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.
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.
White cotton bedspread. Fringe on three sides. Worked in candlewicking, eight-pointed star in bottom two corners. Design of swagged garlands in layered rows around piece, squarish shape overall. In center, large presidential eagle with outspread wings, s
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.
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
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.'
Greenish-brown glass with kick in bottom. Cork sealed in mouth of bottle with pinkish wax ('Red Seal') and copper wire. Old torn tag around neck 'Dennison Mfg. Co. Tag Mfrs. 25 & 28 Franklin St. Boston'. Label on bottle printed with '1827 Red Seal Madeira'
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.
White porcelain plate decorated with a 1" pink border and gold edging. The center of bowl has hand-painted landscape next to a body of water. Far bank has a promontory surmounted with a high square tower and an attached arched viaduct. Waterfall courses through arches of viaduct to waterway beneath. A small sailing ship is anchored at left. Three boys with wide-brim hats, breeches and stockings along water on near bank. High rocks and twisting tree frame the scene at left.
Painted cursive inscription on bottom: "Feuillet rue de la / paix no. 20." Jean-Pierre Feuillet, Decorator (French, 1777-1840). See Notes
Matching bowl with differing center scene is 2015.029.11. Additional pieces of Feuillet-decorated dishes in collection are 2013.008.
Rue de la Paix decorating studio, Paris
Provenance
Descent within Buchanan and Henry family to Pamela Henry (daughter of Frank Anderson Henry, Buck's youngest son) to Louisa Dent (donor).
Very good condition except for one 1/4" chip at top of rim edge.
Object ID
2015.029.10
Notes
Research on E-bay has dealer's statement:
"Feuillet introduced a porcelain decorating studio at the Rue de la Paix, Paris in 1820. The products came chiefly from the Royal Factory Sèvres. His successor was Boyer (1845)."
Another seller writes:
"The Feuillet studio was at 18, Rue de la Paix, advantageously located for the wealthy denizens of the area to come visit and make purchases. The Prince of Conde gave Feuillet his protection, thus assuring a constant flow of high-end clients. Feuillet's design atelier reached its apex in the mid-1820s, lavishly decorating some of the most remarkable plates of the time. The combination of rich paste gilding, saturated border colors and meticulous fruit or floral still life paintings made the factory's output one of the favorite choices, other than Sevres, for purchase by the new French Regime. According to the book "Paris Porcelain" by Regine de Plinval de Guillebon, "Feuillet was one of the best decorators in the Restauration period," (Paris Porcelain, page 244)."
White porcelain soup(?) bowl is decorated with a 1" pink border and gold edging. The center of bowl has hand-painted landscape with galloping horse and horseman at center with top hat and raised crop. Accompanying hound at left foreground. Tall heavy signpost at right.
Painted cursive inscription on bottom: "Feuillet rue de la / paix no. 20." Jean-Pierre Feuillet, Decorator (French, 1777-1840). See Notes
Matching bowl except for different center scene is 2015.029.10. Additional pieces of Feuillet dishes in collection are 2013.008.
Rue de la Paix decorating studio, Paris
Provenance
Descent within Buchanan and Henry family to Pamela Henry (daughter of Frank Anderson Henry, Buck's youngest son) to Louisa Dent (donor).
Very good condition except for two small areas of paint loss at bottom center of painted scene.
Object ID
2015.029.11
Notes
Research on E-bay has dealer's statement:
"Feuillet introduced a porcelain decorating studio at the Rue de la Paix, Paris in 1820. The products came chiefly from the Royal Factory Sèvres. His successor was Boyer (1845)."
Another seller writes:
"The Feuillet studio was at 18, Rue de la Paix, advantageously located for the wealthy denizens of the area to come visit and make purchases. The Prince of Conde gave Feuillet his protection, thus assuring a constant flow of high-end clients. Feuillet's design atelier reached its apex in the mid-1820s, lavishly decorating some of the most remarkable plates of the time. The combination of rich paste gilding, saturated border colors and meticulous fruit or floral still life paintings made the factory's output one of the favorite choices, other than Sevres, for purchase by the new French Regime. According to the book "Paris Porcelain" by Regine de Plinval de Guillebon, "Feuillet was one of the best decorators in the Restauration period," (Paris Porcelain, page 244)."
