A Room Box Revisited

_DSC5828I have always been enchanted with history. As a child I would let my imagination run wild into different time periods. I would be an 18th century princess one day and the first female to fly across the Atlantic the next. Much of my inspiration came from those orange alphabetically arranged biographies I read by the book load—as many as my arms could carry home from the library on Sutton Street. Thomas Jefferson, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Helen Keller, Thomas Edison, Amelia Earhart . . .

Years later, when I became enamored with miniatures, it became clear to me that my new passion was a direct result of my love of history. It was a way to bring it to life in the most realistic way possible—by showing how people lived at the time, what tools they used, what they wore, what they read, what they ate. And while I do hope that visitors will admire the craftsmanship of the miniatures, my sincere intent has always been that the room boxes inspire a deeper examination of history. In fact, I found myself being drawn in recently as I peered inside a room box based on Martha Washington’s bedroom. My mind began to wander and I was soon taken back to my childhood days of reading about historical heroes. Granted, it was on a computer screen—but just as fascinating and with better pictures.marthashoesmvla

As I read, I realized it was the little things that made these non-fiction protagonists so interesting to me. Perhaps it was because it made them human. Made them relatable. For instance, Martha Washington was actually able to read and write unlike many women in the early 1700s. She was a 26-year-old widow when she became engaged to the future President. And she was fashion forward. Often depicted as dowdy, Martha ordered bespoke pairs of shoes from London and a peek under her gown at her wedding to George in 1759 would have revealed royal purple silk pumps covered with sequins and metallic lace.

Gazing at those shoes made me question other aspects of Martha’s life. Her choice of footwear seemed contrary to the ubiquitous portrait of her I remembered from childhood: matronly and plump with a poufy white cap on her head. I delved further. From various sources, I discovered the five-foot-tall first First Lady was considered poised and self-assured. She was an astute hostess, often consulting European standards when planning official affairs and, while she excelled at it, she preferred solitude to the fanfare.

_DSC2951 - CopyPerhaps Martha’s greatest achievement, in my mind, was her inner strength and the devotion she felt toward George. As one of the wealthiest women in Virginia at the time, she left her comfortable confines to follow her husband into battle. She would spend winters at his encampments where she sewed clothing for soldiers and nursed the sick and dying. She aided the Continental Army at Valley Forge where disease, malnutrition and exposure killed over 2,500 American soldiers and became affectionately known as “Lady Washington” for her compassionate ways.

_DSC2954When I look into the room box depicting Martha’s bedroom at Mount Vernon, their estate overlooking the Potomac River in Northern Virginia, I see the many facets of this remarkable woman’s life. The bed chamber, itself, reflects her life as the private person she intrinsically was. After her husband’s death in 1799 she closed their bedroom and burned the letters they had written to each other through their 40-plus years together (three were later found). She then moved into the home’s third floor for the final two and a half years of her life, much of which was spent in mourning. That is the bedroom you see here and the one in which I see Martha, the mother who outlived four children, two husbands, and armies of brave men she, herself, attempted to aid. I see her reading, needlepointing, manicuring her nails, and sometimes even dancing in purple shoes. And I see all of this because of the craftsmanship of miniaturists. I hope that those who visit the collection will also be prompted Kayesignatureby this art form to reflect and to ultimately discover more of history as I have done on my latest visit to Martha Washington’s Bedroom.

 

 

_DSC2961I designed this vignette around the beautiful hand-loomed rug by Bonni Backe and the antique book I found at a rare bookstore in Maine. Chair by Englishman Ian Halloran. Linen Chest by Tarbena. Bed and Bed Dressings by Le Chateau Interiors. Dressing table by Dennis Jenvey. Needlepoint stool by Annelle Ferguson. Reticulated China bowl by Jean Welch and 18th century working manicure set in lidded box by St. Leger. Paintings by unknown artists. 

 

 

Posted on June 2, 2016 in Collecting Miniatures