Treasures of Edwards Place: Empire Buffet

Edwards Place has an amazing collection of 19th century decorative arts. Soon after the Springfield Art Association was formed in 1913, Alice Edwards Ferguson donated Edwards Place, where she had grown up and where her mother had lived for more than sixty years, for use as a gallery, classroom space, and meeting space. Many prominent local Springfield families donated exquisite pieces of antique furniture to help furnish the grand old house. These objects are beautiful in their own right, and many of them carry fascinating stories of their makers and owners.

One such piece is the Empire-style buffet now on display in the servants' dining room.

This object dates to 1831 and was made by a Cincinnati cabinetmaker named Thomas C. Estep. How do we know? Because Estep proudly signed his work underneath the lefthand drawer with the inscription : "This work made by his hands. Thomas C. Estep Feb. 14th A.D. 1831" and underneath the center drawer with "Cincinnati Hamilton County Ohio."

Census records show that Estep was born in Maryland around 1807. He is not listed in the Cincinnati City Directory until 1834, so this would have been a very early piece for him, completed when he was in his early twenties.

Not only do we know who made this buffet, we know who bought it: an inscription on the inside of the center drawer reads "Mrs. Salome Enos." Salome Enos was the wife of Pascal P. Enos, one of the first settlers of Springfield. The year after the Enoses purchased this buffet, Pascal died, leaving four small children and Salome pregnant with a fifth. Salome was named executrix of the Enos estate but soon ran into legal disputes concerning the payment of debts. The legal cases dragged on for years, and Salome eventually hired Abraham Lincoln to represent her.

This object may look like an ordinary buffet, but it has so many stories to tell: the story of a young cabinetmaker proudly finishing one of his first major commissions; the story of the growing trasportation network used by an expanding United States to supply goods to a restless population pushing ever westward; the story of a frontier family's desire for stylish and luxurious goods; and even a connection to Abraham Lincoln himself.

Hand Papermaking?

Hand Papermaking? Why?
The SAA is now offering classes in papermaking. No, not the reams or pads you may be thinking about; but handmade paper. Paper is such a basic commodity that it rarely captures our attention or interest; yet, we would be lost without it-- particularly as artists. Paper plays a pivotal role in art making; yet, it is under appreciated. Where would that graphite, ink, watercolor or pastel sit if it wasn’t for paper? What would papier mache or origami be without paper? It is an essential element that presents artists with choices and challenges. Like every other art material, the more we understand, the more we can use it to our advantage.

Who Invented Paper? There is no single source identified as the first paper ever made. There is agreement that it came out of the Far East; China and India have the oldest paper samples and histories. In the 13th century, paper was being produced in Italy and Spain. By the 15th century, papermaking was common across Europe and with Gutenberg’s invention of the moveable type printing press in 1438-40, the demand for and quality of paper increased dramatically. Sheets of paper made from a variety of fibers with a range of qualities were being made across Europe. By the 18th century, Italy and England set the highest quality standards for handmade paper and continue that tradition today.

What is paper made from? Paper is made from the base cellulose structure of plant material; the purer the plant material, the higher the quality of the paper. For example, we all know that newsprint is very low quality paper. This is not because it is thin, it is the residual acid left from the quickly processed wood chips that reacts with air and light to break down the fibers which causes them to discolor and break. The highest quality printmaking and drawing paper is “100% rag” meaning that it is made from cotton fibers. Initially paper was made from rags (old clothing) hence the term. Although there are now more direct sources of cotton fibers for papermaking, many hand papermakers use all natural fabrics like denim, linen, and canvas for their paper; the trick is avoiding any synthetic fibers.

How do you get from fiber to paper? (Western or European Style Hand Papermaking)

The fibers have to be separated and suspended in water. This happens by “beating the fiber to a pulp.” Today beating is done by a machine called a Hollander Beater. (The first beater of this type was created in Holland in 1680.) The pulp is then added to a vat of water. A deckle mould is then dipped into the vat. The pulp is distributed evenly across the surface of the mould and water drains away. This sheet of paper is then transferred from the mould to a felt. The stack of felts, with the sheets interleafed, are then pressed to remove the excess water and physically bond the fibers of the paper. After pressing, the sheets are dried under restraint to keep them flat.

Sounds like a lot of work...

For most applications, artistic or otherwise, purchasing machine made papers is the way to go. However, as an artist, making paper can offer a broad spectrum of creative opportunities and processes that cannot be purchased off the shelf. Join me for one of my introductions to hand papermaking workshops to get a glimpse of the possibilities. The next workshop is Saturday, July 24th. You can find all the registration information at http://www.springfieldart.org/ or contact the SAA office at (217) 523-2631.

