August 2015 - Davenport House

Transcription

August 2015 - Davenport House
Davenport House Museum Volunteer Newsletter
August 2015
www.davenporthousemuseum.org
912/236-8097
Become a Facebook fan at “Davenport House Museum”
Lost
On the evening of 4th of July (supposed
to have been taken from the City Hotel
through mistake) a MUSKET and
CARTIDGE BOX and belt. The person
who has them in his possession will
oblige the owner by leaving them at
this office.
Savannah Republican. August 4, 1825.
Mahys Renowned Plaster Cloth.
A Sovereign remedy for all ulcers, sore
breasts, Boils, sore legs, swellings,
sprains, bruises, pains in the back, &c.
Approved and recommended by all
the eminent Physicians in the city of
Philadelphia. For sale by appointment.
APARSONS.
Druggist, No. 8 Gibbons Building.
Savannah Republican. August 25, 1825.
Lost or Mislaid
If lost, supposed to be between the office of T. S. Luther and Thomson &
Bonney’s building, on the evening of
the 5th inst. 1 $100 Bill of the State
Bank of N. Carolina. As the loss is a
very serious inconvenience to the
person to whom it belongs, it is confidently hoped that the finder will restore it, and he will be handsomely
rewarded; on application to this office.
Savannah Republican, August 7, 1825.
Strayed
On the 2nd inst. from the Three Mile
House on the
Augusta Road, a
WHITE CURLY
SPANIEL DOG, with
three brown spots on his back, large
ears and tail, and a steel chain collar
and chain; a liberal reward will be given on his delivery to the subscriber, or
any
information where he may be obtained,
either to Benjamin Sheftall, or to me
Eman’l De La Motta
Savannah Republican. August 13, 1825.
An infallible recipe for killing Bugs
and Fleas:-- Sprinkle or wash the rooms
and bed rooms with common salt and
water, and these troublesome insects
will entirely disappear.
Savannah Republican. August 13, 1825
Twenty Dollars Reward
Ranaway from the Subscriber some
time in April last, a negro man named
Will, sometimes calls himself Willis,
about six feet high and about 23 years,
he has a sulky look and an effeminate
voice, speaks slow when spoken to, has
a scar on the upper lip and under the
left eye, as likewise on the left arm,
occasioned from a blow of a stick, he is
a Blacksmith by trade,
I will give the above
reward for the delivery
of said negro in any jail
in the State so I get him
WILLIAM MURHEY,
Washington County Geo.
Savannah Republican. August 18, 1825.
BEWARE OF SWINDLERS!
On the 29th of January last, my black
woman named PEGGY, was enticed
away from me by Samuel Townsend,
Patrick Monroe, Joseph Orston and
others; was harbored and concealed by
the said Samuel Townsend, and taken
into his possession under the pretense
of obtaining her freedom and on the
17th of March last, was carried off by
the above named Joseph Orston, who
goes in the capacity of a pedler. Said
Peggy is now in the 17th year of her age,
of middle size, about 5 feet 4 to 6
inches high, handsomely built, of
yellow complexation, very likely, fa-
miliar, and free-spoken. She
sometimes calls herself Peggy Hagin, and has of late
pretended to say that she
was free born. Peggy may be
known by anyone who converses with her, by her telling who raised her, and of
her leaving her child behind,
whose name is Eliza. It is supposed that
she is sold or concealed in some part of
the country. Any person finding where
she is, and giving information by letter,
directed to the subscriber, living in
Barnwell district, or to Mr. Isaac Frazier,
in Columbia S. C. shall receive a reward of 25 dollars; and if said Orston
and Peggy be found together, and
apprehended, so that the villains can
be brought to justice, any person or
persons so apprehending them, shall
receive a reward of 50 dollars.
S. W. Kearsey.
Savannah Republican. August 9, 1825.
—————————————DAVENPORT HOUSE CALENDAR
August 2015
Sunday, August 2 from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. – Garden/KP Rental
Wednesday, August 5 through
Friday, August 7 in the Kennedy Pharmacy – Thesis show—
PERCEPTIONS OF SAVANNAH
- Wednesday, August 5 from 5 to 9
p.m. – Opening of thesis show
Saturday, August 8 from 4 to 10
p.m. – Garden Rental
Thursday, August 6 at 2 p.m. in
the second floor meeting
room (DH) – 2016 Oyster Roast
Committee meeting
Tuesday, August 11 at 1 p.m. –
Davenport House Committee
Thursday, August 13 at 8:30 a.m.
– Davenport House Endowment
Directors quarterly meeting
Sunday, August 16 from 11 a.m.
to 1 p.m. – Garden rental
Thursday, August 20 at 2:30 p.m.
- NTA demonstration
Monday, August 24 at 5:30 p.m.
– Madeira/Motor Coach refresher and training
—————————Shop News:
- Adrienne Williams attended the
Atlanta Gift Market in July.
-New shop items: a variety of hat
pins ($12.50); book –
Legendary Locals of
Savannah ($21.99);
writing ink in a glass
bottle ($19.95); ink
well and pen set ($35).
