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The first section of the Warner House Mural, circa 1720 |
By Jeffrey Hopper, Historic House Steward and Social Historian
We spend a considerable amount of space on this blog writing
about historic clothing, but every now and again it is important to remember
that this clothing was part of a larger setting. One of my jobs is to manage
the Warner House in Portsmouth, NH. Constructed of brick between 1716-18, it is
an English Baroque townhouse of London derivation. The design of the house
spans the period in American architectural design when social entertainment
occurred on two floors, not just the ground floor. After the mid-eighteenth
century most American social entertaining occurs on the first or ground floor.
Because of this tiered use, in the Warner House, the entrance and staircase act
as a processional way to the second floor or piano nobile. Constructed with low risers of approximately 5.5
inches and approximately 12-inch wide steps, the staircase slows the visitor’s
ascent. By retarding the ascent several things occur; a straighter posture can
be maintained; ascending and descending can be accomplished at a ¾ turn, which
is more flattering to the profile and the presentation of clothing; this ¾ turn
allows for direct conversation, rather than talking to a fellow-conversant’s
back; and for the Warner House visitor an additional reward of this paced
ascent is that it provides a space to view the artistic taste of the owners. Painted
in oil on plaster between 1718 and 1722 a series of murals fill the walls of
the staircase. Although they are cruder in design than their contemporary
British counterparts, none-the-less they provide a dramatic art-filled ascent
unlike any remaining house from this period in the British-American colonies.
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Croxall's version of the tale circa 1740 |
The Dean Street images are from London houses
of the 1730s, but help to illustrate the use of mural painting in British
Atlantic world and the differences between the two worlds. The Dean Street illustrations are all from British History Online.
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Dean St, Gallery |
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75 Dean St, landing
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Dean St Murals after Conservation (destroyed 1920s)
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76 Dean St Murals |
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76 Dean St Murals another view |
The article that follows is from the Summer 2015 Warner
House newsletter and is part of an attempt to explain the paintings in terms of
visual lessons that might have formed part of the moral, textual, political,
and artistic understanding of an eighteenth-century visitor as they ascended
the stairs for a summer evening’s entertainment at Archibald, a newly appointed
member of the King’s Council for the colony, and Sarah, daughter of the Lieutenant
Governor of the colony, Macpheadris’s new home in the 1720s.
Here is the link to the article:
Jeff Hopper is a Consultant, Historic House Steward and Social Historian