Carved teak desk belonging to the United Daughters of 1812 |
The United Daughters of 1812 was conjured back into existence just prior to the 100th anniversary of that conflict. Founded in Arkansas by Mrs. John Barrow, the group had few members and has since faded into oblivion. Perhaps it will revive again as the bicentennial approaches.
Hardly any of the group's furnishings date from the period they commemorate. What is even more unique is the fact that they are almost all hallway furniture. In fact, since 1980, they have been displayed in the hallways of the West Wing stairwell. This is perhaps fitting given that in the 1800s hallways were often—quite literally—the central feature in most homes. It was here that visitors were first greeted—often by servants—and awaited admittance to the house proper. The practice of placing exceedingly formal, and often equally uncomfortable, chairs in entry halls is a throwback to this custom. There was an elaborate etiquette determining who was received and under what circumstances. In many cases, an unsolicited visitor would be expected to leave a "calling card" and wait to be invited back before gaining entrance. Hallways often had a small table to receive such cards.
The United Daughters of 1812 Hallway |
There was always a hall tree or coat rack of some sort, and hallways often had mirrored consoles for checking one's appearance and to bring additional light into dim spaces. The 1812 Hallway features an unusual console with a mirror at both the top and bottom. For years, Old State House docents described the lower feature as a "petticoat mirror" and said ladies used it to see if their petticoats were showing. This seems unlikely given that the lower mirror is invisible to someone standing directly in front of this piece. More likely, it was intended to be used on a stair landing, as it is in the museum, to reveal to others on the stair people ascending and descending.
Next: The Spanish-American War Veterans Auxiliary »
|
