Posts by Kent Delord House Museum

Today, a re-release of an early Artifact Corner: Looking at some questionable Victorian recipes for entertainment in the book ENDLESS AMUSEMENT.

The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Sunny Morning by MusicLFiles
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/7813-sunny-morning
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://cemmusicproject.wixsite.com/musiclibraryfiles

Hi Everyone, and welcome back to another artifact corner. Today we will be looking at a letter that Henry Delord wrote to his sister on the 24th of October, 1820. The letter as you can see is written in French. Henry was born and raised in France, and he was writing the letter to his sister who was still living in Nimes. Today we will be reading excerpts of this letter, to understand Henry Delord and learn a bit more about his concerns and his dreams for his future, more than 200 years later.

My dear sister,

I received your letter dated 20th of July the day before yesterday in the morning, and I have to answer it right away. I just can’t help it. Since I can not tell you yet when I will be able to embrace you. The pleasure and consolation to write to you give me joy and fill me with gladness. The Happiness to see my native land and to be able to hold you in my arms would be for me beyond expression. I could visit the grave of my parents and of my dear brothers and sisters and shed tears of tenderness and of satisfaction. Nature and gratefulness prompt one and order me to accomplish these duties. The idea to cross the ocean with my family present some difficulties, also the necessity to realize what is left of my assets. I watch and keep an eye constantly for a favorable occasion to sell my properties – in this country, as in yours, real estate has little value. Cash is scarce now. Real estate and landlord properties in France particularly in Nimes, nevertheless are more sound values than they are here.

The troubles which infected Europe have been of great importance in the United States. The restrictions imposed by Europe on the ships of this country are so high that the Americans have to abandon trading – which brings a general stagnation in the businesses. They had neglected agriculture – now they push it with force and energy which greatly lower the price of different crops – but cash is scarce – Moreover you should not worry about my security – this country is perfectly peaceful. As to a new war with the English it does not look like it.

My wife is quite touched by your kind words and my little Francoise is already quite proud to have an aunt who loves her so much though she does not know her. My portrait and those of my family are already in boxes and ready to ship; I will send them to a friend in New York at the first opportunity to have them shipped. These portraits have been painted two years ago – people say they are not flattering but quite natural. The likeness of mine is said to be as perfect as possible – the ones of my wife and of Francoise, which I can vouch, are of exact likeness and strikingly natural. My wife since that time gained weight – she is a very beautiful and elegant woman, well bred and educated and I may say quite truthfully and without flattery that her virtues even surpass her beauty.

The details you ask me to give you concerning our way of life would take reams of paper, so different they are from which you see at home. Here the persons who have only an average fortune have more luxury in their homes than our richest persons of independent means – rich rugs cover their floors everywhere. You can see silverware -tea and coffee pots, urns, candle holders, also pieces of furniture made of rare and costly woods like mahogany and macemillier, the first one a reddish which once carved and polished give hues which compare to the most beautiful marbles of Italy, the second of a spotted yellowish hue of great beauty. Also mirrors of large sizes and the richest paintings from the best artists – also other costly pieces of furniture – silver or silver plate andirons, candleholders, chandeliers, lamps, curtains and gilted cornices and bedstead which cost from 10 to 20 louis. This country produces an excellent sugar and plentifully from a tree – these trees which are quite common here are very big and reach 60 to 80 feet in height. The English call them maple, which I believe”erable” in French. There are many lumber yards and shops making oak furnitures etc. From Plattsburgh to New York the distance is 110 leagues – the means of transportation is a steamboat which is safe and fast – the boat is set in motion by the use of air coming from water heated in a boiler on board the boat, and going through pipes set in motion a big wheel on each side of the ship, which turning in the water at great speed gives a big thrust to the boat. These wheels are larger than the ones that are used in the gardens for the wells. So that everyday you can go from here to New York almost without stress or fatigue – the same from New York to Plattsburgh. These ships can accommodate 3 to 400 passengers with spacious lodgings for the ladies as well as the gentlemen – every lady has a cabin to lay down in, so have the gentlemen – husbands, brothers or any other person can visit the ladies during the day or the evening, but they have to retire in their cabin at night and be separated from their wife.

