Chapter I: Preface

The wonderfully good collection of antiques for which Salem is noted was of great interest to me, being owned by personal friends who kindly consented to allow me for the first time to go through their homes and pick out the cream of their inheritance. If the readers are half as interested in these objects as I have become,--growing enthusiastic in the work through the valuable pieces found,--they will enjoy the pictures of colonial furnishings, many of which cannot be duplicated in any other collection of antiques. Family bits, wonderful old Lowestoft, and other treasures are included, all brought over in the holds of cumbersome ships, at the time when the commerce of Salem was at high tide.

To Mr. Charles R. Waters, Mrs. Nathan C. Osgood, Mrs. Henry P. Benson, Mrs. William C. West, Mrs. Nathaniel B. Mansfield, Miss A. Grace Atkinson, Mrs. Walter C. Harris, Dr. Hardy Phippen, Mrs. McDonald White, and Mr. Horatio P. Peirson, as well as many others in my native city, I owe acknowledgment for their kindness in opening their houses and letting me in, as well as to Mrs. George Rogers of Danvers, Mrs. D. P. Page, Dr. Ernest H. Noyes, and Mrs. Charles H. Perry of Newburyport, Mrs. Walter J. Mitchell of Manchester, Mrs. Prescott Bigelow and Mrs. William O. Kimball of Boston, Mrs. A. A. Lord of Newton, Mrs. Charles M. Stark of Dunbarton, N.H., and the late Mr. Daniel Low.

The work was commenced at first through ill health and the desire for occupation, and has met with such good results through an interest in the story of antiques, that I have to-day one of the most valuable collections of photographs to be found in New England.

MARY H. NORTHEND.
AUGUST 1, 1912.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE
PREFACE vii
I. OLD HOUSES 1
II. COLONIAL DOORWAYS 16
III. DOOR KNOCKERS 29
IV. OLD-TIME GARDENS 41
V. HALLS AND STAIRWAYS 54
VI. FIREPLACES AND MANTELPIECES 63
VII. OLD-TIME WALL PAPERS 79
VIII. OLD CHAIRS AND SOFAS 92
IX. SIDEBOARDS, BUREAUS, TABLES, ETC. 105
X. FOUR-POSTERS 119
XI. MIRRORS 132
XII. OLD-TIME CLOCKS 145
XIII. OLD-TIME LIGHTS 159
XIV. OLD CHINA 172
XV. OLD GLASS 194
XVI. OLD PEWTER 210
XVII. OLD SILVER 223

LIST OF PLATES

I. Dodge-Shreves Doorway. Built in 1816 _Frontispiece_

FACING PAGE

II. The Warner House, Portsmouth, N. H. Built
in 1718 8

III. Middleton House, Bristol, R. I. Built about
1808 9

IV. Indian Hill Farm, West Newbury, Mass. Begun
soon after 1650 12

V. Andrew House Doorway, 1818 13

VI. Gardner House Doorway, 1804 22

VII. Doorway of Nathan Robinson House, 1804 23

VIII. Sixteenth Century Knocker, Lion type. Striker,
of first type; Georgian Urn type, in use
on modern houses; Mexican Knocker of
the Hammer type; Hammer type Knocker,
Eighteenth Century, Charles P. Waters
House 32

IX. Eagle Knocker; Eagle Knocker, Rogers House,
Danvers, Mass.; Medusa Head, elaborate
early type; Garland type of Knocker 33

X. Whittier Garden, Danvers, Mass. 46

XI. Peabody Garden, Danvers, Mass. 47

XII. Saltonstall Hallway, about 1800 54

XIII. Hallway, Lee House, 1800 55

XIV. Hallway, Tucker House, about 1800 60

XV. Hallway of Wentworth House, 1750 61

XVI. Historic Fireplace at Ipswich, Mass. 64

XVII. Old Fireplace in Wentworth House, Portsmouth,
N. H. 65

XVIII. First Hob Grate in New England, Waters
House; Mantel Glass and Fireplace, showing
decoration of floral basket 70

XIX. Middleton House Steeple Top Andirons, and
Bellows; Southern Andirons, Atkinson
Collection 71

XX. Cupid and Psyche paper, Safford House 80

XXI. Venetian paper in Wheelwright House, Newburyport 81

XXII. Roman Ruins paper, Lee Mansion, Marblehead 86

XXIII. Adventures of Telemachus paper, Nymphs
Swinging 87

XXIV. Queen Anne Fiddle Back; Queen Anne,
Stuffed Chair; Dutch Chair, carved;
Empire Lyre-backed Roundabout, on
Chippendale lines, 1825 92

XXV. Chippendale, Lord Timothy Dexter's Collection,
H. P. Benson; French Chair, showing
Empire influence; Flemish Chair;
Banister-back Chair 93

XXVI. Chippendale Armchair, showing straight,
square legs; Chippendale Chair; Chippendale,
one of a set of six, showing
Rosette design; Chippendale Armchair
with Cabriole legs, Ball and Claw feet 96

