The folder includes worksheets and photocopies of articles.
General:
Like other great country houses in England Wilton House has been expanded and rebuilt over the centuries, with contributions from some of the most renowned architects working in the Palladian style. The gardens have evolved as well: in 1645 designer Isaac de Caus published etchings of his newly styled French formal Wilton Garden, set within the 21 acres of parkland that comprised the estate gardens. Features included elegant parterres bordered with clipped hedges, balustrades, galleries, statues, fountains, colored gravel walks and other walks under trellised vaults and pavilions. One natural feature left untouched was the River Nadder, and this became identified as in the English style as opposed to the highly ordered great gardens of the Continent. In the next century a footbridge based on Palladio's design for the Rialto in Venice was built over the river. The bridge complements the Palladian style house designed by architects Inigo Jones and his son-in-law John Webb. In the early 19th century architect James Wyatt re-used the provincial baroque carved limestone façade of the grotto at the end of the Great Walk, installing it on a building on the grounds known as the Old Schoolhouse. Wyatt also relocated on the grounds a 16th century porch from the earlier version of the main house, attributed to artist Hans Holbein.
The parterre was demolished and replaced by lawns, and contemporary gardens include a water garden, an Oriental garden area with linked ponds crossed by Chinese style red bridges, and a rose garden. Other public facilities include an adventure playground and a garden center. The current Earl of Pembroke and his family still own Wilton House and reside there. Wilton House was visited by Thomas W. Sears in 1908 and by the Garden Club of America's June 1929 tour to England. A complete copy of the GCA tour itinerary was printed in the Bulletin of the Garden Club of America (Fourth Series, No. 5), September 1929, pp. 6-25.
Persons associated with the garden include First through 17th Earls of Pembroke, Herbert family (owners since circa 1550); Isaac de Caus (1590-1648) (garden designer, 1632-1633); Inigo Jones (1573-1652) and John Webb (1611-1672) (architects, circa 1633-1647) and James Wyatt (1746-1813) (architect, circa 1805).
Related Materials:
Wilton House and Vicinity related holdings consist of 1 folder (14 glass negatives; 4 lantern slides)
See others in:
Thomas Warren Sears photograph collection, 1900-1966.
Collection Restrictions:
Access to original images by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens.
Topic:
Gardens -- England -- Wiltshire -- Wilton Search this
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
An exhibition on African American inventors and innovators, from prominent figures such as the 19th century inventor Elijah McCoy to the anonymous men and women who made important contributions to the development of American technology. The show was curated by Portia James and organized by the Anacostia Museum. It was held at the museum from May 1989 --May 1990. These records document the planning, organizing, execution, and promotion of the exhibition. Materials include correspondence, research files, exhibit scripts, administrative records, brochures, press coverage, education packets, loan agreements, floor plans, and catalogues.
Related Archival Materials note:
Audiovisual materials created for the exhibition by Anacostia Community Museum.
Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
During the audio tour of exhibition, The Real McCoy: African-American Invention and Innovation, narrator Robert Hall presents contributions made by black inventors to American technology from 1619 to 1930. Inventions and innovations by Benjamin Banneker, Elijah McCoy, Lewis Latimer, James Forten, Lewis Temple, Norbert Rillieux, Ned (slave), Benjamin Montgomery, George Washington Carver, Solomon Harper, Madame C.J. Walker, and Marjorie Joyner, among others, are highlighted. This history, challenges, and successes of patent licensing for inventions created by black inventors, including the question of patents for inventions created by slaves, are discussed.
Audio tour narration. Part of The Real McCoy: Afro-American Invention and Innovation 1619-1930 Audiovisual Materials. Undated.
