Yesterday I was at the open house and really enjoyed it and loved the questions and found most of the visitors really thrilled and enjoying the house and the collection. It was really good for me to stay in one room for an hour too and had a chance to really look at some of the furniture and art.
One person asked- what kind of air conditioning did the house have in the 1950-s. Central air ? Didn't know the answer to that.
What type of wood is the Gratz desk/bookcase. Maker?- Not in the room book
The room books are helpful in some cases but in others- your best guess is probably just as accurate.
Marianne Moore room book needs to be updated!!.. I was thinking photos of different spots in the room and then identify the different art / nick nacks.
Came away yesterday with a many questions myself and wished I had a more knowledgeable docent or curator with me.
My knowledge of Ezra Pound is very limited and I need to read up on his life. It's really interesting of the opinionated reactions you get when you point out the photo of him and Moore. I've heard things like What a nut. Anti Semite- Traitor etc.
What kind of day did you have?
This was my very first open house at the Rosenbach and I will say it was a bit disconcerting when I arrived to see all the doors wide open and people everywhere! I also felt a little jittery as I stuck the "Ask me anything" sticker on, next to my name tag. Anything? Really? I felt awfully glad I had gone over my docent cheat-sheet on the way there. And because of the good turnout I quickly fell into the spirit of the event.
ReplyDeleteI worked the second shift (3PM-6PM) and was assigned to the West Library at three, Marianne Moore Room at four and for the last hour, the Orientation Room. I welcomed the visitors to Dr. Rosenbach’s library and tried to familiarize them with the highlights of the collection and actually, only got one question I couldn’t answer (or at least take an educated guess at)! Fortunately, Rosemarie Retacco was holding down the East Library and was able to supply the information I needed. Likewise, when I moved on to the Marianne Moore room I was very glad “our man Sam” was in the corridor and that I was able to pick his brain once or twice during my hour there. I love the camaraderie I feel with my fellow docents! In the MM room most of my visitors were struck with the idea of preserving an entire room. One young woman told me she thought she would like to preserve her own room (but wasn’t quite sure who would want it). Another told me it made her reevaluate what she fills her environment with. Marianne Moore admittedly is not one of my strong points and I love Chris’s ideas about the additions to the room book!
Now, if there was a downer to the day, it was that my last hour was spent in the Orientation Room. I wanted to give everyone a general sense of who the Rosenbachs were and why the house/museum is here, but as you know, there is just so much to talk about. (And it’s all so compelling!) On the other hand, I also wanted them to have enough time to SEE as much of the house as they could in the remaining time. So, I hope I provided the information they needed to put things in proper perspective. I also encouraged them to come back. And come back again…cause as we all know, there is always something going on at the Rosenbach!
I think a photo guide of the Moore Room is a fantastic idea. Elizabeth Fuller and I had complied a photo guide for the library too, which had one or two books highlighted in each shelf area. But other tasks took precedence and it is sitting at the bottom of my pile now. Perhaps building a photo guide would be a good study group project on Marianne Moore?
ReplyDeleteWhat type of wood is the Gratz desk/bookcase. Maker?
ReplyDeleteMahogany with mahogany and satinwood veneers, tulip poplar secondary woods.
Chalk inscription on the reverse of the upper section: ”Made in 1815/Making 2/Stuf 4.87/Lock & hinges 1.75/Handles .25/ 2/ & 3 $4.87/Repaird 1831”
Ink inscription on reverse of writing surface ” Horace Joseph/47 Mansfield/Montreal/Originally belonged to Horace Moses/Philadelphia Penn US/Not to be sold/to be kept in the Family”
Made for Rachel Gratz Moses, descended to son Horace Moses through his aunt Rebecca Gratz, who raised him; Horace Moses died without issue and the desk went to his sister Sarah Gratz Moses Joseph, in Montreal. John Russell, a Montreal antiques dealer purchased the desk from a grandchild of Sarah Joseph