Large Bedroom
Large Bedroom:
On the right, as you enter from the children’s
bedroom – Lithograph prints from the Dr. Death series as published by R.
Acke
rmann,
101 Strand, London, England in 1814.
They appear to have been published
consecutively on the first of each month. A few of the captions are:
Top Row, Right – “As it appears, though dead so long, each scull is found to
have a tongue.” Second Row, Left – “I’ll lead you to the splendid crowd, but
your next dress will be a shroud.” Third Row, Right – “On
that illumin’d scroll of fame Death waits to write your Lordship’s name.” The
themes illustrate the religious ideas of the early 19th century.
Death was believed to be directly connected to the way lives were led and could
be the result of sins such as vanity, pride, infidelity, rudeness, gluttony, and
cruelty. Illustrations and poems were ways of sending warnings from those who
had supposedly passed on to the spirit world, either heaven or hell, warning
those still living that death was coming and to be prepared.
Left of the Dr. Death series are two Currier and Ives lithograph prints,
1850, titled, “Stages of a Woman’s Life from the Cradle to the Grave” and
“Stages 
of Man’s Life from the
Cradle to the Grave.”
In the second row on the left is a German lithograph which illustrates the paths one may choose to take throughout one’s life. The paths lead to heaven or to hell. But a warning is also given that it is possible to start on the right path to heaven, only to be led astray by wrong choices and in the end find ones’ self in hell.
In the second row on the right, The Tree of Life * Christian, a
lithograph published by J. Baillie, shows all the virtues one must practice in
order to reach eternal life in heaven through grace. Some of those virtues are
prayer, fasting, joy, self-denial, control, humanity, compassion, justice,
fidelity, gentleness, benevolence, and industry. “Even so every good tree
bringeth forth good fruit” and, “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know
them.” Matthew 7: 17 and 20
The sheaves of wheat art in the two shadow boxes are memorial pieces. The
one on the left is in remembrance of “Our Aunt” and includes her photograph but
no name.
Cross stitched, wool on canvas, in memory of Barbara Lapp and John Smoker with braids of hair from each one.
Jewelry Case:
Hair jewelry that includes stick pins, rings,
brooches, lockets,
and a braided hair watch fob made from the hair of someone’s
mother as indicated on the etched gold plate. Accessories include a tear bottle,
leather French coin purse, buttons, a black mourning chatelaine, jet bead
necklace, a gutta-percha necklace (in middle of case). (Gutta-percha is one of
the first natural plastics that was discovered from the extraction of the latex
resin from the Isonandra Gutta tree in Malaysia which contains more resin than
rubber. It is used in dentistry, and because of its non-conducting
properties, it is used as insulation for marine and underground cables.
Past uses include golf balls and
jewelry. )
The right corner of the display table and screens behind the table exhibit
U.S. Presidential
and other political memorabilia pieces. These items include
memorabilia pieces
for Presidents George Washington, Andrew Jackson, William Harrison, Abraham
Lincoln, James Garfield, William McKinley, and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Other
political memorabilia includes pictures remembering Napoleon and a funeral
badge for John M. Pattison, Ohio’s forty-third governor who was inaugurated in
January 1906. The rigors of the campaign left him in poor health and he died on
June 18, 1906 after only one session of the general assembly. Archival pieces
include postcard illustrations and a poem, “The Dying of a Soldier.” “Drape”
is pressed glass which commemorated the death of famous people. The drape
pattern (emulating crepe drape hung in homes) was different for each person for
whom commemorative pieces were designed. Pall bearer’s gloves and badge
were both part of the formalities of the funeral service.
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The section to the left of the presidential items includes archival pieces such as memorial cards; sympathy cards, mourning stationary; a remembrance certificate with angels (circa 1910); |
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funeral home memorial cards with gilt printing on black cardboard (circa 1885); black, lacy die-cut French memorial cards; casket plates; and books on mourning. |
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Bottom row on left – Simple pen and iron gall ink drawing; center – large, round, finely embroidered picture, a memorial for three siblings who all died in 1805 just weeks apart – Lucy Teel born 1799, died October 2, 1805; John Adam born 1802, died September 24, 1805; and Anna Teel born 1804, died September 21, 1805 leaving behind both grieving parents; and on right – Hand-painted on cloth, never completed with a name