Biographical / Historical:
The exhibition - The Real McCoy: African-American Invention and Innovation, 1619-1930 - focused on outstanding black inventors, as well as anonymous innovators, who, as slaves, craftsmen and workers, made important contributions to the United States. Included are actual inventions, such an Jan Matzelieger's "shoe-lasting" machine, which revolutionized shoe production, and Garrett Morgan's safety hood and automatic traffic signal, forerunners of the modern gas mask and traffic stop light. The exhibition examines such topics as African influences on Colonial technology and how the slave system stymied technological innovation. Individual inventors such as Lewis Temple, Elijah McCoy, James Forten, and Norbert Rillieux are profiled. Also featured are artifacts from some of the expositions of the late 19th-century, which celebrated this new surge of black inventiveness. The exhibition was curated by Portia James and organized by the Anacostia Museum. It was held at the museum from May 1989 - May 1990.
General:
Title transcribed from physical asset.
Series Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist at acmarchives@si.edu.
The exhibition, The Real McCoy: African-American Invention and Innovation, included three short documentary films: Lewis Temple and Hunting the Whale, Jan E. Matzeliger, and Norbert Rillieux. Lewis Temple and Hunting the Whale provides an overview of early 19th century whaling industry and tools, including the toggle head harpoon invented by blacksmith Lewis Temple. The short documentary about Jan Matzeliger provides an overview of the shoe industry and shoe making, including the refining of Matzeliger's idea and success of his shoe-lasting machine. The short documentary about Norbert Rillieux covers the history of sugar production and manufacturing from early sugar processing through the development of Rillieux's sugar refining process and the installation of Rillieux's device at Theodore Packwood's Myrtle Grove Plantation. All three documentaries provide historical background of three inventors' families and life, respectively.
Short documentary films. Part of The Real McCoy: Afro-American Invention and Innovation 1619-1930 Audiovisual Materials. AV000926 includes all three short films, dated 19910606. AV003326 includes Norbert Rillieux only (film image direction is sideways), dated 19890505. AV003324: Jan E. Matzeliger, undated. AV003433: outtakes, edited voiceover narration by Portia James for Lewis Temple and Hunting the Whale, dated 19890517. AV000226: loop tape of Norbert Rillieux with captions, undated. AV000227: loop tape of Lewis Temple and Hunting the Whale with captions, dated 19920526. AV000228: loop tape of Lewis Temple and Hunting the Whale with captions, undated.
Biographical / Historical:
The exhibition - The Real McCoy: African-American Invention and Innovation, 1619-1930 - focused on outstanding black inventors, as well as anonymous innovators, who, as slaves, craftsmen and workers, made important contributions to the United States. Included are actual inventions, such an Jan Matzelieger's "shoe-lasting" machine, which revolutionized shoe production, and Garrett Morgan's safety hood and automatic traffic signal, forerunners of the modern gas mask and traffic stop light. The exhibition examines such topics as African influences on Colonial technology and how the slave system stymied technological innovation. Individual inventors such as Lewis Temple, Elijah McCoy, James Forten, and Norbert Rillieux are profiled. Also featured are artifacts from some of the expositions of the late 19th-century, which celebrated this new surge of black inventiveness. The exhibition was curated by Portia James and organized by the Anacostia Museum. It was held at the museum from May 1989 - May 1990.
Local Numbers:
ACMA AV003326
ACMA AV003324
ACMA AV003433
ACMA AV000226
ACMA AV000227
ACMA AV000228
Series Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist at acmarchives@si.edu.
The Real McCoy: Lewis Temple, Jan E. Matzeliger, and Norbert Rillieux, Exhibition Records AV03-026, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution.
Tour guide leads visitors through exhibition, The Real McCoy: African-American Invention and Innovation. The tour guide talks about West African influence on pottery, rice production, textiles, sugar cane production, whaling industry, agricultural devices, domestic service devices, and railroad industry in the United States. Norbert Rillieux, Lewis Temple, and Henry Bowman are profiled. The tour guide also talks about patents, the early patent office, and patent applications by blacks. Tour guide answers visitors' questions.
