Tess Rosch and Win Ross setting up to take photos in our 1790 kitchen as Brian looks on.
On Saturday December 8, 2012 publisher Tess Rosch and photographer Winfield Ross of Early American Life arrived at our house slightly before 8 a.m. They had originally planned to spend most of the day photographing, but due to a snowstorm forecast for Pennsylvania and Ohio the following day, they revised their schedule and cut their visit to us in half so that they could drive back home ahead of the snow. Win and Tess asked for a quick 10 minute tour of the house, then Tess chatted with us as Win moved from room to room with his lights and camera. Tess had previously told me not to bother overly with arranging vignettes throughout the house, since there would be plenty of time on Saturday to arrange items before photographing. Imagine my surprise when she told me everything looked perfect as it was. The only last minute additions necessary were putting out the fresh beeswax candles that I hadn’t gotten to before they arrived, then lighting the candles and a fire in the hearth. Tess cut one of the steamed puddings I had made and arranged a piece on a transferware plate and then we were set to go!
Here are some of my photos taken the day of the photo shoot. They don’t compare to the gorgeous ones Win took, but they will give you an idea of what things looked like outside the frame of his lens. You can read much more detailed captions about the items shown in the photos in the December 2013 issue of Early American Life.
Our front door and entry hallway.
Tiny shoes wait by the door for Saint Nicholas, along with carrots for his horse.
Our parlor festooned with evergreens for the holidays.
One corner of the parlor houses a walnut cupboard filled with transferwear, early 19th century papier-mache milliner model dolls, and a few of my handmade bears. It is topped by a tin flag box made by David Claggett, that holds Brian’s father’s memorial flag.
Waiting under the Christmas tree are some of my hand made reproduction Izannah Walker dolls and a pair of antique bears.
Three of my antique Izannah Walker dolls on top of a large corner cupboard that conceals a TV.
The fireplace in the parlor was added by previous owners. I grain painted the mantle and surround. Brian gave me the antique Shaker box stove as a present one Christmas. A tiny child size metal carousel horse patiently waits along side the stove…
A French papier-mache doll stands beside a small feather tree filled with some of the spun cotton ornaments that I make.
My youngest son, Colin, painted portraits of himself and his two brothers as a Christmas present to me when he was majoring in Illustration at Pratt.
The cooking hearth in our 1790 kitchen.
A view from the 1790 kitchen into the main floor bedchamber.
Looking from the 1790 kitchen into the dining room.
The Christmas tree in the 1790 kitchen.
A folding 18th century campaign bed in the main floor bedchamber.
We assembled this rope bed from various bits and pieces of early 19th century beds, which I unified with grain painting.
A small Christmas tree graces the bay window in our 1840’s kitchen.
My favorite pie safe!
A child size C.W. Parker carousel horse that we restored gallops across the Rufus Porter style mural that I painted in the kitchen.
A rare child size M.C. Illions carousel horse stands a top a salmon painted pie safe from Brimfield, MA. The crib quilt behind the horse is French, purchased from an antique shop in Paris.
The dining room is also home to a French carousel pig.
My maternal great great grandfather made the one drawer black table.
One of my reproduction Izannah Walker dolls sits on a 19th century drop leaf table, with early salmon paint, along side 19th and early 20th century cloth dolls. C. 1830-1840 milliners models fill the hanging box at the left.
Remember Tess’s comment about the “dust not showing” ??? As you can see, even on a somewhat dreary December day our house is filled with light, so I did have to dust before they arrived!
To be continued… Part 3 The Second Floor
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Paula Walton's 18th Century Home Journal 