Good Fellows: the Walpole Society by Jeanne Schinto Photos Courtesy the Walpole Society “He Buys ‘Like a Prince’ What He Wants
- FEATURE - Part II of V Good Fellows: The Walpole Society by Jeanne Schinto Photos courtesy the Walpole Society “He buys ‘like a Prince’ what he wants. He does not ‘pussyfoot,’ ‘soft pedal,’ or haggle. What he feels is beyond his reach or excessive in price is simply left alone, and he is so modest that he does not continually talk about his acquisitions. More than all this, he is a ‘Prince of Good Fellows,’ full of life and sparkle, and does not hesitate to ‘look upon wine’ when it is of a red color.” ——George Dudley Seymour to Philip Leffingwell Spalding, regarding the nomination of Morgan Bulkeley Brainard to the Walpole Society, March 21, 1925.1 he Walpole Society, a highly exclusive club ded- where prices paid help icated to Americana, was founded in 1910 and to furnish an average, Tcontinues today. Many of the biggest names in it would be, from our collecting, curating, and studying American furniture, point of view—espe- decorative arts, fine arts, antiquarian architecture, histor- cially those of us in ic-house preservation, and rare books have been or are the Museum here—of now members. Yet with no fixed address, no website, value in giving advice and a roster limited to 30 men only—a member must die, to many people who be designated “inactive” (unable to attend meetings), or want to know what resign before the election of a replacement—few peo- they should pay for ple, even those who consider themselves informed about this or that.”5 Americana collecting, know about it.2 If these lists of Within the first year of the society’s life, when Florence prices and caches of N.
[Show full text]