Tour of exhibit; audio only. Part of The Real McCoy: Afro-American Invention and Innovation 1619-1930 Audiovisual Materials. Poor audio quality. Undated.
Biographical / Historical:
The exhibition - The Real McCoy: African-American Invention and Innovation, 1619-1930 - focused on outstanding black inventors, as well as anonymous innovators, who, as slaves, craftsmen and workers, made important contributions to the United States. Included are actual inventions, such an Jan Matzelieger's "shoe-lasting" machine, which revolutionized shoe production, and Garrett Morgan's safety hood and automatic traffic signal, forerunners of the modern gas mask and traffic stop light. The exhibition examines such topics as African influences on Colonial technology and how the slave system stymied technological innovation. Individual inventors such as Lewis Temple, Elijah McCoy, James Forten, and Norbert Rillieux are profiled. Also featured are artifacts from some of the expositions of the late 19th-century, which celebrated this new surge of black inventiveness. The exhibition was curated by Portia James and organized by the Anacostia Museum. It was held at the museum from May 1989 - May 1990.
Series Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist at acmarchives@si.edu.
During the workshop, students created three-dimensional models of original inventions or innovations after a guided tour of the museum's exhibition on African American inventors titled 'The Real McCoy: Afro-American Invention and Innovation 1619-1930.' Workshop was recommended for third and fourth grade students. The workshop was held at the Anacostia Museum on February 5, 1990.
Workshop. Related to exhibition 'The Real McCoy: Afro-American Invention and Innovation 1619-1930.' AV002113 and AV002116: dated 19900205. AV002058: undated.
Biographical / Historical:
The exhibition - The Real McCoy: African-American Invention and Innovation, 1619-1930 - focused on outstanding black inventors, as well as anonymous innovators, who, as slaves, craftsmen and workers, made important contributions to the United States. Included are actual inventions, such an Jan Matzelieger's "shoe-lasting" machine, which revolutionized shoe production, and Garrett Morgan's safety hood and automatic traffic signal, forerunners of the modern gas mask and traffic stop light. The exhibition examines such topics as African influences on Colonial technology and how the slave system stymied technological innovation. Individual inventors such as Lewis Temple, Elijah McCoy, James Forten, and Norbert Rillieux are profiled. Also featured are artifacts from some of the expositions of the late 19th-century, which celebrated this new surge of black inventiveness. The exhibition was curated by Portia James and organized by the Anacostia Museum. It was held at the museum from May 1989 - May 1990.
Local Numbers:
ACMA AV002116
ACMA AV002058
General:
Title transcribed from physical asset and calendar of events for Jan/Feb 1990.
Series Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist at acmarchives@si.edu.
Held from June 26 - 29, 1989 at the Anacostia Museum, the teacher seminar consisted of lectures and workshops about black inventors and innovators, and their struggle for recognition. The lectures and workshops were led by experts in history and the patent process, and inventors. Sessions on critical thinking and teaching strategies were also part of the program. Curator Portia James highlighted the exhibition 'The Real McCoy: Afro-American Invention and Innovation 1619-1930.' Dr. West and C.R. Gibbs provided historical context about African American inventors. Pat Ives spoke about historical figures and the patent process, and Bessie Wiley discussed creativity and inventiveness. Other seminar participants included Fred Schmidt, Karen Skilman, young inventor Maurice Scales, Frank Price, inventor Cortland Dugger, and Dr. Jimmie Jackson.
Seminar. Related to exhibition 'The Real McCoy: Afro-American Invention and Innovation 1619-1930.' AV002059: dated 19890626. AV002131 and AV002058: undated. AV002151and AV002060: dated 19890629.
