Furniture: Bookcase owned by P. T. Barnum
Image
Furniture: Bookcase owned by P. T. Barnum
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Handle
http://hdl.handle.net/11134/60002:3483
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Persons |
Persons
Creator (cre): Julius Dessoir
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Title |
Title
Title
Furniture: Bookcase owned by P. T. Barnum
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Origin Information |
Origin Information
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Parent Item | |||
Resource Type |
Resource Type
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Digital Origin |
Digital Origin
reformatted digital
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Description |
Description
Breakfront-style bookcase from P. T. Barnum's first Bridgeport home, Iranistan. The set, which includes chairs, a library table, a settee or recamier-style sofa, and a desk, was made for Barnum's personal library. The style is referred to as "Chinoiserie," a French word that refers to the aesthetic of Chinese decorative arts. During the 19th century in Europe and America, Chinoiserie was a popular style that drew upon elements of Chinese decorative arts, applying them to European forms of furniture. This suite by Dessoir is a variant of the style in that it includes fantastical creatures not traditional to Chinoiserie. In that regard, the carvings reveal Barnum's own personal taste, as well as the skill of the furniture maker. The impressively large bookcase is made from a type of wood called tiger maple named for the striping in the grain. In addition to its four glass doors with cabinets below, the bookcase features elaborate and detailed carving, especially along the top. Perched at the top of the bookcase is a carved bird resembling a peacock or possibly a pheasant, both species native to China. A pediment below the bird is flanked by two dolphin type figures with large heads. On the front of the pediment, between the dolphins, is a pair of entwined creatures combining the features of dragons and snakes. (A similar design also appears on the library table that is part of this set.) The top of the bookcase also features bands of fretwork, an interlaced geometric pattern resembling an elaborate "fence." Many carved elements are repeated throughout the bookcase, such as small bells that hang like tassels, and curled "roofs" reminiscent of a Chinese pagoda. Delicate bands of wood are applied to the glass doors, a type of decoration called tracery. Flat columns called pilasters run vertically between the doors and on the sides of the cabinets. They feature obilesk shapes with finely carved areas that have a textural appearance like drooping feathers or pendant leaves. Julius Dessoir was a French emigre who came to America in the 1840s. The first listing of his work as a cabinetmaker appears in the 1842-1843 New York City directory. His furniture workshop was located on Broadway, as was Barnum's American Museum. Dessoir became well known for his decorative carving, and his work was exhibited at the Crystal Palace Exhibition of 1853 in New York City. Other examples of Dessoir's work can be found in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Dessoir's work for Barnum was done within the first decade of his arrival in America. Barnum had returned from a three-year tour of Europe in 1846 and was anxious to build an "oriental villa" as the family home in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Iranistan, as he named it, was designed in the Moorish revival style by Leopold Eidlitz, but was very closely modeled after the Royal Pavilion in Brighton, England. The mansion, which sat on 17 acres and was built at a cost of $100,000, but lasted only ten years (1848-1857), as it burned to the ground in December of 1857. Either the Dessoir suite was located elsewhere at the time of the fire (Barnum and his family were not occupying the home then) or else it was pulled from the burning house. Contemporary descriptions do note that precious items were saved. The set was donated to the museum in 1888 by Barnum and his second wife, Nancy Fish Barnum.
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Genre
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Held By |
Held By
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Use and Reproduction |
Use and Reproduction
This item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. Images and data from The Barnum Museum are intended for public access and educational use only. This material is owned, held, or licensed by The Barnum Museum and is being provided solely for the purpose of teaching or individual research. All other use, including commercial reuse, mounting on other systems, or other forms of redistribution requires permission of the appropriate department of The Barnum Museum; fees may be applicable.
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Coordinates |
Coordinates
41.174472, -73.202028
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Local Identifier |
Local Identifier
1888.001.001
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Handle |
Handle
http://hdl.handle.net/11134/60002:3490
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Persons |
Persons
Creator (cre): Julius Dessoir
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Title |
Title
Title
Furniture: Bookcase owned by P. T. Barnum
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Origin Information |
Origin Information
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Parent Item | |||
Resource Type |
Resource Type
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Digital Origin |
Digital Origin
reformatted digital
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Description |
Description
Breakfront-style bookcase from P. T. Barnum's first Bridgeport, Conn., home, Iranistan. The set, which includes chairs, a library table, a settee or recamier-style sofa, and a desk, was made for Barnum's personal library. The style is referred to as "Chinoiserie," a French word that refers to the aesthetic of Chinese decorative arts. During the 19th century in Europe and America, Chinoiserie was a popular style that drew upon elements of Chinese decorative arts, applying them to European forms of furniture. This suite by Dessoir is a variant of the style in that it includes fantastical creatures not traditional to Chinoiserie. In that regard, the carvings reveal Barnum's own personal taste, as well as the skill of the furniture maker. The impressively large bookcase is made from a type of wood called tiger maple named for the striping in the grain. In addition to its four glass doors with cabinets below, the bookcase features elaborate and detailed carving, especially along the top. Perched at the top of the bookcase is a carved bird resembling a peacock or possibly a pheasant, both species native to China. A pediment below the bird is flanked by two dolphin type figures with large heads. On the front of the pediment, between the dolphins, is a pair of entwined creatures combining the features of dragons and snakes. (A similar design also appears on the library table that is part of this set.) The top of the bookcase also features bands of fretwork, an interlaced geometric pattern resembling an elaborate "fence." Many carved elements are repeated throughout the bookcase, such as small bells that hang like tassels, and curled "roofs" reminiscent of a Chinese pagoda. Delicate bands of wood are applied to the glass doors, a type of decoration called tracery. Flat columns called pilasters run vertically between the doors and on the sides of the cabinets. They feature obilesk shapes with finely carved areas that have a textural appearance like drooping feathers or pendant leaves. Julius Dessoir was a Prussian emigre who came to America in the 1840s, and was naturalized on October 19, 1852. The first listing of his work as a cabinetmaker appears in the 1842-1843 New York City directory. His furniture workshop was located on Broadway, as was Barnum's American Museum. Dessoir became well known for his decorative carving, and his work was exhibited at the Crystal Palace Exhibition of 1853 in New York City. Other examples of Dessoir's work can be found in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Dessoir's work for Barnum was done within the first decade of his arrival in America. Barnum had returned from a three-year tour of Europe in 1846 and was anxious to build an "oriental villa" as the family home in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Iranistan, as he named it, was designed in the Moorish revival style by Leopold Eidlitz, but was very closely modeled after the Royal Pavilion in Brighton, England. The mansion, which sat on 17 acres and was built at a cost of $100,000, lasted only ten years (1848-1857), as it burned to the ground on December 17, 1857. Most likely the Dessoir suite was located elsewhere at the time of the fire (Barnum and his family were not living in the home then) as the fire broke out in the middle of the night and with the home unoccupied, it does not seem likely that furniture was pulled from the burning house, especially an item as large as the Dessoir breakfront bookcase. However, contemporary descriptions do note that precious items were saved. The set was donated to the museum in 1888 by Barnum and his second wife, Nancy Fish Barnum.
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Genre |
Genre
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Held By |
Held By
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Rights Statement |
Rights Statement
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Use and Reproduction |
Use and Reproduction
Permission to use the images other than for personal research, in-person classroom presentations, or in-person presentations to not-for-profit organizations' audiences must be expressly given by the Barnum Museum. Contact the Barnum Museum at info@barnum-museum.org or by calling (203) 331- 1104 extension 100.
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Coordinates |
Coordinates
41.174472, -73.202028
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Local Identifier |
Local Identifier
1888.001.001
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