Very pretty. Check
them out!
- Recent arrival of popular
items: a variety of purse hooks
($12.50); a variety of glass perfume
bottles ($17.50 to $35).
- DH Training: Thank you to
Steve Gagne, Kim Newbold and
Tricia Rossig for taking training in
July with docents. Having you
trained in the DH story makes the
Museum better.
DOCENT NEWS:
Docent Training Program:
- Welcome Gillian Brown and
Lynne Howe. They completed
classroom docent training sessions
in July and will complete their tour
shadowing in August. Let them
you know are glad they are here.
- Jared Hall and Mary Lawrence
Kennickell from the Flannery
O’Connor Childhood Home took
DH Docent Training in July to see
how we do things. We welcome
their participation.
JUNIOR INTERPRETERS:
- JI Day: As you receive this (on
July 31), the DH is having Junior
Interpreter Day with five newly
trained JIs giving tours to the public
for the first time. You will hear
more about how the day went in
the next newsletter. Thank you to
Chloe Davis, Magee Roe, John
Sheley, Anthony Stovall and Max
Zukof for their participation this
summer. They did terrific work!
- Representing the DH: Thanks
to JIs Kate Bosen, Chloe Davis,
Chelsea Dyers, Josh Flores, John
Sheley, Marlie Stineman and Max
Zukof, who participated in a teachers’ site visit sponsored by the
Nobis Project on July 15.
- Field Trips: Veteran JIs had two
terrific field trips this summer—one
to the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace to see the new interpretation
and the other to the Georgia State
Railroad Museum. Jennifer Rouse
and Ray Christie were terrific interpreters at the GSRRM (formerly
the Railroad Roundhouse Museum).
If you have been to the JGL or the
Roundhouse lately, you need to go
again!
- The DH wishes all of its JIs a fine
beginning to the school year, particularly to those who will enter college for the first time.
Oyster Roast Challenge:
The Oyster Roast Committee
led by Jan Vach and Linda Meyer is
moving full speed ahead for the
event on Saturday, March 5 at Delta
Plantation, Hardeeville, SC.
Our focus is to sell lots of tickets! To this end, Mermaid Cottage
at Tybee is offering an exciting opportunity for DH Volunteers. See
the below from Jan. Keep this in
mind!
DH VOLUNTEERS TO WIN THREE
NIGHTS IN TYBEE COTTAGE
Tickets for the March 5th Oyster Roast will go on sale in December. To entice sales Mermaid Cottages at Tybee is offering a three
day and three night stay at one of
their cottages to the DH volunteer
who sells the most tickets. The
tickets are $95 each. Check out
how adorable the cottages are
www.mermaidcottages.com The
wining DH volunteer must use
the cottage after Labor Day and
before March 1 2017. Dates excluded: Thanksgiving, Christmas
or St. Patrick's Day.
To qualify for the contest a
minimum of ten tickets must be
sold and the volunteer must collect
the response envelopes from the
purchasers in order to receive credit.
TOUR BUSINESS AND PLANNING
FOR THE FALL:
- Pioneers in Preservation Pass:
On August 1 the DH, Andrew Low
House and the Ships of the Sea Museum will launch a new partnership, a
discounted triple museum pass ($21
per ticket). The ticket must be used
within 30 days of purchase.
- Diamond Tours: As Savannah’s
tour business evolves, the DH anticipates receiving more motor coach
groups. In August, Diamond Tours
has booked three groups (of 35 seniors) and another three in September.
Diamond Tours specializes in sightseeing excursion tours marketed to
senior adults. The Diamond Tours
management expects these tours to
stay on the agreed upon schedule
which is 45 minutes (total) at the DH.
Within this time limit each group will
receive a tour and then have some
time in the gift shop. The DH needs
your help in fulfilling this opportunity. It needs delightful docents!
Please be mindful of the time constraints and be aware of the stamina
of our patrons. Also, be aware that
some of the patrons will not be able
to manage the stairs and will wait in
the basement area.
- Madeira Motor Coach: Jamie will
email docents/helpers about the fall
series in a few weeks. A refresher/
training is scheduled for Monday,
August 24.
- Road Scholars: Training for fall
Road Scholars series will be in early
September. The topic for the 20152016 school year is Urban Slavery.
WORTH MENTIONING:
- Salad Luncheon: Nineteen DHers
attended the summer salad luncheon
and were delighted with Danielle
Meunier’s insightful presentation on
her trip to Cuba as part of a cultural
exchange program. Thank you,
Danielle!
-Colleague visited: John Staicer,
President and Executive Director,
Historic Madison, Indiana visited the
DH in July.
-Thanks to interns: Shelbye
Branch, who begins graduate work in
the new year, spent the summer entering artifacts from the 2014 archaeological excavation into an Excel
spreadsheet. She and Jeff completed
entering nine boxes of remains. Genevieve Boyle returns to UGA in August. She created a post card to get
visitors in from the beach and into
the museum. Thanks to Shelbye and
Genevieve for the good work during
the summer.