The winters here are very cold, we often have snow in this month (October) that stays on the ground until April. Often the snow is 5 feet deep. In the winter people ride toboggans and sleds drawn by horses like a carriage. They travel on lakes and rivers on the ice 6 feet deep. It is surprising to see the clothing and fur blankets necessary to travel that way and the amount of wood consumed annually in these houses heated generally by stoves.

So long, my dear friend, I just want you to be sure of my deep affection and wish you a good and happy year enjoying a perfect health.

Your Brother and friend,
Henry Delord

Henry was writing to his beloved sister to inform her of him sending portraits of him and his family. He was also letting her know of his plans to sell all of his property and belongings, and move him and his family back to France. This was not to be. Henry never did make it back to his family home in Nimes. His health deteriorated, and he passed away in 1825 at the age of 61, and is buried here in Plattsburgh in Riverside Cemetery. If he had sold this home and all of their possessions, it is safe to say that we would not be a museum. While we are sorry Henry never made it back to France, we are glad that the family remained here, and saved so much of their incredible history. Thanks so much for stopping by!

The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Sunny Morning by MusicLFiles
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/7813-sunny-morning
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://cemmusicproject.wixsite.com/musiclibraryfiles

Hi Everyone, and welcome back to another artifact corner. Today we will be looking at a very different kind of artifact in our collections, our barn. Our carriage barn has been a part of the property for over 200 years. It served every generation of the Delord family, and continues to be used as a gathering space for us even today. Let’s learn a bit more about our carriage barn, and the history of barns.

The word barn comes from the Old English bere, spelled b-e-r-e, for barley (or grain in general), and aern, spelled a-e-r-n, for a storage place—thus, a storehouse for barley. The modern barn largely developed from the three aisled medieval barn, commonly known as tithe barn or monastic barn. This, in turn, originated in a 12th-century building tradition, also applied in halls and ecclesiastical buildings. In the 15th century several thousands of these huge barns were to be found in Western Europe. In the course of time, its construction method was adopted by normal farms and it gradually spread to simpler buildings and other rural areas. As a rule, the aisled barn had large entrance doors and a passage corridor for loaded wagons. The medieval style barn followed settlers to North America. English-style barns were built from the 1600s through the 1800s, and had a large, open central floor for wheat threshing. On either side of the floor were small stabling areas for the family horse and hay storage. As grain production was the principle focus of the first American farmers, the English barn was designed with the largest area of space dedicated to threshing with few or no windows, and only a single door on the long side of the barn. In fact, it was not until the 1800s that the connection between plentiful light and healthy farm animals was made and windows became more common. Most farmers were not then, and are not today, professional carpenters. Building a barn could take years, with frames being laid out by one generation, while the next put the final hinges on the doors.

Our barn was constructed between 1811 to 1812. Henry Delord had hired a carpenter and his crew to make the additions to the existing home, starting in 1810. The carpenter, named David Hawkins, was tasked with also constructing a barn behind the main house. David was paid $600, plus some cattle, and a good deal of rum. The barn itself was constructed of red pine. Red pine is heavier, denser & stronger than white pine, but it can still be prone to rotting. Which is what happened to our carriage barn. When the home was turned into a museum in the 1930’s the carriage barn was in desperate need of repairs. The William Miner Foundation set to work repairing our carriage barn in 1939. They actually brought red cedar, a much more rot resistant wood in from California to do the repairs. The carriage barn yet again needed major work in 1990. Pat Tallon was the carpenter who took on the very large project of repairing the barn.

Our carriage barn is in good condition, thanks to the hard work of many talented carpenters over the years. It retains the shape that Henry Delord envisioned, and is a beautiful reminder of the early years of Plattsburgh’s history. We are so grateful that our carriage barn is a part of our grounds and collections. Thanks so much for stopping by!

