An interesting Federal (maybe) mirror

 

You don't usually see many of these mirrors with the spherules set in the side columns. Whether they just weren't popular (or proved too annoying to dust and were discarded), they seem to account for only about one percent of the mirrors I see. So, it was a bit surprising that I came upon two of them at an antique show last week, and then found this one in a group shop on Cape Cod.


I haven't fully dismantled and explored it, but I question the age of it, in spite of the fact that it does have some old repairs. Perhaps I will be able to determine if it is of period, with signs of age obscured due to the restorations, or, as I suspect, the product of some early 20th century manufacture.

The reverse painted panel is definitely not of the Federal period, but I don't know if was a replacement for an earlier one, or one created at the time of this mirror. It has a certain charm, but looks a bit "cottagey" for this formal style of mirror.

My plans are to do a couple minor touch-ups, and create a more appropriate eglomise panel.

Huguenot Street in New Paltz, New York

 

 

 

During our recent trip to Albany, we visited some sights on the west side of the Hudson River. Having seen stories about New Paltz in old issues of Antiques Magazine, we took advantage of the unexpectedly beautiful spring weather to sightsee. Although the buildings and visitor center were not open yet for the season, we did have a chance to walk the historic district and take photos.



 

 

According to the Historic Huguenot Street website: Seeking freedom from persecution by Catholic authorities, the "New Paltz Huguenots" sailed to America in the 1660s and 1670s. They travelled to present-day Kingston and founded New Paltz.

 

Today, the 10-acre National Historic Landmark District includes a visitor center, seven stone house museums, a reconstructed 1717 French church, and an early burial ground.

 

 

Making Progress

And the saga of the unfinished projects continues. This dressing table was purchased years ago, languished in garage/Wiscasset house waiting to be worked on. The paint was stripped last summer, and now that I have an inkling of what to do, I put base coats on. Getting this far usually motivates me, so it should move along.

Another Panel for an Antique Mirror

I found a great mirror frame in original finish. It had stenciling on the divider, and striping on the balusters, something I rarely, if ever had seen before. Unfortunately, it came with an inappropriate replacement panel that was an attempt at simulating eglomise, and was probably inspired by a clock tablet, rather than a mirror panel.

Not having the original, I turned to my collection of patterns and originals, and found an original I picked up at an HSEAD member's estate sale. I made two versions, both adaptations - one with a yellow background closer to the original, and one with red, and chose the one with red background to the stenciling for this mirror.

Using Gesso with Reverse Glass

I had been meaning to try the use of gesso as a background for eglomise (gold leaf on glass) after someone asked me about it, and I read about it in Frances Federer's new book. Someone asked me about replicating a panel from an old mirror, and although I turned down the job, I had already prepped the design, and so I used it for a demonstration at an artist guild meeting. After finishing, I finished the back with gesso, rather than white paint. So, now I have a sample to keep on hand, and monitor to see if there are any longer term issues.

A Mirror for a Fly's Eye View?

I am in my "get organized" mode, so pulling all sorts of things out of storage. This 19th century mirror is not meant for practical use, but for the way they bounced light around the Victorian interior. I have seen other, including some wonderful ones at the Museum of the City of New York. These must have been interesting wall decor in their day.

This one was put away until I could work on some minor restoration, but since it was not too disfiguring, it will probably remain as is for a while longer.

Also of interest was the original label still on the back, from a firm in Boston, Noyes & Blakeslee. 

 

More Projects (Finally) Finished!

Due to space constraints, and the annual migrations between Massachusetts and Maine, project components are often separated, worked on in multiple locations, etc. In this case, these two artworks were at some point removed from original frames, and new mats were cut (mat cutting work is often saved up and done in batches - no sense having to prepare a clean area more than necessary).

These were then packed away, and if not forgotten, at least "out of sight, out of mind". The nice part is that when they are finally retrieved, progress was usually further along than I remember, and they get finished up quickly.

One of these is a 1907 etching. The original frame was one of those very thin "arts and crafts" styles popular at that time. Quality was poor, so it wasn't worth re-doing. The replacement I made is lightly carved, but a more substantial frame overall. It is water gilded 23K.

The seascape pastel is an amateur work, and its damaged Victorian frame was again, not worth the repair. Putting it in a grain painted frame provides it with more of a folk art look, making it much more suitable for display.

More frame examples on my web site.