Footcandy Friday Visits the Warner House, Portsmouth, NH

MEHITABLE RINDGE ROGERS (1725-1803) & HER LONDON SHOES

 The Warner House in Portsmouth, NH has a small but excellent collection of 18^th century – early 19^th century ladies shoes. The shoes are going off rotation and into storage, so this is a perfect opportunity for examination. 

One pair of particular note are those proudly announcing that they were created by “James Davis, Shoemaker, nr. Aldgate, London.” If you have followed these pages, the name may be familiar to you.  As part of a larger project, the author, with the assistance of Tara Vose, Warner House Board Member, and Bridget Swift, Research Associate, TheBranchCreative, has identified some 10 pairs of shoes in North American collections by Davis or Davis in partnership with Thomas Ridout. This short entry forms part of a larger research and publication project, in collaboration with contemporary London shoe designer, Emma Hope,  which will appear in 2013.

The shoe shown here (Accession #743) was worn by Mehitable (Mehitabel) Rindge (b. 22 September 1725- d. 1803) who married the Honorable Daniel Rogers, of His Majesty’s Council for New Hampshire.  Ten years her senior, the couple were both born and raised in Portsmouth and are buried at the Proprietor’s Cemetery.

An especially elegant shoe of cream (or possibly another color, much faded) silk– note the higher than usual heel at 3” rather than the more typical 21/2” for the Colonial American consumer – it is very well worn.  In addition to the Davis label, the shoe also boasts a strip of subtle pink silk across the interior of the tongue, meant to be exposed ever so slightly as the wearer walked across the room or down a flight of stairs. The contrasting pale pink silk, in combination with shiny paste or jeweled buckles and the sheen of the silk would have created a refined fashion statement and, with the heel, a striking silhouette.

The couple’s oldest child, Mark, was born in 1762, so they most likely married in the early 1760s.  Given the style of the shoe and knowing its maker, a fabrication date falling between 1760-1770 would be appropriate. Further, the higher, courtly heel may have been favored by Mehitable earlier in life, prior to the birth of five children.

Known after the Revolution for his apothecary business, Rogers was examined by the New Hampshire Committee of Safety for “being unfriendly to the liberties of America,” on Thursday, November 23, 1775. No evidence was found against him and so he was dismissed without incident. He would subsequently resign his post due to the Acts of British Parliament.

Thank you to Carolyn Roy and Louis Richardson, Co-Curators, Warner House, and Tara Vose, Warner House Board Member, for their assistance.

For information on the house, its history and collections, see

The Warner House: A Rich and Colorful History. Joyce Volk, ed., The Warner House Association, 2006.

Kimberly Alexander, Ph.D.

Department of History

University of New Hampshire, Durham

The General's 1825 Probate Inventory

The Store Furnishings
Previous posts on the Daybook have focused on the denizens of Haverhill and the Oliverian

Brook, their lives and times as documented by their purchases and trade patterns.  The 

opportunity to review the  General's very thorough probate inventory, adds an entirely new

and much richer dimension to what we can surmise about the experience of living and 

working in northern New Hampshire in the early years of the young republic.

As noted earlier, due to a number of factors, the actual store building still 
survives in its original location. Indeed, recent inspection indicates that some 
original or at least early 19th century shelving with grain painting survives.

Among the items listed as in the store in 1825, the most valuable item was the 8 day clock, 

valued at $20.00. For the clerks who slept in the store, the accommodations were  
spacious if not sparse.  It is interesting to note that there was "1  bedstead 
feather and straw beds, 1 bolster, 2 pillow cases, 2 sheets, cotton, 1 wool 
quilt" valued at $13.50.  There was a counting room desk and a writing desk, a 
trinket box, 9 marking irons (?), a barrel and an old hogshead. The stove was 
listed as "much cracked" and may be the one which is currently in the storeroom.

The substantial stock in the store at the time of the General's death was sold to the 
subsequent owner of the house, Colonel Jacob Bell. Bell, successful in business, was a 

former clerk in the General's store and so was no stranger there or in the main house. 

