomodate four leaves. Four-sided reeded central pillar with two turned feet underneath and four c-scrolled supports. Solid base with four radial, long legs w
Undocumented stories claim that this table was ordered by William Jenkins in 1828, the year he had the Wheatland mansion built, and that it has conveyed to each subsequent owner with the deed. The table dates from the first quarter of the nineteenth century and might attributed to the Bachman cabinetmakers.
One of a pair of Empire side chairs (with 2013.008.22) with yellow upholstered seat and cherry wood frame. Elements of entire frame are flat with rounded fronts. Back uprights have slight cyma curve, surmounted by a long, wide concave tablet. Tablet has low relief foliate carved ends while most of face is covered with a panel of mahogany veneer. Tablet extends beyond back uprights. Horizontal splat at center of back is pierced carved with a central rectangle flanked by half-moon carved shells, and is then supported by paired, loosely scrolled lyre-like "legs" that attach to chair posts. Trapezoid slip seat upholstered in an ivory cotton brocade. Front legs have a slight cyma curve.
One of a pair of Empire side chairs (with 2013.008.21) with yellow upholstered seat and cherry wood frame. Elements of entire frame are flat with rounded fronts. Back uprights have slight cyma curve, surmounted by a long, wide concave tablet. Tablet has low relief foliate carved ends while most of face is covered with a panel of mahogany veneer. Tablet extends beyond back uprights. Horizontal splat at center of back is pierced carved with a central rectangle flanked by half-moon carved shells, and is then supported by paired, loosely scrolled lyre-like "legs" that attach to chair posts. Trapezoid seat. Front legs have a slight cyma curve.
