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Collections HighlightsHistoric Annapolis acquires, preserves, and displays objects that illuminate life in Annapolis, Maryland, and the Chesapeake region. Comprising about 3,000 objects, the Historic Annapolis collection ranges in scope from the seventeenth century to the present. For more highlights on collections items and other curatorial tidbits, visit the Collections section of the Historic Annapolis Blog. Enrich the Historic Annapolis CollectionDonate or loan items for display in the William Paca House. Items from 1760-1780, the period when Paca owned the home, will help guests to the home visualize the many daily activities that took place there. Donations of objects that relate to the rich history of the City of Annapolis are also considered. Please contact Robin Matty for more information: 443.221.6962 or robin.matty@annapolis.org. Paca Family Salt Cellars
The cellars were purchased at auction by Historic Annapolis in 1972 from the collection of John Adam Horn of Towson, Maryland; the salt cellars were sold with other silver items owned by William and Mary Paca. John W. Paca of Baltimore, a descendant of the signer’s family, helped fund the purchase. The “Tallio” Cufflink
The motif and lettering gives us a clear indication that the owner enjoyed foxhunting. “Tallio,” a quaint spelling of Tally-Ho, demonstrates that the vernacular of the British hunting gentry was easily transferred to America where the sport continued to be practiced. Faris-Shaw-Chisholm Tall-Case Clock
A surviving label allows us to date the clock fairly accurately. John Shaw and Archibald Chisolm, also from Scotland, worked in partnership for only a short time between 1772 and 1776. During this period, clockmakers engraved their names on the dial as a mode of advertising. Moon dials, as seen on this clock, involved movements that were considerably more sophisticated and displayed the phases of the moon in tandem with the time on the clock itself. This piece is also unique as it is the only known Faris moon dial still with its original case. The painted moon face is exquisitely rendered and the unusual quality of its extreme detail suggests the work of a fine portrait painter or highly trained miniaturist. The clock was purchased at auction by Historic Annapolis at the recommendation of the descendants of its last owner, Eleanor Adams, and had belonged to the family since its construction. After its purchase in 2004 from Headley’s Auctions, the clock was painstakingly restored between 2006 and 2012 with funds from the Winifred M. Gordon Foundation. The clock still keeps time in the dining room at the William Paca House today. John Shaw Bible
Peale Portrait of John Philemon Paca
Peale knew the Paca family well; in fact, he was friends with both William Paca and John, his father. In 1788, Peale came to repair his 1772 portrait of William Paca, which shows him full-length, with a magnificent background of the pleasure garden at his Prince George Street home. It is entirely possible that during this trip to Maryland to visit the family he also painted this portrait of John Philemon, Paca’s son. Maryland Easy Chair
Over the course of more than two centuries, the vast majority of easy chairs from this period have had their under linens stripped off (often along with the materials they were stuffed with) and replaced with a fitted “show” fabric. The study of this particular chair, with many of its original materials intact, gave scholars new insight into early construction techniques. Close analysis of this mahogany chair found the under linen, webbing, dried grass, horsehair, and rose-head iron tacks to be original to its first construction. All these materials (and some strange eighteenth-century detritus that was found inside the chair during conservation!) are on display alongside the chair. With the slip covers removed, one can fully admire the elegant arabesque rococo curves of the chair’s silhouette. The semi-opaque polyester covering that now encases the chair allows its construction techniques to be admired whilst preventing further damage. William Paca Bed
Although the dearth of William Paca-owned objects still in existence makes this piece significant, the bed might also infer more about the owner. With evidence from inventories, some have suggested that the William Paca sold his Prince George Street home complete with furnishings. This Federal-style bed, with its restrained doric posts and clean lines could reinforce this theory. A man of Paca’s means could well have sold his house furnished in the older, rococo style to order to purchase fashionable Federal pieces for his newly built mansion, Wye Hall. For a limited time, this recently conserved bed can be viewed in its “naked” state in the Hall Chamber at the William Paca House. Historic Annapolis is currently raising funds to research and commission period bed hangings. Carvel Hall Taproom Sign
In 1943, the owners of Carvel Hall commissioned Jack Manley Rosé to recapture colonial Annapolis at “the peak of its perfection” in a set of monumental murals in its restaurant, The Old Annapolis Taproom. In the accompanying brochure, the proprietors also described the works as a visual record; this statement suggests a fear for the future of the city and its “vanishing glories.” Rosé lent his background illustrating a book on Williamsburg and various pediodicals to the work, consulting with the hotel manager at length to ensure historical accuracy. Scenes included State Circle, St. John’s College, the Hammond-Harwood House, the William Paca House, Reynolds Tavern, and a selection of other buildings and vistas. In the 1960s, the murals were removed as part of the Paca House’s restoration. Though the murals remain in storage without adequate space for reinstatement, Historic Annapolis purchased Rosé’s sign for the Taproom, which offers a window into this fascinating history. For more information on donating an object to the collection or making a cash donation to the Collection Fund, please contact: Robin Matty |
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