The transfer of the store inventory, the property as a whole and the demarcation of his 
widow's dower rights will be examined in a later post.

Friday Footcandy: 1730s English Shoe

Courtesy, Meg Andrews, Historical Textiles

http://www.meg-andrews.com/

This site is visually stunning and has many useful links for the aficionado of historical garments, textiles, and of course, shoes.  Perfect for weekend browsing!

English Shoes
Early 1730s of silver gilt woven with pink and coral flowers, green and silver leaves and gold circles, the deep tongue with curving top edge, lined with pale blue finely ribbed silk, the latchets tied with green silk grosgrain ribbons, lined with white kid, the rand of white kid, the straight soles of brown leather, heel to sole 7 3/4 in or19 cm; heel height 2 1/2 in or 6 cm.edge,lined with pale blue finely ribbed silk, the latchets tied with green silk grosgrain ribbons, lined with white kid, the rand of white kid, the straight soles of brown leather, heel to sole 7 3/4 in or19 cm; heel height 2 1/2 in or 6 cm.

Comments

For similar see: Pratt, Lucy & Woolley, Linda Shoes p 45. Silver-gilt braid became very popular in the 1730's and 40's. They were known as 'laces' and could easily be added to or removed from the shoe to suit the costume or occasion. The braid would match the braid on the stomacher

Condition

Excellent. There is slight wear to the toes, but I had to use a magnifying glass to see it! The green ribbons are a little dusty. The soles reveal these were well-worn shoes. The inside kid is very slightly marked. SOLD

Inspiration Film: Iconic New England, Haverhill NH

http://video214.com/play/VX27Ah70E0fYSjbTVpzC0Q/s/dark
Iconic New England: Haverhill NH
at (almost) 250, 1763-2013

Shoe Files: Mrs. Elisebath Johnson's Shoe, Lynn Museum

Mr. Ambros Talbut had the Banns for his upcoming marriage to Mrs. Elisebath Johnson (1745-1825) posted on October 2nd, 1768. 1 They were married on Thursday November 24th, 1768, which was a particularly "cald" day according to a contemporary account of a birth found in the Newhall genealogy. 2 The summer and fall of that year were filled with uncharacteristic lightening storms which lasted into early November in some parts of the region.3

While a Thursday wedding may seem odd to modern readers, during the 17th and

18th century in New England, the actual announcement of intent to marry was generally more important than the celebration. Hence the day of the nuptials was frequently

based on the abilities of family members to be present and a reasonable hiatus taken

from the family businesses.

The clothing of the bride and groom would of course have been their finest. And the

survival of Mrs. Johnson's shoe is a testament to that. Originally the silk brocade would

have displayed a shine and luster, which, in combination with sparkly paste buckles,

epitomized Georgian taste in shoes.  Once vivid polychrome, with a floral motif which may have matched the color ways of her gown, no doubt Elisebath's ensemble was eye catching.

Despite the fact that cordwainers had set up business in the region by mid -century, shoes of London fabrication were in high demand by the well off and stylish women of the

American colonies along the New England sea coast.  Married at the age of 23, she would have four children - Sarah, Ambros, Enoch and Bethiah. 4 She died in 1825 at the age of 80. 

The survival of only one shoe of a pair is not uncommon for it is easier to give one shoe each to heirs than to divide a dress or gown.

Notes:

1. "Publishments, Octr. 2, Mr. Ambros Talbot & Mrs. Elizabeth Johnson," in

Commonplace Book of Richard Pratt of Lynn, MA. Introduction by Nathan M.

Hawkes. (Lynn, MA: The Nichols Press, 1900.) 60.

2. Newhall Registry details intermarriages & connections with the Johnson Family.

3. Historic Storms of New England, Sidney Perley, 1891

4. Vital records of Lynn

All photos courtesy of the Lynn Museum

Thank you to Kate Luchini, Director and Abby Battis, Curator, for sharing the richness of their collection.