Biographical / Historical:
The exhibition - The Real McCoy: African-American Invention and Innovation, 1619-1930 - focused on outstanding black inventors, as well as anonymous innovators, who, as slaves, craftsmen and workers, made important contributions to the United States. Included are actual inventions, such an Jan Matzelieger's "shoe-lasting" machine, which revolutionized shoe production, and Garrett Morgan's safety hood and automatic traffic signal, forerunners of the modern gas mask and traffic stop light. The exhibition examines such topics as African influences on Colonial technology and how the slave system stymied technological innovation. Individual inventors such as Lewis Temple, Elijah McCoy, James Forten, and Norbert Rillieux are profiled. Also featured are artifacts from some of the expositions of the late 19th-century, which celebrated this new surge of black inventiveness. The exhibition was curated by Portia James and organized by the Anacostia Museum. It was held at the museum from May 1989 - May 1990.
Local Numbers:
ACMA AV002131
ACMA AV002151
ACMA AV002060
ACMA AV002058
Series Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist at acmarchives@si.edu.
Curator Portia James led tour of the exhibition 'The Real McCoy: Afro-American Invention and Innovation 1619-1930.'
Exhibition Tour. Related to exhibition 'The Real McCoy: Afro-American Invention and Innovation 1619-1930.' Undated.
Biographical / Historical:
The exhibition - The Real McCoy: African-American Invention and Innovation, 1619-1930 - focused on outstanding black inventors, as well as anonymous innovators, who, as slaves, craftsmen and workers, made important contributions to the United States. Included are actual inventions, such an Jan Matzelieger's "shoe-lasting" machine, which revolutionized shoe production, and Garrett Morgan's safety hood and automatic traffic signal, forerunners of the modern gas mask and traffic stop light. The exhibition examines such topics as African influences on Colonial technology and how the slave system stymied technological innovation. Individual inventors such as Lewis Temple, Elijah McCoy, James Forten, and Norbert Rillieux are profiled. Also featured are artifacts from some of the expositions of the late 19th-century, which celebrated this new surge of black inventiveness. The exhibition was curated by Portia James and organized by the Anacostia Museum. It was held at the museum from May 1989 - May 1990.
Series Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist at acmarchives@si.edu.
Public affairs show '2 The Point,' which aired on WMAR-TV Baltimore, provided coverage and promotion of 'The Real McCoy: Afro-American Invention and Innovation 1619-1930,' which was on display at the Anacostia Museum from May 1989 - May 1990. Curator Portia James spoke about the exhibition; young inventors explained their inventions; and images from the exhibition were part of the television program.
Television program. Related to exhibition 'The Real McCoy: Afro-American Invention and Innovation 1619-1930.' AV002065: dated 19890702. AV002058: undated.
Biographical / Historical:
The exhibition - The Real McCoy: African-American Invention and Innovation, 1619-1930 - focused on outstanding black inventors, as well as anonymous innovators, who, as slaves, craftsmen and workers, made important contributions to the United States. Included are actual inventions, such an Jan Matzelieger's "shoe-lasting" machine, which revolutionized shoe production, and Garrett Morgan's safety hood and automatic traffic signal, forerunners of the modern gas mask and traffic stop light. The exhibition examines such topics as African influences on Colonial technology and how the slave system stymied technological innovation. Individual inventors such as Lewis Temple, Elijah McCoy, James Forten, and Norbert Rillieux are profiled. Also featured are artifacts from some of the expositions of the late 19th-century, which celebrated this new surge of black inventiveness. The exhibition was curated by Portia James and organized by the Anacostia Museum. It was held at the museum from May 1989 - May 1990.
Local Numbers:
ACMA AV002058
Series Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist at acmarchives@si.edu.
Speaking to a group of students, Charles Beckley, a chair inventor, talked about his invention. He explained the steps of creating an invention; patents and patent law; and producing his invention for mass consumption. He encouraged the students to come up with their own ideas by showing them how inventors build off of others' ideas.
Education program - lecture. Related to exhibition 'The Real McCoy: Afro-American Invention and Innovation 1619-1930.' Undated.
