Time: 4:30 pm
On Sunday May 19th at 4:30pm Macculloch Hall Historical Museum welcomes Jonathan Clancy, Director of the American Fine and Decorative Arts program at Sotheby’s Institute of Art in New York. Mr. Clancy will discuss "American Furniture: Regional Characteristics and the Rise of Collections". The lecture will provide an overview of American Furniture from the 17th century to the mid 18th century, focusing on the regional characteristics that collectors sought as the field emerged in the early 20th century. In addition, highlights from the collection will be discussed and analyzed. Museum founder W. Parsons Todd was an avid private collector; he sought treasures in galleries and auction houses in New York as well as installing his own collections in the Museum when he incorporated it as a non-profit organization in 1950. Mr. Todd spent more than forty years acquiring a representative decorative arts collection from the most important private collections in America: Hearst, Vanderbilt, Guggenheim, Islin, Twombly, and so on. The collection incorporates American and English furniture at its best from the late 1600’s through 1850. Mr. Todd purchased these pieces, mostly through auctions, to be displayed in Macculloch Hall. Some highlights from the furniture collection include a double chair back settee from c. 1765 attributed to Benjamin Randolph of Philadelphia, a c. 1735 heart and crown or banister-back side chair made in Connecticut, and an Irish game or card table from about 1770. Mr. Clancy’s program will be presented in the main gallery at 4:30pm. Vivid examples of the antique Oriental rug collection are also being showcased in this gallery, complemented by textbook examples of fine porcelain, silver, glass and furniture collected by W. Parsons Todd. The “A Fine Collection: Treasures from the Vault” exhibit has a perimeter layout which leaves the center of the room open for a series of speakers and musical programming taking place in conjunction with the exhibit. Musical programs take place on the first Sunday of the month at 4:30pm and speakers on the third Sunday of the month through June.
Jonathan Clancy has produced many publications and his articles have appeared in numerous journals including The Journal of Modern Craft (London), The Journal of Design History, and the Smithsonian’s American Art among others. Clancy received his doctorate in art history from the City University of New York’s Graduate Center in 2008 and is currently finishing work on a catalog of the Redwood Library and Athenaeum in Newport, Rhode Island. His work on the metalwork collection of the “Two Red Roses Foundation” is scheduled for publication later this year.
Tickets for Sunday programs will go on sale from 1pm on the day of the program, no advance sales. The presentation begins at 4:30pm. House tours (regular admission applies) take place throughout the afternoon, the last tour leaves at 3pm. The upstairs galleries will remain open until 4:30pm, with the “A Fine Collection” exhibit closing at 3pm in preparation for the program. Tickets to hear speakers are Adults $8; Seniors & Students $6; Children 6 – 12 $4. Members and children under 5 are free. Speaker tickets include admission to take part in a house tour through the period rooms of the Museum for visitors who sign up for a tour during the afternoon. Visitors can also enjoy the upstairs gallery exhibit “Thomas Nast: President Maker and Campaign Breaker”, with more than 20 examples of presidential campaign images from the late 19th century. Also on display is “American Heroes in Bronze: The Artwork of James E. Kelly”which presents a unique perspective on the famous figures and events from the Civil War, as well as depictions of notable events from the Revolutionary War.
Macculloch Hall Historical Museum preserves the history of the Macculloch-Miller families, the Morris area community, and the legacy of its founder W. Parsons Todd through its historic site, collections, exhibits, and educational and cultural programs. The Museum is open for house and exhibit tours on Wednesdays, Thursdays & Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. The last tour leaves at 3pm. Adults $8; Seniors & Students $6; Children 6 – 12 $4. Members and children under 5 are free. The gardens are open (free of charge) during Museum hours. Please check our website for any holiday closings. Call (973) 538-2404 ext. 10, visit our website www.maccullochhall.org or find us on Facebook. Macculloch Hall Historical Museum, 45 Macculloch Ave., Morristown, NJ 07960. Macculloch Hall Historical Museum is a nonprofit educational affiliate of the W. Parsons Todd Foundation.