Accession #3129 

Elizabeth (Elisebath) Johnson’s (1745-1825) Wedding Shoe, #3129

Worn for her 1768 marriage to Ambrose Talbut

London-made shoe, maker unknown

No separate right or left, evidence of a shoe buckle

Silk brocade with polychrome floral pattern, leather sole and fabric covered Louis style heel

8 1/2” long x 3” wide x 4 1/2” high

A Reflection on Louis I. Kahn's Exeter Library at 40

It has been nearly 20 years since I first visited Louis Kahn's masterwork at Phillips Exeter Academy, and now, at the building's 40-year anniversary (1967-1972), the experience was equally awe-inspiring.  Much has been written about the Library over the decades, but I was pleased to see that there are also several excellent short films available including the breathtakingly well-lit and photographed piece by Alex Roman, which is posted below.

If possible, the Library struck me as even more monumental and timelessly classical than I had remembered from that first visit. This may be due to my own changing interest in architecture over time, seeking an ever simpler, reductivist yet harmonious style. Perhaps it may be that the materials, concept, the embrace of the printed word and the celebration of both private space (study carrels which ring the upper perimeter) and quiet gathering space corresponds to my own needs and interest over time. To reflect on the core of Kahn's library with its soaring almost Étienne-Louis Boullée-like interior is symbolic of allowing one's intellectual curiosity to fill the expanse.

 Once protected within, with light filtering through various openings, diffuse and warm, the building radiated welcome despite the hard surfaces – concrete and brick- due to the honey tones of the wood throughout.  One instinctively lowers one’s voice as one would in a Library. And yet, on this Sunday, there was plenty of activity within the building. Small groups of students occupied the first floor reading rooms, the library reference student staff chatted, a librarian asked if my colleagues and I had any questions. We were allowed to wander freely - no doubt gawking visitors walking around the building is a common occurrence.

While the function of a "traditional" library has altered much in the last decade, Kahn's Library has not lost its purpose, remaining true to its function.  While I do not know what current faculty and students think about the library and possible (technological?) shortcomings, it would nonetheless appear that the Library is conducive to thinking, learning and concentrating in many formats, whether from a book, laptop, iPad, or other device.

If you have not visited recently or ever, you may want to put the Exeter Library on your architectural “pilgrimage” list. The Academy has been excellent stewards.

As noted by Paul Heyer in American Architecture: Ideas and Ideologies in the Late Twentieth Century. (279.)

"Elemental in its contemporary directness and built also with the sense and durability of the great monuments of history is the Library at Philips Exeter Academy. In the spirit of the grand, classical tradition of the focal organizing space, the reading room is a central hall encircled by balconies containing the stacks and study alcoves. It is a space diagonally overlooked through giant circular openings in the interior screen walls that define the central area. In keeping with the campus tradition, the exterior of the building is a repetition of brick piers, wider as they approach the ground where the book loads are greater, cut back at all four corners to subtly articulate the building's exterior square form. The perimeter study carrels are illuminated from windows above the reader's eye level; smaller windows at eye level afford views to the campus or conversely can be closed by a sliding wooden shutter for privacy and concentration. There is contact with and building upon origins in both the library and the [Kimbell] museum. They span time as an architecture of basic fact and of progression as we move onward, aware of both where we have come form and where we are."

The Library received the American Institute of Architects 25 Year Award in 1997

A Film by Alex Roman:

http://vimeo.com/5407991

Addendum to Montgomery House Site

The site plan and house dimensions shown here, in concert with the General's 1825 Probate Inventory and the Daybook, continue to round out the life of the family in the early years of the young Republic.  In addition to the buildings currently noted, the inventory mentions a 2nd barn (with "5 swine, 5 pigs and 1 bay horse") and a blacksmith shop, as well as the contents of the store. Not surprisingly the most expensive item listed was an eight day clock valued at $20.00 ( New post to follow.)

All images courtesy Haverhill Historical Society