New Treasures for America: European Decorative Arts in the Gilded Age
European Decorative Arts Research Fellow Théo Lourenço
As the Preservation Society prepares to publish its first collection catalogue, Théo Lourenço will present a selection of “hidden gems” from the Old World acquired by Gilded Age collectors. In this talk, Lourenço will illuminate the diverse collecting practices of American patrons by examining works by celebrated European designers alongside modern copies and historically referential interpretations. Through these objects, he will explore how America’s newly wealthy society envisioned and constructed its relationship to European cultural models.
A Feminine Touch: American Decorative Arts in Newport
Curatorial Research Fellow Allison Donoghue
Allison Donoghue will share insights into her work researching treasures from the robust collection of fine and decorative arts at The Preservation Society of Newport County. Her work, in support of the forthcoming Preservation Society collections catalog, highlights three decades of Newport history through paintings, sculpture, textiles, silver, ceramics and more. From a “Votes for Women” tea service commissioned by Alva Vanderbilt Belmont to a book cover expertly designed by Margaret Armstrong, Donoghue’s research focuses in particular on objects that exemplify the many important contributions women have made to Newport’s long history.
Conserving The Breakers: The Work of Ogden Codman Jr. and A.H. Davenport & Co.
Conservation Research Fellow Isabella Hogan
Between 1893 and 1895, Alice and Cornelius Vanderbilt II hired an ambitious young architect, Ogden Codman Jr. (1863-1951), to design the family and guest rooms of The Breakers (1895). To furnish these spaces, Codman worked with the high-end Boston furniture manufacturer A.H. Davenport & Company (1880-1914), to provide more than 150 pieces of furniture. In this talk, Isabella Hogan will explore the correspondence, decision-making and design process behind the Vanderbilts’ private quarters, showcasing her archival and scientific research, as well as the conservation treatments that are currently underway to stabilize this furniture collection.
This event is free. Advanced registration is required.
