newsletter/spring 2017 Volume 25, Number 1 Decorative Arts Society The DAS DAS The Decorative Arts Society, Inc. in 1990 for the encouragement of interest in, the appreciation of and the exchange of information about the decorative arts. To, is pursuea not-for-profit its purposes, New theYork DAS corporation sponsors foundedmeetings, programs, seminars, tours and a newsletter on the decorative arts. Its supporters include Newsletter museum curators, academics, collectors and dealers. Please send change-of-address information by e-mail to [email protected]. Board of Directors Nancy Carlisle Editor President Senior Curator of Collections Gerald W. R. Ward Susan P. Schoelwer Historic New England Senior Consulting Curator & Robert H. Smith Senior Curator Boston, MA Katharine Lane Weems Senior Curator of American Decorative Arts and George Washington’s Mount Vernon Gerald W. R. Ward Sculpture Emeritus Mount Vernon, VA Senior Consulting Curator Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Katharine Lane Weems Senior Curator of Boston, MA Treasurer American Decorative Arts and Stewart G. Rosenblum, Esq. Sculpture Emeritus Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Coordinator Secretary Boston, MA Ruth E. Thaler-Carter Moira Gallagher Freelance Writer/Editor Research Assistant Robert C. Smith Award Committee Rochester, NY Metropolitan Museum of Art Jeannine Falino, Chair New York, NY Independent Curator New York, NY Program Chairperson Emily Orr Lynne Bassett Assistant Curator of Modern and Costume and Textile Historian The DAS Newsletter is a publication Contemporary American Design of the Decorative Arts Society, Inc. The Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Dennis Carr purpose of the DAS Newsletter is to serve as Museum Carolyn and Peter Lynch Curator of a forum for communication about research, New York, NY American Decorative Arts and exhibitions, publications, conferences and Sculpture other activities pertinent to the serious Margaret Caldwell Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA study of international and American deco- Boston, MA rative arts. Listings are selected from press Judith Hernstadt releases and notices posted or received Emily Orr from institutions, and from notices submit- Committees Assistant Curator of Modern and ted by individuals. We reserve the right Contemporary American Design Charles F. Montgomery Prize and to reject material and to edit material for Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Award Committee length or clarity. Museum Wendy Cooper, Chair We do not cover commercial galleries. New York, NY Curator Emerita of Furniture The DAS Newsletter welcomes submis- Winterthur Museum Karen Zukowski sions, preferably in digital format, by e-mail Wilmington, DE Art Historian in Plain Text or as Word attachments, or on a CD. Images should be at high quality (400 dpi), as TIFFs or JPEGs, either color or Cover image: black-and-white, with detailed captions. The newsletter of the DAS is published Clock with thermometer and month calendar, newly made machine parts— two times a year. Submission deadlines for nickel-plated metal, glass, paper, mercury; 15 1/2 x 8 x 8 in. (39.4 x 20.3 x 20.3 2017 are: March 31 for the spring issue; cm), Andre Romain Guilmet, manufacturer, Paris, France; part of five-piece September 30 for the fall issue. Send mate- clock garniture (set of decorative objects for display). Upper section with rial to: Ruth E. Thaler-Carter, measurement in “Fahrenheit” on one side and “Reaumur” on other. Mid- DAS Newsletter Coordinator section has large globe at top; small, rectangular glass window with month 2500 East Avenue, #7K calendar printed in black ink on textile, text in French; turning mechanisms Rochester, NY 14610 of mirrored, two small cog wheels on pins; beneath calendar, central section or: of globe comprises white clock dial with black roman numerals for hours and [email protected] single hour and minute hand. Beneath are individual industrial tools such as The DAS website may provide informa- tuning fork, hammer and compass, cog wheel. Whole on flat disc base with tion about events that fall between issues. four protruding feet. Gift of Marcus S. Friedlander, by exchange, 2009. Photo: Brooklyn Museum. See coverage of DAS trip to Brooklyn Museum in next Newsletter design by Plum Crane. issue of DAS newsletter. All content © Decorative Arts Society, Inc. DAS news From the president Greetings from new DAS president By Susan Schoelwer, Robert H. Smith Senior Curator, George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Mount Vernon, VA months of 2017 have been busy the goal of I am pleased to report that first- vidual ties to a community of shared at cost, with gasbord of no less than four one-day interest. programs—atones for the Sotheby’s DAS, with, thea