I I I I I I I I I FURNISHING PLAN I SAINT- GAUDENS N·ATIONAL I HISTORIC SITE I I.._.._ I I "--~~--~~--~•. il'-----J.~.... ---»-~'----U......;.u.. __~ I ASPET THE LITTLE . THE STABLES I I I -I I I U. S. Department of the Interior I National Park Service Harpers Ferry Center I I Historic Furnishing Plan I Aspet, The Little Studio, The Stables Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site I New Hampshire I I I I I I I g. )_f. f-z., I Date Recommended: Fj,.1/gL . I -:---,-~=-=,...,.----,~--,..,---..,...,.....-,,....,.-;--~~=--:--~~~~~~~~-Regional Director, North Atlantic Region Date I I I I I I HISTORIC FURNISHING PLAN I ASPET, THE LITTLE STUDIO, THE STABLES SAINT-GAUDENS NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE I NEW HAMPSHIRE I I I I by Sarah M. Olson I I I I June 1982 Harpers Ferry Center National Park Service I U. S. Department of the Interior I ... .. •. ~ ·~.. 'f ~~~S. ::t:i:?.n;\lC1iL 0 1 1...\~ ' • ~l:;tioal Parl1 Se: J;.;~ I lll.l.rfi.~JS f zrrJ Ccui::ir I ~fl.IJ'li I I I CONTENTS I DEFINITION OF INTERPRETIVE OBJECTIVES I 1 OPERATING PLAN I 3 I ANALYSIS OF HISTORIC OCCUPANCY I 6 EVIDENCE OF ORIGINAL FURNISHINGS I 10 IMPRESSIONS OF ASPET I 10 I FURNISHINGS ACCUMULATED IN PARIS, 1877-1880 I 16 NEW YORK, 1880-1900 I 34 ASPET I 38 I Interior Photographs./ 38 Purchases, 1892-1899 I 40 The Estate of Mrs. Thomas J. Homer, 1899 I 42 I Evidence of Furnishings, 1902-1907 / 46 Kitchen and Laundry Furnishings I 51 Flatware and Hollowware I 53 Evidence of Books I 55 I Porch Furnishings and Lawn Ornaments I 59 Saint-Gaudens Heirs and Property Settlements I 62 Portraits by John Singer Sargent and Thomas Dewing and I Other Paintings Inherited by Homer Saint-Gaudens / 77 More Evidence of Pictures I 80 "THE LITTLE STUDIO I 82 I Evidence of Furnishings I 87 Evidence of Saint-Gaudens' Work Exhibited in the Little Studio I 92 THE STABLES I 97 I Carriages and Carts I 98 Sleighs and Sleds I 101 Horses and Horse Furniture / 103 I Evidence of Other Stable Furnishings / 105 RECOMMENDED FURNISHINGS I 107 I ASPET I 107 PARLORS I 107 Wallcoverings I 107 I Floorcoverings I 107 Window Coverings I 108 Wall Benches I 108 North Parlor--Furniture / 108 I North Parlor--Hanging on Walls I 111 North Parlor--Lamps and Accessories / 114 South Parlor--Furniture I 117 I South Parlor--Hanging on Walls I 119 South Parlor--Lamps and Accessories / 122 I I I I FRONT HALL/ DINING ROOM I 126 I Wallcoverings / 126 Floorcovering / 126 Window Coverings / 126 I Furniture I 126 Hanging on Walls / 128 Accessories I 131 LOWER STAIR HALL I 136 I Wallcovering I 136 Floorcovering I 136 Furniture I 136 I Hanging on Walls I 136 Accessories / 137 LANDING I 138 I Wallcovering / 138 Floorcovering I 138 Window Coverings I 138 I Furniture I 138 Accessories I 139 KITCHEN AND BUTLER'S PANTRY I 140 Wallcovering / 142 I Floorcovering I 142 Window Coverings I 142 Furniture I 142 I Hanging on Walls I 143 Accessories / 144 South Shelves, on Counter / 147 I South Shelves, in Glazed Cabinets / 149 East Shelves in Butler's Pantry, on Counter / 150 East Shelves in Butler's Pantry, in Glazed Cabinets I 151 WEST PORCH I 153 I THE LITTLE STUDIO I 154 Window Coverings I 154 Nall Benches I 154 I Furniture I 154 Other Furnishings I 155 Works by Saint-Gaudens in the Little Studio I 159 I Works by Saint-Gaudens in the Plaster Room / 163 The Pergola I 164 THE STABLES I 165 I CARRIAGE ROOM I 170 HARNESS CASES I 172 SPECIAL MAINTENANCE AND PROTECTION RECOMMENDATIONS (Diana R. Pardue) I 174 A. THE ENVIRONMENT I 174 I B. COLLECTION AND MAINTENANCE I 187 C. PROTECTION I 188 I D. HOUSEKEEPING SCHEDULE I 191 I I I I E. AGENTS OF DETERIORATION I 204 I F. LIGHTING PRODUCTS: SUPPLY SOURCES I 207 BIBLIOGRAPHY I 209 I APPENDICES I 215 . I FLOOR PLANS/ ELEVATIONS ILLUSTRATIONS I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I DEFINITION OF INTERPRETIVE OBJECTIVES Regarding Aspet's furnishings Augusta Saint-Gaudens wrote in her 11 I will, ••• it is my belief that such will be of far greater inter­ est if always left in the place where they were when my husband was I living, than they would possess if moved elsewhere. 