XXVII. Empire Sofa; Cornucopia Sofa; Sofa in
Adams style, about 1800 97

XXVIII. Sheraton, mahogany frame, about 1800;
Sheraton, with solid arms, and straight,
slender legs; Sheraton, about 1790.
Note the graceful curve of the arms 100

XXIX. Sheraton, about 1800; Sofa, about 1820;
Sofa, about 1820, with winged legs 101

XXX. Sheraton Night Table; Block Front Bureau
Desk, owned by Dr. Ernest H.
Noyes, Newburyport, Mass.; Cellarette,
1790, owned originally by Robert Morris 106

XXXI. Dressing Glass, with Petticoat legs; Empire
Bureau, 1816 107

XXXII. Chest of Drawers, 1710; Six-legged High
Chest of Drawers, about 1705 108

XXXIII. Dressing Table, with brass feet; Bureau
and Dressing Glass 109

XXXIV. Block Front Bureau Desk, owned by
Nathan C. Osgood. One of the best
specimens in New England; oak paneled
Chest, about 1675 112

XXXV. Secretary, showing Shell ornamentation;
Highboy with Shell ornamentation and
Ball and Claw feet, 1760; Highboy with
Shell ornamentation 113

XXXVI. Dressing Table, 1760; Mahogany Commode,
collection of Nathan C. Osgood. 116

XXXVII. Sheraton Sideboard; Simple form of Sheraton
Sideboard, with line Inlay around
Drawers and Doors. Date, 1800 117

XXXVIII. Bedstead in Middleton House, 1798 120

XXXIX. Sheraton type in Kittredge House; Four-poster,
about 1825 121

XL. Field Bedstead, slept in by Lafayette, in
Stark Mansion. Owned by Mrs.
Charles Stark, Dunbarton, N. H. 124

XLI. Sheraton Four-poster; Four-poster showing
decided English characteristics 125

XLII. Girandole in George Ropes House, 1800;
Girandole, 1800; Constitution Mirror,
1780 134

XLIII. Picture Mirror, showing Dawn, in Adams
House, 1703; English Georgian Mirror,
1750; Two-piece Looking Glass, 1750 135

XLIV. Oval Mirror, showing Acanthus Leaves.
Once on Cleopatra's Barge. The first
pleasure yacht built in America. Mirror,
1710, resting on ornamental knobs;
Mirror, 1810, in Dudley L. Pickman
House 140

XLV. Mirror, 1770; Lafayette Courting Mirror,
Osgood Collection; Empire Mirror, 1810 141

XLVI. Willard Banjo Clock, 1802; Banjo Clock,
1804; Willard Banjo Clock, 1802 150

XLVII. English Grandfather's Clock, William Dean
Howells; Collection of Old Clocks, property
of Mr. Mills, Saugus, Mass.; Grandfather's
Clock, formerly owned by President
Franklin Pierce. Property of Mrs.
Charles Stark 151

XLVIII. General Stephen Abbot Clock; Terry Shelf
Clock, 1824; English Clock, with Ball
ornamentation 158

XLIX. Whale Oil Lamps with Wicks; Mantel
Lamps, 1815; Paul and Virginia Candelabra 159

L. Astral Lamps, 1778; English Brass Branching
Candlestick, showing Lions 164

LI. Colonial Mantel Lamp; Single Bedroom
Brass Candlestick; Sheffield Plate Candlesticks 165

LII. Pierced, or Paul Revere, Lantern; Old
Hand Lantern; English Silver Candlestick;
Brass Branching Candlestick,
Chippendale, 1760 170

LIII. Peacock Plate of Delft, very rare; Decorated
Salt Glaze Plate, about 1780 171

LIV. Liverpool Pitcher, showing Salem ship; Old
Chelsea Ware; Canton China Teapot;
Wedgewood, with Rose decoration.
Very rare 176

LV. Gold Luster Pitcher; Staffordshire Pitcher,
with Rose decoration; Peacock Delft
Pitcher; Jasper Ware Wedgewood
Pitcher, Blue and White 177

LVI. The Shepherd Toby. One of the rarest Tobies;
English Toby, very old; very old
Toby showing Cocked Hat 190

LVII. Venetian and English Decanters; Toddy
Glasses, about 1800; English Glass with
Silver Coasters. Very old 191

LVIII. Russian Glass Decanter and Tumblers. Note
the exquisite cutting on this Decanter 200

LIX. English Cut Glass Decanter, about 1800;
Typical Red Bohemian Glass Decanter;
American Glass Bottle, Jenny Lind, about
1850 201

LX. Bohemian Glass. The center one is rare,
showing figure of Peacock, in Red and
White; English Cut Glass Wineglasses,
1790; English Glass Decanters. Very fine
and rare 208

LXI. Pewter half-pint, pint, and quart Measures.
One hundred years old; Three unusual
shaped Pewter Cream Jugs; German Pewter,
Whorl pattern 209

LXII. Old Silver Coffee Urn with Pineapple finial;
Sheffield Plate Teapot, formerly owned by
President Thomas Jefferson; Tall Silver
Pitcher, of Flagon influence 226

LXIII. Several old silver pieces; collection of Salem
silver, almost all inherited; wonderfully
fine Silver Bowl with chasing 227