Biographical / Historical:
The exhibition - The Real McCoy: African-American Invention and Innovation, 1619-1930 - focused on outstanding black inventors, as well as anonymous innovators, who, as slaves, craftsmen and workers, made important contributions to the United States. Included are actual inventions, such an Jan Matzelieger's "shoe-lasting" machine, which revolutionized shoe production, and Garrett Morgan's safety hood and automatic traffic signal, forerunners of the modern gas mask and traffic stop light. The exhibition examines such topics as African influences on Colonial technology and how the slave system stymied technological innovation. Individual inventors such as Lewis Temple, Elijah McCoy, James Forten, and Norbert Rillieux are profiled. Also featured are artifacts from some of the expositions of the late 19th-century, which celebrated this new surge of black inventiveness. The exhibition was curated by Portia James and organized by the Anacostia Museum. It was held at the museum from May 1989 - May 1990.
Series Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist at acmarchives@si.edu.
Curator Portia James provided highlights and insights about the exhibition 'The Real McCoy: Afro-American Invention and Innovation 1619-1930' to docents. She provided an overview history of African American inventors and innovators, and the sections of the exhibition. Training was more a discussion than a lecture.
Discussion. Audio only. Related to exhibition 'The Real McCoy: Afro-American Invention and Innovation 1619-1930.' Dated April 27.
Biographical / Historical:
The exhibition - The Real McCoy: African-American Invention and Innovation, 1619-1930 - focused on outstanding black inventors, as well as anonymous innovators, who, as slaves, craftsmen and workers, made important contributions to the United States. Included are actual inventions, such an Jan Matzelieger's "shoe-lasting" machine, which revolutionized shoe production, and Garrett Morgan's safety hood and automatic traffic signal, forerunners of the modern gas mask and traffic stop light. The exhibition examines such topics as African influences on Colonial technology and how the slave system stymied technological innovation. Individual inventors such as Lewis Temple, Elijah McCoy, James Forten, and Norbert Rillieux are profiled. Also featured are artifacts from some of the expositions of the late 19th-century, which celebrated this new surge of black inventiveness. The exhibition was curated by Portia James and organized by the Anacostia Museum. It was held at the museum from May 1989 - May 1990.
Local Numbers:
ACMA AV001251_B
Series Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist at acmarchives@si.edu.
To a group of children, Lorenzo Calender, professional storyteller and Griot, spoke of the African origin of the language of Swahili, agriculture, navigation, monotheism, and algebra. He led the children through a portion of the exhibition 'The Real McCoy: Afro-American Invention and Innovation 1619-1930,' and told stories.
Event. Related to exhibition 'The Real McCoy: Afro-American Invention and Innovation 1619-1930.' Undated.
Biographical / Historical:
The exhibition - The Real McCoy: African-American Invention and Innovation, 1619-1930 - focused on outstanding black inventors, as well as anonymous innovators, who, as slaves, craftsmen and workers, made important contributions to the United States. Included are actual inventions, such an Jan Matzelieger's "shoe-lasting" machine, which revolutionized shoe production, and Garrett Morgan's safety hood and automatic traffic signal, forerunners of the modern gas mask and traffic stop light. The exhibition examines such topics as African influences on Colonial technology and how the slave system stymied technological innovation. Individual inventors such as Lewis Temple, Elijah McCoy, James Forten, and Norbert Rillieux are profiled. Also featured are artifacts from some of the expositions of the late 19th-century, which celebrated this new surge of black inventiveness. The exhibition was curated by Portia James and organized by the Anacostia Museum. It was held at the museum from May 1989 - May 1990.
Series Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist at acmarchives@si.edu.
To a group of children, a woman told stories about inventors, including Benjamin Banneker, Norbert Rillieux, Elijah McCoy, Lewis Latimer, and Madame CJ Walker.
Event. Related to exhibition 'The Real McCoy: Afro-American Invention and Innovation 1619-1930.' Transcribed from physical asset: 'Eraka.' Undated.
