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 accurate reproductions of antiques, Althin was also responsible for restoring two of the great collections […]
Tag Archives: Erica Lome
11
Jan
Jan
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 happened to be their husbands’ hair. Avoiding Disaster In 1783, a London barber named Alexander […]
09
Nov
Nov
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 Concord. They were planning to seize and destroy military supplies stockpiled by “rebellious” Provincial colonists […]
12
Oct
Oct
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 Bonheur’s Le Marché aux Chevaux, or The Horse Fair, one of the finest achievements of […]
08
Jul
Jul
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 ethereal flight I have ever witnessed,” he recalled. Thoreau began noticing other details around him, […]
29
Aug
Aug
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 of our country. If not, we hope this issue inspires you to take a trip. […]
15
Feb
Feb
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 established the foundational principles of the camera obscura. It wouldn’t be until the eleventh century […]
12
Jan
Jan
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 artists. Now offering Bluetooth and other modern amenities, modern record players promise to provide “analog […]
22
Dec
Dec
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 ladies, who have nothing better to do than novel reading, this method of filling their […]
20
Oct
Oct
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 both utilitarian objects and highly decorative art forms made for both domestic and commercial purposes. […]
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