Pewter dram bottle, canteen or flask. Flattened round body with flat bottom having a thin oval foot. Seam at center of rounded sides. Very short, tapered, threaded neck has a fitted and threaded 3/4" high thimble-shaped cap. Decorative concentric circles incised on flattened sides.
Touchmark stamped on bottom is "I.C H/ LANCASTER" in lettering with serifs. Mark is a Laughlin touch #532, 533.
W. King Street, Lancaster
Provenance
Bottle was in the attic of Samuel R. Haldeman's home until he died and Harry, the youngest son, surreptitiously took it along with other belongings to Buffy's Auction in Lebanon where the bottle was sold in a box lot to Mahlon Keith for 30 cents. Keith later sold it to friend William Snyder of Bleak House in Paradise for about $400. Snyder then sold it at the Bleak House sale through A.R. Cox Antiques of Kinzer on May 4, 1965 to donor Dr. Scott, who purchased it for $5,000. Heritage Center purchased at Scott sale (Christie's) for $18,400 on June 10, 1994.
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.
Within a twisted foliate border is a central block depicting Adam & Eve flanking a tree with a serpent wound around the trunk offering Eve an apple. This is an engraving executed by Gabriel Miesse of Reading; his name appears at lower right followed by "sc" for "sculpsit", indicating the engraver. Two columns of verse flank the central block, telling the story of "the Fall" in conversational form. At top of broadside is the title in German: "Adam und Eva im Paradies." A subtitle reads: "Mel. Herzlich thut mich Verlangen, etc."
At bottom is: "Gedruckt in der Druckerey des Adlers von H.W. Villee, Lancaster, Pa. allwo alle Sorten Bilder, Bucher,/ Schriebmaterialien und Arzneyen zu haben find." This indicates the broadside was printed in the Lancaster Eagle's printshop (a newspaper started by Villee and Jacob Baab on Oct. 26, 1826). Villee was also selling pictures, books, stationery and even medicines out of his shop on N. Queen St.
See biographical info about Villee from Klaus Stopp's book in this file. He was born in France, served as a captain under Napolean, had to leave France in 1815 and ended up in America in 1820. Villee entered the printing business by working at "the Eagle," a newspaper in Reading. Villee was not successful as a printer in Lancaster, and he left sometime in 1832 or soon after, going to places like Lewisburg, Sunbury and Milton. After moving to Northumberland Co. and becoming a teacher, he finally died in 1842.
The Earnests note that Adam & Eve were popular fraktur subjects, especially among German-language printers of SE PA. They note that there are only about a half dozen Adam & Eve broadsides by Villee known.
Exhibited in Fraktur Exhibit in Masonic Lodge circa 2004 through 2007 (removed spring 2008).
See also P.01.60.1 and P04.48 for examples of a Heaven & Hell broadside by Villee.
North Queen St., Lancaster (printer); Reading, PA (engraver). Villee, Herman W., printer; Gabriel Miesse, engraver; unknown colorist
Paper darkened and soiled overall, wrinkled with fold lines and rough-edged with minor tears and folds. Stains scattered over surface with darkest stains within right text above center. Small hole at center of top foliate border.
Frame is homemade of stained and varnished tiger maple. Acidic cardboard backboard replaced with acid free matboard.
Object ID
P.04.48.1
Credit
Acquired through the generosity of Irene N. Walsh, Heritage Center Collection
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.
Cracked. Reads: "I H 1774" Marked three times: "MZ"
Front and back hounds are heavy wooden members of the running gear. Each is configured into a "wishbone" shape whose "prongs" are attached to front or rear axle. Thus, this iron is likely a hound band that encircles and secures the hounds where they are joined to the coupling pole that runs front to back. (These wooden members are part of what we now call the chassis.)
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.