...just two more weeks of Summer Art Camp

Mini Monets? Check.
Wee Warhols? Check.
van Gogh-Go's...half check.
Rockin' Rembrandts...sixty percent check.

It is hard to believe Summer Art Camp is over in less than two weeks. The SAA has been planning Summer Art Camp since January, our instructors were crafting in February, and registration opened in March. Since then, it's been a flurry of excited and creative campers, inspiring projects, and an wonderful energy defused in our Condell Studio all summer long.

This week, we welcome our full-day campers, the van Gogh-Go's. We also have "Portrait Palooza," a specialized painting class that meets in the mornings for our sixth through eight grade students, the Rockin' Rembrandts. For the past three weeks, we had the Wee Warhols (Kindergarten through 2nd grade) in both the morning and afternoon, and kicked off Camp back in June with our pre-K Mini Monets.

Camp has been one of the most exciting and creative educational offerings at the Art Association for years; the instructors, the projects and the enthusiasm dedicated to the arts have never been more vibrant. As one camper said during the last session, "You make a mess, you make art, you make friends at Art Camp." We are so proud and endlessly motivated by that sentiment.

The enthusiasm for all things art continues into the fall! Young Artist Studios & Pottery are in full force for Fall classes that being September 27 (schedule and registration available August 23).

Please contact the SAA Office to join our mailing list, or to learn more about our studios & facilities.

Rediscover Edwards Place!

Edwards Place may be nearly 180 years old, but there is a lot of new stuff to discover behind its doors - new interpretation, new events, new exhibits! Come for a tour and discover what life in the 19th century was like for one of Springfield's most socially prominent families, whose parties were attended by the likes of Abraham Lincoln, Stephen Douglas, and other notable lawyers and politicians.

Benjamin Edwards was born in 1818, the youngest son of Illinois' first territorial governor, Ninian Edwards. Benjamin became the first person born in Illinois to graduate from Yale in 1838, and after a year at Yale's law school he married Helen Dodge of New Haven and moved to Illinois.

Benjamin and Helen arrived in Springfield on January 4, 1840. Helen's heart sank as she looked around the rude town of 1,200 people with no streetlights, no sidewalks, and mud so thick it was hard to for the stagecoach to pull through. She was nervous about meeting Benjamin's brother Ninian jr., with whom they would be staying until their own house was ready for them.

Her fears were allayed when they reached Ninian's house and he and his wife Elizabeth gave them a warm welcome. It was on that night that Benjamin and Helen first met the woman who would become one of their dearest friends: Mary Todd. Little did they know that twenty years later Mary would be the First Lady of the United States; that night she was just Elizabeth Edwards' little sister visiting from Lexington, Kentucky.

Helen was drawn to her at once. She later remembered: "The sunshine in her heart was reflected in her face. She greeted me with such warmth of manner...saying she knew we would be great friends and I must call her Mary. This bond of friendship was continued to the end of her life."

Today Edwards Place tells the story of the social and family life of the Edwardses and their friends. Stop by to discover the secrets of times gone by!

Springfield's Long Nine @ SAA

Last Saturday, the Springfield Art Association hosted a Vintage Baseball Game, complete with rules from 1858. The Springfield Long Nine plays games throughout the summer in different locations (their complete line-up can be seen here).

Here are some pictures of the game; from the food to the weather, we couldn't have asked for a more perfect day!

Coming up this week @ SAA

Although the Independence Day weekend is behind us, there is still a summer's worth of art to be had (and seen, and made!) at the Art Association.

Classes are beginning this week; although registration ended for some of the classes, the SAA can accommodate registrations for workshops later in the summer, as well as for classes not yet at capacity.

It's hard to believe, but Summer Art Camp is halfway over! We have just two more sessions left after this week. Want more art for your own Wee Warhol or Rockin' Rembrandt? Check out our new youth classes at springfieldart.org.

4th of July at the SAA

Fourth of July is undoubtedly my favorite weekend in the summer...just thinking of it conjures cookouts and parades; fireworks, or course; but also, baseball! And the Springfield Art Association has a perfect combination of fun, art, and America's favorite pastime.

"Play Ball," our current exhibition in the SAA's Gallery, is a wonderful installation of baseball's past and present through art, craft and memorabilia.

Tomorrow, on July 3rd from 12 to 2pm, there is a Vintage Baseball Game, on the Edwards Place front lawn. Learn about what baseball was like in the 1890s, and come play against the vintage players!

Refreshments are available; so come on out, bring your pennant and a picnic, and we'll see you at the game!