0 I Refurbished to a degree remarkable within the National Park sys­ tem with objects which are not only original to the house, but which are also in their original dispositions, Aspet 1 s room elucidate I Saint-Gaudens' material life. It is a material life richly faceted with reflections of the Saint-Gaudens' taste and the taste of their I times. Refurnished, these spaces are also an index to Saint-Gaudens 1 economic status, albeit an index modified by a choice in lifestyle. I Finally, the vital art world of which Saint-Gaudens was part is popu­ lated with the several works in these rooms by his friends and asso­ I ciates. I Probably the aspect of Saint-Gaudens' material life most readily grasped by visitors is economic status. Because this status was a­ I chieved as an artist, one begins to perceive that this was a place designed for life, work, and play in a harmonious, and comfortable, style. Certainly one objective of interpretation is to show how I these remnants are visible cues to the occupants' feelings about the I relationship of art and life. Designing the Little Studio in 1903-04 as an ideal environment I in which to work and to take long looks at his work, Saint-Gaudens was probably more involved with the appearance of this space than any I other on the property. It offers, therefore, a direct expression of the mature artist. Following the artist's death the Saint-Gaudens I I I I I I Memorial capitalized on the gallery function of this space to inter­ pret Saint-Gaudens the artist, while maintaining such things as his books and desk as evidence of the man. So too this Plan retains re­ I furnished pockets of the Little Studio, while devoting the large part I of the space to the exhibition of his work. The refurnished Stables add dimension to the Saint-Gaudens I story. Not only do these spaces explain such mechanics of the Cornish lifestyle as transportation but, more importantly, they expand Saint­ I Gaudens into other realms of activity, such as sport, for which he was so well remembered. I I I I I I I I I I I I 2 I I I OPERATING PLAN Visits to Aspet are conducted by means of a personally guided I tour. For the present, visitor access is limited to the first floor. (The Aspet tour will incorporate the second floor should original I bedroom furnishings become available.) Entering at the front door, the tour proceeds through the following furnished areas: the dining I room; conservatory; butler's pantry; kitchen; hall; and parlors. The refurnished stair landing is visible, but not accessible from the I hall below. Not refurnished is the north pantry off the kitchen. Visitors exit onto the west porch where seating is provided by repro­ I duction chairs. Straw matting, reproduced from the matting installed by the I Saint-Gaudens on their parlor and dining room walls, provides a vis­ itor path through the house. Barriers, fashioned after the barriers I installed by the Saint-Gaudens Memorial, are recommended in the I dining room, kitchen, and parlors. Access to the Little Studio is self-guiding. Visitors are in­ I vited to explore the main studio and adjacent plaster room, where a staffed sales desk is maintained. Entrance and exit are both through the southeast door. Reproduction porch chairs provide visitor seat­ I ing on the Little Studio pergola. I As in the Little Studio, visitor access to the Stables is self­ guiding. Visitors enter the carriage room while other areas are I viewed through doors opening onto the carriage cleaning area. Visi­ tor access to the stable room is through the south window, the door I remaining closed. I I I I 3 ........ ___., ,,- 'I I I = C3 Q = e 0 t) t) ---0 ---0 --- i 0 Stables 01-------0 ,_....... - ,._~ - - -- - -2---7 \ \ I Jl 0 I I ANALYSIS OF HISTORIC OCCUPANCY The Saint-Gaudens' life in Cornish, the sculptor's energy, his I love of visitors and the support he lent to social activity and sport, ~swell as records of daily existence, are all dealt with in I John Bond's "Augustus Saint-Gaudens, The Man and His Art," and in 1 I Louisa Hall Tharp's biography, Saint-Gaudens and the Gilded Era. Additional information contained in this chapter is limited to I bedroom occupancy at Aspet and records of the Saint-Gaudens' hired help. I The most complete picture of bedroom use appears in the reminis­ cences of Barry Faulkner, recorded by John Bond in 1966. Faulkner I was studio assistant to Saint-Gaudens from 1900 to 1902 and again in 1904. For the first year and a half he lived at Aspet with the I Saint-Gaudens and occupied the northwest bedroom. Mrs, Saint-Gaudens was in the northeast bedroom with her husband occupying the southeast. I room across the hall. It was here, Faulkner said, where Saint­ Gaudens died. 2 Sometime following her husband's death, Mrs. Saint­ I Gaudens took over the southeast room.