First Saturday of the Month
10:00 AM-1:00 PM
An introduction to the bewildering technologies that brought comfort, utility and beauty to the American Home. Prof. Fred Wiseman has lectured and written technical articles on American Antiques over the last 40 years and will share his insights, stories and elements of his collections in a series of Fall, 2019 presentations at the Ethan Allen Homestead.
Syllabus
1. Of Time and Light: American Lighting Devices 1600-1850
Sept. 7 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Early American Lighting is a fascinating field of study for people interested in the history of science and technology, collecting or trading American antiques, and Early American interior design. Vermont is uniquely situated to represent not only the well-known British Tradition New England lighting, but until 1763, it represented the bewildering array French/Continental lamps and candleholders that would have appeared in Vermont New French marine, military and mission cabin interiors. Join Prof. Frederick M. Wiseman as he shares slides, stories and historic examples of almost forgotten Vermont lighting systems -- from Abenaki campfire "fire-lays" to the crude 16th century "Capstan" candlesticks of New France to Early Victorian Solar Lamps. In addition to history and technology, Wiseman will share insights and tips on collecting, restoring and using these beautiful traces of the past. Over forty examples of 1550-1850 AD Lighting Devices from Prof. Wiseman's research collection will be on display after the lecture.
2. The American Chair: Seating for the American Home, 1700-1850
Oct. 5 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
The humble American chair is little thought about today but originally it was almost the throne of the Early American household. Join Prof. Frederick M. Wiseman as he shares slides, stories and historic examples of early American seating history and technology, from 1600's "joint stools" and Carver Chairs to the William and Mary Bannister-Backs, Queen Anne, and Chippendale seating of the18th century, to the "country" and formal seating of the Early and mid 19th century. Wiseman will also share his experiences and tips on collecting, restoring and using these useful traces of the past. Examples of 1700--1850 AD seating from Prof. Wiseman's research collection will be on display after the lecture.
3. Ceramics for America: English export early American pottery and porcelain.
Nov. 2. 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Grandmother's Staffordshire Pottery that we display on the selves, never daring to use because of its fragility, is actually the lasting testament to a huge Ceramics industry centered at first in England, then in the United States. Join Professor Wiseman as he uses examples of Whieldon, Worcester and Bow 18th century china to explore the early "British-elite" uses of these wares. However, in the 19th century, a florescence of export wares specifically for the American middle class such as "King's Rose," "Strawberry, "Gaudy Dutch" and "Historical Staffordshire" came to define us as a people and became by 1850, as American as apple pie. Nuances of paste, glaze, decorative technique will help people to identify and date examples in their own collection or on internet auction sites.
4. Early American Electric Trains: Lionel Prewar, 1900-1942
Dec. 7. 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
For the 2019 Christmas season, we leave the 17th to early 19th centuries, to explore Early American electric trains, of the 1910-1940 period --from the huge Standard Gauge behemoths such as the Lionel "State Set' to the little tinplate toys that were a child's introduction to the world of electric trains and the miniature landscapes they engendered. A lecture, slide show and display of actual Early American Trains will highlight the day. People are encouraged to bring in their antique trains for a quick appraisal and an assessment of their condition and possibility of restoring to running condition.