The public is invited to attend the presentation by Dr. Roberta A. Mayer, professor emerita of art history at Bucks County Community College
The Times
The public is invited to Furniture of the Victorian Era and the Gilded Age, a presentation by Dr. Roberta A. Mayer, professor emerita of art history at Bucks County Community College, at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 3 at the Margaret R. Grundy Memorial Library, 680 Radcliffe St., Bristol.
Adjacent to the library, the Margaret R. Grundy Memorial Museum has a rich history that centers on the Grundy family of Bristol, as well as a diverse collection of nineteenth-century American furniture originally owned by the family. This furniture is often referred to as “Victorian,” a general term associated with the long reign of Queen Victoria of England from 1837–1901.
For furniture historians, however, American nineteenth-century furniture is represented by several distinct styles with competing origins in France and England. Although the Grundy family purchased their Bristol house in 1884 and remodeled the Queen-Anne architectural style that began in England, it contains an eclectic mix of furniture that represents the waves of changing tastes over the century. At the Grundy Museum, the influence of French taste is evident in Empire, Rococo Revival, and Renaissance Revival designs, as well as some imported pieces. English design ideas appear in Gothic Revival, Modern Gothic (“Eastlake”), and Aesthetic furnishings.
In her presentation, Mayer introduces the various furniture styles that appear in the museum and provides insight into when and why each became popular. Seating is limited for this free event. Register by calling 215–788–7891 or visiting grundylibrary.org. Following the lecture, free Grundy Museum tours are available at 1:15 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
