Glebe House Museum & The Gertrude Jekyll Garden presents
“Treasures of Historic Woodbury 1700-1840”
The Glebe House Museum & Gertrude Jekyll Garden presents
“Treasures of Historic Woodbury 1700-1850”, an exhibition
of Woodbury Furniture and Decorative Arts which will take place from
September 13 through October 18, 2009. Crooked-back chairs with
flag seats, joined chairs with “plush bottoms”, tea tables
and other furniture designs with distinctive forms and decoration will
be on display in room settings throughout the museum. Four
Woodbury “high case of drawers” (highboys), the most
popular large storage form in Woodbury during most of the 18th century
will be featured.
The exhibition which has been several years in the making is the result
of an effort to celebrate the 350th anniversary of Woodbury by
highlighting the furniture thought to have originated in the town
between 1700 and 1850. Woodbury, which became the county probate
seat, was settled in 1659, and was one of the largest and wealthiest
Connecticut towns in the 18th century. By the Revolutionary War,
Woodbury was a growing commercial center and at the end of the 18th
century had increased its ties with the urban market of New York
creating a high demand for more sophisticated goods. Many
cabinetmakers migrated to Woodbury seeing an opportunity. A competitive
market of cabinetmakers along with the wealth and influence from local
merchants, consumers and the influence from urban centers all affected
the furniture made in Woodbury. Many pieces feature elaborate
combinations of elements suggestive of more sophisticated furniture
associated with urban areas, other pieces are examples of more
simplified construction techniques and design. Together the
thirty examples of furniture attributed to the Woodbury area in the
exhibition create a visual diversity of strength and beauty. An exhibit
of silver made in Woodbury during the first half of the nineteenth
century will also be on display. The exhibit includes Woodbury
furniture from the museum’s collection, Mattatuck Museum Arts
& History Center, Gunn Historical Museum, Old Woodbury Historical
Society, First Congregational Church of Woodbury, Connecticut
Landmarks, Harold E. Cole Antiques, Nathan Liverant & Sons Antiques
along with other institutions, Antique Dealers and private collections.
There will be a preview party to open the exhibit on Saturday,
September 12 from 5:30 – 7:30. The cost per person is $50
and reservations may be made by calling the museum’s director at
203-263-2855. All proceeds for the event will support the museum.
Set in the picturesque Litchfield Hills in historic Woodbury’s
village center, the museum welcomes visitors for a glimpse of
Revolutionary War era Connecticut. The simple but elegant 18th
century farmhouse is furnished as the home of the Reverend John Rutgers
Marshall, his wife Sarah, their nine children and three slaves who
lived in the “glebe” during the turmoil of the American War
for Independence. The Glebe House was restored in 1923 under the
direction of William Henry Kent, pioneer of early American decorative
arts at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. One of the
early historic house museums in the country, The Glebe House opened its
doors to the public in 1925.
Today, The Glebe House Museum and Gertrude Jekyll Garden is a
non-profit, educational institution that seeks to make itself available
to everyone as a unique historical and cultural landmark by preserving
its heritage and providing programs and opportunities for education,
research and reflection.
For additional information concerning the exhibit or special tours, please call 203-263-2855.
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