Biographical / Historical:
The exhibition - The Real McCoy: African-American Invention and Innovation, 1619-1930 - focused on outstanding black inventors, as well as anonymous innovators, who, as slaves, craftsmen and workers, made important contributions to the United States. Included are actual inventions, such an Jan Matzelieger's "shoe-lasting" machine, which revolutionized shoe production, and Garrett Morgan's safety hood and automatic traffic signal, forerunners of the modern gas mask and traffic stop light. The exhibition examines such topics as African influences on Colonial technology and how the slave system stymied technological innovation. Individual inventors such as Lewis Temple, Elijah McCoy, James Forten, and Norbert Rillieux are profiled. Also featured are artifacts from some of the expositions of the late 19th-century, which celebrated this new surge of black inventiveness. The exhibition was curated by Portia James and organized by the Anacostia Museum. It was held at the museum from May 1989 - May 1990.
Series Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist at acmarchives@si.edu.
Audiovisual materials created for an exhibition on African American inventors and innovators, from prominent figures such as the 19th century inventor Elijah McCoy to the anonymous men and women who made important contributions to the development of American technology. The show was curated by Portia James and organized by the Anacostia Museum. It was held at the museum from May 1989 – May 1990. This collection contains the audiovisual output of the exhibit, including video created for use within the exhibit and video and audio recordings of guided exhibit tours.
Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist at acmarchives@si.edu.
United States of America -- Maine -- Hancock County -- Bar Harbor
Kenarden (Bar Harbor, Maine)
Date:
1930
Scope and Contents note:
The folders includes worksheets, historical information about the property, and a garden tour description.
General note:
The original gardens at Kenarden were designed by landscape architect Beatrix Jones Farrand (1872-1959) early in the last century and have been restored and replanted by the current owners. The gardens include a formal rose garden with boxwood edging that has a contemporary Lunaform urn at its center. The fomal sunken Italianate garden's balustrade and pergola were replicated by garden designer Dennis Bracale, and the flower beds were replanted. Urns created by Eric Ellis Soderholtz in the early 20th century are in situ in the Italianate garden as well as around the residence. Large cutting and vegetable gardens were installed in the same location as the historic gardens, alongside greenhouses. Many of the original outhouses remain on the property as well as mature specimens including a Japanese umbrella pine, a very large hawthorn tree, a mature gingko, and very mature pieris, kalmia and rhododendron. An iron fence surrounding the property was added with new perimeter plantings. The drive from the main entrance cuts through native woods that are maintained as a decorative feature.
Kenarden Lodge was one of the original summer properties built at the end of the 19th century in Mount Desert, Maine. The turreted mansion with its own electrical plant designed by New York architects Rowe and Baker in 1892 was torn down in the 1960s and another house was built in its place circa 1970 by the architectural firm Carroll, Grisdale & Van Alen. The first owner of the property was financier John Stewart Kennedy; the estate was sold in the 1930s to Ethel Mallinckrot Dorrance, widow of Dr. John Thompson Dorrance, a chemist at Campbell who invented condensed canned soups.
Encouraged by Beatrix Farrand, Eric Ellis Soderholtz switched from photography to manufacturing garden urns and other ornaments, some of which remain at Kenarden.
Persons associated with the garden include John Stewart Kennedy and members of the Kennedy family (former owners, 1892-1933); Ethel Mallinckrot Dorrance (former owner 1933-1958); Ethel Dorrance Colket (former owner 1958-1966); Rowe and Baker (architects of original house, 1892); Beatrix Jones Farrand (landscape architect, circa 1915); Carroll, Grisdale & Van Alen (architects of current house, 1970-1972; firm in business 1946-1973 ); AB & JR Hodgkins, Inc. (builders of current house, 1970-1972); Dennis Bracale, Gardens by Design (landscape designer).
See others in:
Garden Club of America Collection, ca. 1920-[ongoing].