smor Cooper Another key DAS initiative is our providing Hewitt Smithsonian Design Mu- Charlesawards program, F. Montgomery which recognizes Prize recog - entry-levelopportunities seum, Green-Wood Cemetery and the three categories of scholarship. The - for those in Brooklyn Museum, and the Morgan - Library and Museum. Many thanks nizes the most distinguished contribu positions tion to the study of American deco andor with collectors. limited incomes to meet and attended and reported on these not-to- Therative Charles arts published F. Montgomery in the English Award network with senior scholars, curators to all those who organized, hosted, - language by a North American scholar. As I look toward the end ofspschoel my first- be-missed expeditions (see the follow celebrates the most outstandingRobert C. Smith first [email protected] as DAS president, I invite your ing pages for furtherOctober details). 4, the DAS Awardmajor publication in the American comments and suggestions, at Two upcoming eventsNational are on Arts the decorative arts. The be pleased to welcome. If youtravel to bringsMount Clubdrawing boards. On recognizes the best article Vernonyou to the nation’s capital, I would onhas Donald been invited MacDonald to the about the decorative arts published in- restored two rooms based on fresh (NAC; New York, NY) for a lecture English. In addition to having recently Tilden Mansion (1841–1916), The all-volunteer awards commit Lives clubhouse,who designed by Jenniferthe glass Thalheimerdome ceiling, tees do a phenomenal job of reviewing Boundforensic Together: and documentary Slavery atevidence, George in the , now the NAC the literature produced each year. They- Washington’sour award-winning Mount exhibition, Vernon, features Charles Hosmer Morse Museum welcome suggestions of publicationsWendy A.of ofcurator American and collection Art manager of the Coopernote; please submit nominations (in Winterthurcluding self-nominations) Museum to slavery.many of our decorative arts treasures, (Winter Park, FL). Montgomery, curator Prize emerita and ofAward Furniture, Com- interpreted in the broader context of - theWatch club. your mailbox for further details, mittee [email protected], chair of the possibly including dinner and a tourCorn of- Jeannine Falino support In closing, our newsletter I thank all and DAS other support ac- ing Museum ( Smith Award Committee), or ers for the generous contributions that Further afield is a trip to the [email protected], independent curator, and nearby points in chair of the September tivities. I look forward to hearing from Emilyupstate Orr New. York; information will be 15,( 2017 ). The next you or seeing you at future events. forthcoming from DAS program chair Montgomery deadline is February 1, In this issue , for books published in 2016; 2018 DAS news 1 Programs such as these play a vital the next Smith deadline is - Smith Award recipient 3 role in fulfilling the DAS mission of , for articles published in 2017. Recent DAS tours 3–7 encouraging interest in, the apprecia As a nonprofit, all-volunteer tion of and the exchange of information ourorganization, supporters our allows. DAS can To thatonly end, be as I Events 2 eventsabout the do decorativemuch to convey arts. Iknowledge, can report active and vibrant asurge participation by from personal experience that these - Exhibition/Book review 8 not only invite, but , your active Book review 10 spark ideas and build connections. engagement. Send in news of appoint They enable us to broaden our purview ments, promotions, opportunities,newsletter@ Acquisitions 11 by visiting sites and collections that we DecArtsSociety.orgprograms, exhibitions, acquisitions might not otherwise encounter, in the and award nominations to News 13 company of the curators, academics, . Offer to review an who know these resources best. People 15 collectors, dealers and other specialists exhibition or publication. Propose a - - program—I am particularly eager that Exhibitions 20 Encounters with program hosts we diversify our offerings geographi and attendees strengthen our indi cally. Note that all programs are offered Newsletter of the Decorative Arts Society, Inc. Fall 2017/1 Events Before the 2’x4’: New England Framing Options to the Mid-19th and chamber. - Century furnitureSpeak fromers and the demonstrators workshop to parlor of Traditional Methods” with Kopf; and New England Forum Symposium Tara Hingston Cederholm, “The Furniture of Daniel Clay of Green Historic Deerfield Mack Cox, field, Massachusetts” with Ritok. - Deerfield, MA include Registration is $385 and includes- July 15, 2017 private curator andKevin scholar; Ferrigno all lectures and demonstrations, admis - collector and independent scholarDATTCO, Friendssion to Historic of Historic Deerfield, Deerfield two recep Inc.(Richmond,