Grecian Card Table GRECIAN CARD TABLE, ca. 1818 Mahogany, ash, brass, iron Thomas Seymour, cabinetmaker The Trustees, The Old Manse Collection
This diamond-in-the-rough Grecian card table was covered in 200 years of grime and dust, sitting inconspicuously and anonymously in The Old Manse’s small parlor for many generations. While previously thought to be a Boston piece by an unknown artisan, consultation with furniture specialist Robert Mussey has led Trustees to now attribute the table to leading Boston cabinetmaker Thomas Seymour. Further inspection by colleagues from Winterthur Museum helped confirm its attribution and document construction details. Inscribed in pencil underneath the table is the name “Boott” which we believe refers to Kirk Boott Jr., a member of a family of wealthy merchants. Boott was involved in the textile manufacturing industry in Lowell and Waltham. Upon marrying Anna Haden, the couple settled in Boston in 1818, right about the time they likely acquired this table, and adding to the Seymour pieces they already owned. While it is speculated that the table was auctioned off in a distress sale after Boott fell on hard times, how it ended up at The Old Manse remains a mystery. While the table was in almost pristine condition, it was black from generations of dirt accumulation. We received funding from the Town of Concord through a Community Preservation Act grant to help restore this piece, and after treatment by a conservator, the original figured mahogany veneer is once again dazzling. One can easily imagine this table in the stylish new home of the Boston newlyweds nearly 200 years ago.
PHOTO © M. CARR
Thomas Jefferson Letter THOMAS JEFFERSON (1743-1826) Autograph-signed letter to his guardian, John Harvie (1706-1767), January 14, 1760 The Trustees, Appleton Family Collection
Collecting famous autographs was a fashionable hobby among the well-to-do around the turn of the 20th century, and was made even more popular by the 1876 Centennial. Patriotic Americana was all the rage, and the Appleton Collection includes a great example: 50 prints of historic scenes of America and the presidents. This bound volume of letters contains writings from every president, beginning with Washington up to Theodore Roosevelt. Some of these items were purchased, while others were personally requested by the Appletons. In his correspondence with the family, President Roosevelt states that if his informal submission is not suitable for their collection, he could send them “a more conventional ‘presidential tone’ letter.” Perhaps the most important item is the earliest known surviving document written by Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826). Jefferson aficionados thought this boyhood letter was lost more than a century ago, however the correspondence—written in 1760 when Jefferson was just 16—resides in this collection. In his letter, Jefferson tries to persuade his guardian to let him pursue further education: “…by going to the College I shall get a more universal Acquaintance, which may hereafter be serviceable to me.”
ANNUAL REPORT 2016
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