Holdings:
Kenarden related holdings consist of 3 folders (36 35 mm. slides; 15 digital images.; 4 photographic prints; 3 glass lantern slides)
Collection Restrictions:
Access to original images by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
For information or study purposes only. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens.
The folder includes worksheets and photocopies of articles.
General:
Like other great country houses in England Wilton House has been expanded and rebuilt over the centuries, with contributions from some of the most renowned architects working in the Palladian style. The gardens have evolved as well: in 1645 designer Isaac de Caus published etchings of his newly styled French formal Wilton Garden, set within the 21 acres of parkland that comprised the estate gardens. Features included elegant parterres bordered with clipped hedges, balustrades, galleries, statues, fountains, colored gravel walks and other walks under trellised vaults and pavilions. One natural feature left untouched was the River Nadder, and this became identified as in the English style as opposed to the highly ordered great gardens of the Continent. In the next century a footbridge based on Palladio's design for the Rialto in Venice was built over the river. The bridge complements the Palladian style house designed by architects Inigo Jones and his son-in-law John Webb. In the early 19th century architect James Wyatt re-used the provincial baroque carved limestone façade of the grotto at the end of the Great Walk, installing it on a building on the grounds known as the Old Schoolhouse. Wyatt also relocated on the grounds a 16th century porch from the earlier version of the main house, attributed to artist Hans Holbein.
The parterre was demolished and replaced by lawns, and contemporary gardens include a water garden, an Oriental garden area with linked ponds crossed by Chinese style red bridges, and a rose garden. Other public facilities include an adventure playground and a garden center. The current Earl of Pembroke and his family still own Wilton House and reside there. Wilton House was visited by Thomas W. Sears in 1908 and by the Garden Club of America's June 1929 tour to England. A complete copy of the GCA tour itinerary was printed in the Bulletin of the Garden Club of America (Fourth Series, No. 5), September 1929, pp. 6-25.
Persons associated with the garden include First through 17th Earls of Pembroke, Herbert family (owners since circa 1550); Isaac de Caus (1590-1648) (garden designer, 1632-1633); Inigo Jones (1573-1652) and John Webb (1611-1672) (architects, circa 1633-1647) and James Wyatt (1746-1813) (architect, circa 1805).
Related Materials:
Wilton House and Vicinity related holdings consist of 1 folder (14 glass negatives; 4 lantern slides)
See others in:
Garden Club of America Collection, ca. 1920-[ongoing].
Collection Restrictions:
Access to original images by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
For information or study purposes only. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens.
Topic:
Gardens -- England -- Wiltshire -- Wilton Search this
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, Thomas Warren Sears photograph collection.
This donation consists of the two booklets written by Rufus Porte on aerial navigation.
Scope and Contents:
This donation consists of the following two booklets written by Rufus Porter: 1) 'Select Collection of Valuable and Curious Arts and Interesting Experiments which are well Explained, and Warranted genuine, and may be Performed Easily, Safely and At Little Expense,' Concord (New Hampshire), J.B. Moore Printers, 1826; and 2) Aerial navigation: The Practicability of Traveling Pleasantly and Safely from New York to California in Three Days, Fully Demonstrated: With a Full Description of a Perfect Aerial Locomotive, with Estimates of Capacity Speed and Cost of Construction,' New-York, Published by H. Smith, John Hall Printer, 222 Water Street, 1849.
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged at the item level. One of the two items has been digitized.
Biographical/Historical note:
Rufus Porter (1792-1889) was the inventor of an airship 'the Aerial Locomotive' in the early 19th century. The original design for the airship was produced in 1820. In 1850 Porter organized a stock company to obtain funds for experimental purposes that failed to receive sufficient funds. Porter also invented a revolver, a horse power wood sawing apparatus and other mechanical devices. He was publisher of 'The New York Mechanic' and one of the founders of 'Scientific American.'
