Deerfield, Mass. (September 3, 2015)
---The decorative arts of New England's inventors, merchants and peddlers during the late 18th and early 19th century will be examined by an impressive group of scholars and artisans in the upcoming Historic Deerfield forum, "Yankee Ingenuity and New England Decorative Arts, 1790-1840,"
November 13-15, 2015. The forum is sponsored by Skinner, Inc. and Neuberger Berman.
The three-day forum will explore how inventive New Englanders, fueled by the consumer demands of an expanding middle class, made and sold cheaper, attractive, American-made goods, even as elite tastes maintained traditional ties to European styles and materials. These inventors, merchants and peddlers made and sold a profusion of wares including patent clocks, popular prints, glassware, stoneware, tinware, pewter, cast iron stoves, and stenciled and painted furniture. First competing with and ultimately replacing European manufactures for many families, they infused their products with artistic energy and excitement that spurred a national impulse to "Buy American."
The forum brings a wealth of knowledge about the period from top scholars in their fields. The program will begin on Friday evening with a lecture by
David Jaffee, Professor and Head of New Media Research, Bard Graduate Center. The keynote lecture is titled "Fashioning the New Nation in Post-Revolutionary New England."
The forum continues on Saturday and Sunday with presentations and demonstrations by:
- Sumpter Priddy, Historic Furnishings Consultant, Alexandria, VA, who will present a lecture titled "American Fancy and Rural New England Creativity."
- Mary C. Mills, Historic Glass Specialist, Cultural Resources Management, AECOM, who will deliver a lecture on "Elegance and Innovation in Early New England Glassmaking."
- Deborah M. Child, Author, Lecturer and Independent Curator, presenting "Richard Brunton - Engraver to Early America - Legitimate and Otherwise."
- Andrew Raftery, Professor of Printmaking, Rhode Island School of Design, who will demonstrate "The Art and Craft of Copperplate Engraving."
- Philip Zea, President, Historic Deerfield, Inc., who will give a talk on " 'Rich and Tasty' Vermont Furniture: Revolution to Reinvention."
- Christine Ritok, Associate Curator, Historic Deerfield, Inc., delivering a talk on "Inspiration/Innovation: Exemplary Furniture on The Street."
- Peter Benes, Director of the Dublin Seminar for New England Folklife, who will present the lecture "The 'Yankee Peddler': Notes Toward a Multicultural Perspective."
Participants who arrive early to the Forum are welcome to enjoy Deerfield's historic houses along Old Main Street. The museum exhibits ingenious examples of New England decorative arts in the Museum's Attic of the Flynt Center of New England Life and in the exhibition
Into the Woods: Crafting Early American Furniture.
Before the Forum begins, four optional workshops (additional fee of $40 per workshop required) and one estate planning workshop (no fee) are offered on
Friday afternoon, November 13:
1:00 - 2:30 p.m. "Connoiseurship of Antique Tinware: The Trade, Materials, Tradesmen, Tools, and Products."
William McMillen, Master Tinsmith, Glenmont, NY.
1:00 - 2:30 p.m. "Yankee Potters: New England-Made Ceramics."
Amanda Lange, Curatorial Department Director, Historic Deerfield.
3:00 - 4:30 p.m. "Peddling Fashion: Accessories in Early New England, 1790-1840."
Ned Lazaro, Associate Curator of Textiles and Collections Manager, Historic Deerfield.
3:00 - 4:30 p.m. "Glass in Early America: An Introduction to History and Technology."
Mary C. Mills, Historic Glass Specialist, Cultural Resources Management, AECOM.
3:00 - 4:30 p.m. "Estate and Asset Planning Considerations for Collectors," presentation by
Neuberger Berman Trust Company & Neuberger Berman Wealth Management.
Registration for the forum is $375 and includes all lectures and tours, admission to Historic Deerfield for the duration of the Forum, two receptions, one lunch, and refreshments. Friends of Historic Deerfield receive a $25 discount on their registration fee. An early registration discount of $35 is available for those registering prior to September 30, 2015.
About Historic Deerfield, Inc.
Historic Deerfield, Inc., is dedicated to the heritage and preservation of Deerfield, Massachusetts, and the Connecticut River Valley. Its museums and programs provide today's audiences with experiences that create an understanding and appreciation of New England's historic villages and countryside. For more information, please call (413) 775-7214 or visit historic-deerfield.org.
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