The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Sunny Morning by MusicLFiles
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/7813-sunny-morning
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://cemmusicproject.wixsite.com/musiclibraryfiles

Hi Everyone, and welcome back to another artifact corner. Today we will be looking at a beautiful cranberry glass vase from the Victorian period. The vase body is cranberry glass and a pumpkin or gourd shape with clear glass vines acting as the base which are also crawling up the sides. The vines are adorned with leaves and flowers. Cranberry glass exploded onto the scene in the Victorian period, so this was likely purchased by Fannie Delord Webb Hall for the home. Let’s learn a bit more about the history of glass, and also the history of cranberry glass.

Glass has always been found in nature. In nature, glasses are formed when sand and/or rocks, often high in silica, are heated to high temperatures and then cooled rapidly. Obsidian or volcanic glass, for example, is molten rock that has quickly cooled, becoming rock in a glassy state. Fulgurites, which are made when lightning strikes sand, are brittle tubes of melted sand. Tektites and Libyan Desert Glass are other forms of glassy rock created by the intense heat and force of meteorite impacts on the earth millions of years ago. The rst glass created by humans can be dated to about 4,000 years ago, when craftsmen working in Mesopotamia, the land between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, discovered the art of mixing sand, soda, and lime to make glass. Ancient Egyptians also made glass, and glass objects have been found in tombs across Egypt. The Ancient Romans, Chinese, Greeks, and Indians also worked with glass and created beautiful functional pieces.

The first piece of cranberry glass is likely the Roman piece known as the Lycurgus Cup made in the 4th century. Cranberry glass is made by adding gold salts or colloidal gold to molten glass. Tin, in the form of stannous chloride, is sometimes added in tiny amounts as a reducing agent. Cranberry colored glass basically disappears until the late 17th Century, and remained relatively uncommon due to how expensive it was to produce, they are using gold after-all. In the Victorian period, cranberry glass sees a massive resurgence. This is not because it became less expensive, but because the Victorian’s simply couldn’t get enough of it. The Victorians loved color! When we look at black and white pictures and lm from the Victorian period, it’s very deceiving. Victorian homes were a riot of color. Colorful wallpapers, colorful drapes, colorful tablecloths, etc. So, clear glass was simply not going to cut it for the Victorians. Cranberry glasses popularity continues even to this day, but, it’s still expensive, and mostly for decorative uses.

Our vase is in fantastic condition. There are no chips, cracks, or even scratches. It is in near mint condition. It is a reminder of how colorful and beautiful Victorian homes were, and maybe a reminder to all of us to add a little more color to our decor. We are so lucky to have this gorgeous piece in our collections. Thanks so much for stopping by!

The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Sunny Morning by MusicLFiles
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/7813-sunny-morning
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://cemmusicproject.wixsite.com/musiclibraryfiles

An updated version of one of our early Artifact Corners, taking a look at a schoolbook from 1825. This belonged to Francis Henrietta, and has some very telling notes in it!

The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Sunny Morning by MusicLFiles
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/7813-sunny-morning
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://cemmusicproject.wixsite.com/musiclibraryfiles

Hi Everyone, and welcome back to another artifact corner. Today we will be looking at a pair of gold engraved cufflinks. These cuff links have the initials FBH engraved on them for Francis Bloodgood Hall. Francis or Frank was married to Fannie Delord Webb Hall, the granddaughter of Henry and Betsey Delord. These cuff links are from the late Victorian period, and are known as a double panel cufflink. The double panel cufflink is the most common type, consisting of a short post or (more often) a chain connecting two disc-shaped parts, both decorated. Let’s learn a bit more about the history of cufflinks.

Buttonholes for fastening or closing clothing with buttons appeared first in Germany in the 13th century. However it is believed that ancient Persians used it first. They soon became widespread with the rise of snug- fitting garments in 13th- and 14th-century Europe. Around the 13th century, shirt cuffs were held together by ribbons, buttons, ties and strings. After the Middle Ages, the visible areas of the shirt (neck, chest, and wrists) became sites of decorative elements such as frills, ruffs, and embroidery. Frills that hung down over the wrist were worn at court and other formal settings until the end of the 18th century, whilst in the everyday shirts of the time, the sleeves ended with a simple ribbon or were secured with a button or a connected pair of buttons.