Provenance:
Robert B. Stephens, Gift, 1991, NASM.1991.0033
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
• Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
History of Technology, Division of, NMAH, SI Search this
Work and Industry, Division of, NMAH, SI Search this
Extent:
0.15 Cubic feet (1 box)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Correspondence
Date:
1852
Summary:
The collection documents personal correspondence between Reuben Moffat and his
father, John Little Moffat. The materials consist primarily of letters written during the
year 1852 and detail Reuben Moffat's attempts to obtain a patent for his electric gold washer
and magnetic separator invention.
Scope and Contents:
Personal correspondence with Moffat's family members on the subject of family matters and of his invention of an electric and magnetic gold amalgamator and washer.
Arrangement:
Collection is arranged into one series.
Series 1, Correspondence, 1852
Biographical / Historical:
Reuben Moffat of Brooklyn, New York, was an inventor seeking to obtain a patent for an "electric gold washer and magnetic separator", which he developed in the years following the Gold Rush. Whether this patent was ever obtained is not discernable from the papers in the collection.
Provenance:
Source of acquisition unknown.
Collected for the National Museum of American History, Division of Engineering and Industry (now called the Division of Work and Industry.) Transferred to the Archives Center in 2007.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
The papers document the professional career of mechanical engineer, Charles Richardson Pratt. The papers include correspondence, patents, patent application materials, agreements, photographs, publications, and blueprints for many of Pratt's inventions, especially his work on elevators.
Scope and Contents:
These papers contain personal materials of Charles R. Pratt; letterpress copybooks; engineering notebooks; diaries; material relating to the development of the heavy-duty, high-rise electric elevator; material concerning elevator cable equalizers and safety devices, Morton-Jacobsen and other lathe chucks, lathe drives and the Pratt Driver, the hydraulic transmission of power in trucks, and ship steering gear; and studies reports, drawings, photographs, catalogs, and trade literature concerning mechanical engineering.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into eight series.
Series 1: Personal Materials, 1875-1935
Series 2: Diaries, 1894, 1928-1931
Series 3: Correspondence, 1872-1920
Series 4: Notebooks, 1880, 1889, 1900
Series 5: Inventions, 1860-1927
Series 6: Photographs, 1890-1902
Series 7: Publications, 1895-1929
Series 8: Drawings, 1878-1929
Biographical / Historical:
Charles Richardson Pratt (1860-1935), was born in Massachusetts to John C. and Mary Anne Richardson. He graduated from the Hopkins School of Boston and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1879. Pratt worked at Whittier Machine Company of Boston (1882-1890) where he designed and built the first electric elevator in 1888. The elevator was installed in the Tremont House, Boston. Pratt also worked as an agent and later as a consulting engineer for the Otis Elevator Company, the inventors of the hydraulic elevator.
Pratt was best known for his development of the first electrically powered elevator. In 1892, inventor Frank Sprague (1857-1934) founded the Sprague Electric Elevator Company, and with Charles R. Pratt developed the Sprague-Pratt Electric Elevator. They demonstrated that electrically powered elevators were capable of competing with hydraulic elevators. Pratt held several engineering positions and worked for the Marine Engine Company of Newark, New Jersey (1902-1905) developing elevator systems; consulting engineer to the Universal Speed Control Company of New York City (1906-1919); consultant to the American Engineering Company of Philadelphia (1912); mechanical superintendent at the Crocker Wheel Company of Ampere, New Jersey (1919); engineer for the E. Horton and Sons Company of Connecticut (1920-1923); the General Tractors Corporation (1924-1927); and was associated with the Watson Elevator Company of New York City (1928-1930). Pratt patented many of his ideas, earning over thirty-five patents related mostly to elevators,
Pratt was a member of the Masons, the Sons of the American Revolution, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the MIT Club of New Jersey, and the Motor Club of London. He married Mary Byron Ladd and they had two children, Gertrude Ladd Pratt and Donald Richardson Pratt.
Provenance:
This collection was purchased from Charles R. Pratt's daughter, Gertrude Pratt Vance, in 1973.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
