American Rococo Revival Walnut Sofa. The serpentine back centered by a rose and shell scrolled carved crest, the back joined to closed arms, with a serpentine apron and raised on cabriole legs terminating in casters, silk velvet upholstery.
Part of a four-piece dress. Blue velvet laced belt; white mesh stiffener; lined in navy satin. 5/8" wide navy woven tape with tubular metal clamps at both ends for lacing belt closed using 10 round hand-stiched edged buttonholes, 3 metal stays, one in back, 2 at front opening. Velvet tab attached to inside folds across lacing hoes in front. Lower edge tapers to a slight "v" in the back and a deeper "V" in front.
Part of a four-piece dress. Jacket: Short sleeves with cuffs. Dark blue velvet fully-lined in cream-colored silk with batting between two fabrics. 2 small leather-lined pockets on left inside. Hand-stiched strip on linging at lower edge right front. 3 hooks and thread-covered eyes at waist front. Parallel lines of sticthing on body at sleeve openings and at waist and on 3 bands around neck as well as front and silk at opening. Blue velvet strips have buttons in back and at tabbed ends on front. 4 tabbed front closure peices have buttons. Machine and hand-stitching.
Part of a four-piece dress. Blue velvet bodice with pointed lower front edges. Raw edges at collar, sleeves, and along waist/ bottom edge. Fronts have two bust darts. Right front has 21 buttonholes finished in buttonhole stitch. Left front has threads where buttons (now missing) had been sewn on. Front has batting between velvet and lining. Finely finished interior with 11 places for contour stays -4 have stays; 2 each front and 1 behind each underarm seam. 4 1/2 inch long brown fabric piece with 5 hooks inside right front; piece with 5 eyes on inside left front, attached at waist to reduce strain of buttons/ buttonholes. Brown twill tape as backing for buttons.
With garment are two lined tabs, tacked together. Metal pieces inside tips. 3-parallel lines of stitching around outline of both tabs. Top edges are raw, unfinished edges, White mesh stiffener between velvet and lining.
Part of four-piece dress. Skirt: Deep royal blue velvet skirt. Machine and hand stiching. Vertical seams are machine-stitched as are parts of satin band/ tape at waist edge.
Closure back: 2 hooks and eyes one waist edge. 5 shaps on pleated placket.
Decortative band (7/8 inches wide) sewn on with 3 parallel rows of stitching. Interiror seams in back of garments have bound edges. Some other seam edges appear to have been overcast. Hem is lined with 20 inch (at rear of skirt) to 8 1/2 inch (at front) of navy satin. Back panel appears to be a different fabric. 2 black tape tabs sewn onto inside waist.
Open scroll work on rectangular music stand; elaborate lyre-shaped pedal support with two pedals. Three massive legs with ten-faceted tapered legs. Sides of keyboard area scrolled with foliate carving. Around bottom is rope-like molding.
Ames, Kenneth L [ed], 'Victorian Furniture: Essays from a Victorian Society Autumn Symposium', Victorian Society in America, 1982.
Height (in)
37.437
Length (in)
98.5
Width (in)
57
Condition
Good
Condition Date
2022-11-17
Condition Notes
adjusted' piano 5/16/1949
Last cleaning & tuning September 2006
Several strings are broken and the sound board no longer holds its tuning.
Object ID
W.1936.001.004
Notes
Jonas Chickering (1798-1853), whose firm made the piano, began his career as a cabinetmaker in Ipswich, New Hampshire. In 1818 at the age of twenty, he went to Boston and apprenticed himself in one of the town's cabinet shops.
Bookcase composed of two sections. Cabinet with glass doors at top and cabinet with wooden doors at bottom. Two glass doors have square mullions holding the panes. Doors give access to moveable shelves inside. Two doors at bottom of each have simple rectangular recessed panels.
Thomas Potter - 2nd owner of Wheatland
Sold to William Morris Meredith 3rd owner of Wheatland
Sold to James Buchanan 4th owner of Wheatland
Inherited by Harriet Lane Johnston 5th owner of Wheatland
Bequeathed to John Newton Lane, Harriet Lane Johnston's nephew
Bequeathed to Mrs. Patty Lane Fay daughter of John N. Lane
Bookcases sold to Meredith in 1845 by Potter then Meredith sold them to James Buchanan in 1848. Letter dated 9/27/1848 to Buchanan from Meredith: 'In addition to the $6750 which you mention, I paid Mr. Potter for the bookcases in the library, I think $75.00.'
Bookcase composed of two sections. The upper cabinet has two hinged doors that latch at center. The shelving is adjustable and both doors feature 12 oblong-shaped glass panes and mullions. The lower cabinet has two hinged wood doors that latch and lock at the center; each door features a square recessed panel.
Provenance
Thomas Potter
To - William Morris Meredith
To - James Buchanan
To - Harriet Lane Johnston
To - John Newton Lane
To - James Buchanan Lane II
To - Thomasina Thomas Lane
To - James Buchanan Foundation
Thomas Potter - 2nd owner of Wheatland
Sold to - William Morris Meredith for $75
Sold to - James Buchanan for $75
Bequeathed to - Harriet Lane Johnston
Bequeathed to - John Newton Lane, Harriet's nephew
Bequeathed to - James Buchanan Lane II, John N. Lane's son
Bequeathed to - Thomasina Thomas Lane, James B. Lane II's spouse
Oblong shaped walnut veneered container with a back-hinged lid, beveled shape raised central flat area carved with egg-bead molding. Brass 8-point star bail handles are on each end; one handle missing. Brass round keyhole escutcheon is centered on the top front façade of the box with egg & bead molding around the base surmounting four flat-bun shaped feet. Interior features two boxes with back hinged lids as storage compartments for tea leaves. In the center is a circular aperture lined with felt holding a star cut glass mixing bowl to blend tea leaves.
Left earlobe has broken off. Base is chipped. Various smudge marks all over.
Object ID
W.1960.006.001
Notes
James Buchanan Henry inherited this bust when his Uncle James Buchanan died; his cousin, Harriet Lane Johnston inherited the matching bust, which she later donated to the Corcoran Gallery of Art.
James Buchanan Henry bequeathed this bust to his son, Frank Anderson Henry, who donated it to the James Buchanan Foundation in 1960.