I just returned from the Summer institute field school at Museum of Early Southern Dec Arts (MESDA). The topic was Ethnicity and regionalism in the back country south (i.e. not the sc low country and not the southern Chesapeake area) Piedmont NC, SC, Ga, Tn Ky, Valley of Va, Md, & part of Pn.
For a furniture geek I didn''t know that it was possible foe me to furnitured out, but after three weeks of lectures on mostly German and some Scot/Irish furniture, pottery I was furnitured out.
It was really amazing to have complete access to the collection. To be left alone with a dresser that cost as much as a car.
Gloves what white gloves just open the darn drawer, pull it out and look at the writing on the back side of it. I got to take all of the drawers out of a bureau and photograph the daylights out of the thing. It was a blast.
It would be great to take a group tour of the museum. They have break out rooms where a tour group can focus on particular items like tables.
It was pretty wild we learned of a group of cabinetmakers here in the piedmont are that people collect and they pay a pretty penny for. Like a figure that would buy a new Mercedes Benz. I never expected to find that kind of stuff comingg out of Randolph and Chatham counties. I learned a lot.
We also took a week long trip through the valley of Va. Stopped at the frontier museum and several florkuchen (sp) houses. I never knew that we had such a strong German background here in the south. And I'm from here.
We stopped at Montecello, Belle Grove Plantation, and Montpillier (sp?). Two places that we visited that are near by were Preswould Plantation and Berry Hill Plantation. Both are fairly close to south Boston. Berry Hill was just a huge plantation house. Preswould wasn't small it had gorgeous furniture, late 17th century through early to mid 19th century stuff. It also has a fair number of outbuilding still standing including some of its slave quarters.
Oh well I need to get to bed and get ready for this little shindig that is happening Sunday.
Catch you later.
Jerome
Oh yeah there was a matter of a ten page paper. The final draft is due in a few days. Hmmm
Did I also say that they kept us so busy that we didn't have time to sleep for the last two and a half weeks.
I feel the need for a vacation coming
For a furniture geek I didn''t know that it was possible foe me to furnitured out, but after three weeks of lectures on mostly German and some Scot/Irish furniture, pottery I was furnitured out.
It was really amazing to have complete access to the collection. To be left alone with a dresser that cost as much as a car.
Gloves what white gloves just open the darn drawer, pull it out and look at the writing on the back side of it. I got to take all of the drawers out of a bureau and photograph the daylights out of the thing. It was a blast.
It would be great to take a group tour of the museum. They have break out rooms where a tour group can focus on particular items like tables.
It was pretty wild we learned of a group of cabinetmakers here in the piedmont are that people collect and they pay a pretty penny for. Like a figure that would buy a new Mercedes Benz. I never expected to find that kind of stuff comingg out of Randolph and Chatham counties. I learned a lot.
We also took a week long trip through the valley of Va. Stopped at the frontier museum and several florkuchen (sp) houses. I never knew that we had such a strong German background here in the south. And I'm from here.
We stopped at Montecello, Belle Grove Plantation, and Montpillier (sp?). Two places that we visited that are near by were Preswould Plantation and Berry Hill Plantation. Both are fairly close to south Boston. Berry Hill was just a huge plantation house. Preswould wasn't small it had gorgeous furniture, late 17th century through early to mid 19th century stuff. It also has a fair number of outbuilding still standing including some of its slave quarters.
Oh well I need to get to bed and get ready for this little shindig that is happening Sunday.
Catch you later.
Jerome
Oh yeah there was a matter of a ten page paper. The final draft is due in a few days. Hmmm
Did I also say that they kept us so busy that we didn't have time to sleep for the last two and a half weeks.
I feel the need for a vacation coming