Cufflinks were properly introduced in the 17th century and King Charles II recognized for his style, popularized cufflinks by regularly wearing them in public, helping to influence the people’s opinion on these statement accessories. The 18th century saw an increase in the usage of cufflinks. Worn by royalty and aristocracy which helped to increase the popularity of cufflinks. They were also used to commemorate royal occasions and special events, much like they do today. Gentlemen of this time would be gifted cufflinks, creating collections of cufflinks. In the 19th century men wore a highly conventional wardrobe: a dark suit by day, a dinner jacket, or tailcoat in the evening. Heavily starched white shirts were worn beneath their coats. This was practical but when clean and starched, collars and cuffs underscored the formal character of the clothing. However, they could be too stiff to secure the cuffs with a simple button. As a consequence, from the mid 19th century onward men in the middle and upper classes wore cufflinks. The industrial revolution meant that these could be mass-produced, making them available in every price category. In the early 20th Century, men’s fashions remained fairly formal, and cufflinks remained very popular. The decline of cufflinks came with the less formal attire of the 1960’s and 1970’s.

Our cufflinks are in quite good condition. The engraving is still crisp, and they are absolutely still functional pieces. We are so lucky to have these beautiful cufflinks in our collections. Thanks so much for stopping by.

The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Sunny Morning by MusicLFiles
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/7813-sunny-morning
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://cemmusicproject.wixsite.com/musiclibraryfiles

Hi Everyone, and welcome back to another artifact corner. Today we will be looking at this beautiful toothbrush from the Mid to Late Victorian Period. The handle is silver plated and the brush head is made from bone, and the bristles are likely boar bristle. The head of the toothbrush can be unscrewed, likely to make it easy to replace the head when the bristles had been worn down. The silver base of the brush has a little door on the end of it, and the head of the toothbrush can fit inside, which has lead to speculation that this might have been a travel piece. Let’s learn a bit more about the history of toothbrushes.

The earliest form of toothbrush was actually a stick. These “chew sticks” as they were described were used as far back as 3500 BCE by the Ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamians. Chew sticks have also been found in tombs in Egypt. Moving forward in time to the 7th Century, a Chinese monk named Yijing, wrote all about the morning routine of the monks. He said, “”Every day in the morning, a monk must chew a piece of tooth wood to brush his teeth and scrape his tongue, and this must be done in the proper way. Only after one has washed one’s hands and mouth may one make salutations. Otherwise both the saluter and the saluted are at fault. In Sanskrit, the tooth wood is known as the dantakastha—danta meaning tooth, and kastha, a piece of wood. It is twelve finger-widths in length. The shortest is not less than eight finger-widths long, resembling the little finger in size. Chew one end of the wood well for a long while and then brush the teeth with it.” The Greeks and Romans used toothpicks to clean their teeth, while chewing sticks remained common in Africa. In the Islamic world the use of a chewing stick, called a miswak is considered a pious action and has been prescribed to be used before every prayer five times a day.

The first mass-produced toothbrush was made in 1780 in England by a man named William Addis. In 1770, he had been jailed for causing a riot. While in prison Addis drilled small holes into a piece of bone and tied into the bone tufts of bristles that he had obtained from one of the guards. He passed the tufts of bristle through the holes in the bone and sealed the holes with glue. After his release, he became wealthy after starting a business manufacturing toothbrushes. He died in 1808, bequeathing the business to his eldest son. It remained within family ownership until 1996. During the 1900s, celluloid gradually replaced bone handles. Natural animal bristles were also replaced by synthetic fibers, usually nylon, by DuPont in 1938. The first nylon bristle toothbrush made with nylon yarn went on sale on February 24, 1938. And the modern toothbrush was born.

Our toothbrush is in quite good condition, despite it’s age and likely use. The bone and bristles are still in good shape, and the silver handle is beautiful. We are so lucky to have this lovely and functional piece in our collections. Thanks so much for stopping by!

The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Sunny Morning by MusicLFiles
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/7813-sunny-morning
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://cemmusicproject.wixsite.com/musiclibraryfiles