by Erica Lome, Ph.D. Today, few people outside of the antiques trade recognize the name Olof Althin (1859-1920), a Swedish-born cabinetmaker active in Boston at the turn of the twentieth century. Known primarily for his beautiful carved furniture and his…
Erica Lome, Ph.D. “Necessity is the mother of invention.” This adage certainly applied to many of the domestic objects produced in the nineteenth century that served as creative solutions to everyday problems; and for some women, one of those problems…
by Erica Lome, Ph.D. On a cool April morning in 1775, Amos Barrett readied his musket and prepared for combat. Earlier that day, 23-year-old Barrett had awoken to the news that 700 British Regulars were marching from Boston to…
By Erica Lome, Ph. D. Rosa Bonheur (1822-1899) The Horse Fair, 1852–55, Oil on canvas, Metropolitan Museum of Art If you took a stroll through the European Paintings galleries at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, you’d undoubtedly encounter Rosa…
by Erica Lome, Ph.D. One April morning, when Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) was fishing in a stream outside the center of Concord, Massachusetts, he was distracted by a hawk as it soared gracefully over the water. “It was the most…
Visiting the Hudson River Valley by Maxine Carter-Lome If you’ve ever visited or spent time in the Hudson River Valley of New York State, than you know something about the natural beauty and rich history of this early settlement region…
The First Hundred Years of Photography By Erica Lome The concept of photography has deep historical roots. In ancient Greece and China, mathematicians experimented with the effects of light streaming through a small hole in a dark room. Unknowingly, they…
The Charm of Vintage Record Players By Erica Lome If you were to stroll into an Urban Outfitters today you might be surprised to find portable turntables enclosed in a purple velvet container alongside boxes of vinyl records by contemporary…
Parlor Crafts and the Age of Refinement By Erica Lome “In the household, china-painting affords amusement for the girls in the family during the hours their brothers and father leave for business, and return in the evening. To many such…
By Erica Lome Basket making is one of the earliest and most prevalent forms of folk art in the United States. First developed by Native Americans and later adopted by early colonists and settlers, baskets have a long history as…
Tools and American Life in the Pilgrim Era By Erica Lome Almost four hundred years ago, Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock. This story is often told in classrooms, museums, and tours — and for good reason. Much of the American…
The Vanity Table, Then and Now by Erica Lome Almost every home has a space for “putting on one’s face.” Perhaps without our conscious knowledge, dressing tables have made this a normal and routine part of our day. Like many…