- Downtown Show: SCAD intern
Shengzhang Gu graduate student in
Arts
Administration
will
host his
thesis
art exhibition
August
5 thru 7
in the
Kenne-
dy Pharmacy. It will showcase the
beauty of Savannah by SCAD ARTISTS’ innovative creations, featuring
arts, historic buildings and food.
There will be a reception on August 5
from 5 to 9 p.m.
——————————————
COMMUNICATION!
ATTRIBUTES OF A GOOD GUIDE
[One of our fine local tour companies gives this
info to their tour guides!]
The Guide is pivotal to the overall
success or failure of a Tour or Activity.
- Willingness to leave personal opinions about politics and religions
out of all tours
- Understanding the needs and interests of our guests and having the
ability to convey information in a
STYLE that suits their needs.
- Ability to act positively and correctly in the event of a medical or
safety-related emergency.
- Willingness to adhere to an appropriate dress code in keeping with
the duties they are performing,
and to be well-groomed and presentable.
You should “love what you do” and “do
what your love.” If you are not having
fun, then it’s just plan work.
Leadership skills including:
- The ability to take charge of a
group of guests and convey the
impression that things are under
control (even if they are not!)
- If things go wrong the ability to
take decisive action to minimize
the impact and return the tour
back to plan.
The following is from a recent DH All Staff
meeting.
MANAGING EXPECTATION
EXERCISE
QUESTION – What can I do to
manage visitors’ expectations re-
sulting in their positive experience
at the DH?
RESPONSES - Greet our guest with a smile and
briefly say what we are all about. Relatable guy [Isaiah] – house that started a movement
- Be friendly. Answer questions.
- Be friendly, warm & inviting. Ask them something about themselves. Include them in the tour experience.
- Keep the tour focused & not too
long.
- Establish a context for what they
will experience and what they won’t
experience.
- Their expectations are a clean bathroom and nice and helpful people. I
am one when I am here.
- Address all concerns and provide A
great introduction that will address
most upcoming expectations.
- During tours, be explicit on the
nature of the information that will be
given.
- Be friendly. Answer their questions
or find out answers.
- Be enthusiastic about the story of
the Davenport House.
- Tell them to enjoy their tour. Have
fun on the tour.
- Don’t refer to anything in a negative light. Say things “are” instead of
“are not”, etc. etc.
- Not make fun of them. Before
launching into the story, give a brief
synopsis of what they will see.
- Greet them cordially and be attentive to their interests and questions.
critical thinking and to illuminate ideas.
——————————–————
The following is the recipe fOR the
delicious cheesecake Tricia Rossig
brought to the summer salad luncheon.
CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE
Three Steps
Preheat oven 350 degrees
Spring form pan
1. 1 package chocolate cake mix
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
In a large mixer bowl, blend above
ingredients at low speed until crumbly. Press lightly in ungreased baking
pan.
2. 16 ounce cream cheese
2 eggs
¾ cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
In a medium mixer bowl, beat above
ingredients at high speed until fluffy.
Spread over cake mixture. Bake until
center is just set and appears dry,
about 1 hour.
3. 2 cups sour cream
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
In a small mixer, bowl beat above
ingredients at high speed until
smooth. Spread over top while cake is
still hot (in pan). Refrigerate immediately for 2 hours. Run knife around
the edge of pan before releasing the
side of pan.
Sprinkle finely grated unsweetened
chocolate over cake (or your favorite
topping, nuts, fruit, etc.)
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
INTERN SPOTLIGHT
SOCRATIC METHOD: It is a
form of inquiry and discussion between individuals, based on asking
and answering questions to stimulate
Shelbye Branch
DH: How did you come
to be associated with the
Davenport House?
Shelbye: I first learned about the
DH after I graduated from college,
and discovered the internship through
my uncle who lives here in Savannah.
DH: What do you do outside of the DH?
Shelbye: I spend some of my time
reading. I have been on vacation here
in Savannah all summer, so I’ve been
exploring the city and eating out and
discovering new food.
DH: What is your favorite thing about the
Davenport House?
Shelbey: I would say my favorite
thing is the story it tells - about the
family who lived there and what the
house represents to Savannah.
DH: What’s the most unusual thing that
has ever happened to you at the DH?
Shelbye: I haven’t had anything unusual happen to me at the DH, thankfully.
DH: How long have you been in Savannah?
Shelbye: I arrived in early May. I am
from Mississippi and will return at the
end of August to prepare for graduate
school.
DH: If you have lived somewhere else, what
did you like or dislike about it?
Shelbye: Mississippi is home, but it
is not where I am meant to be. It is
nothing but fields, no museums, and I
long for so much more than what
Mississippi can give me.
DH: What is your favorite thing to do in
Savannah?
Shelbye: To explore the city, go out
to eat, and visit with friends. And of
course go to museums.
DH: What are your plans for your future?
Shelbye: To return home. In the
spring, I will attend
graduate school to
earn my Masters of
Art in Teaching. I
will become a history teacher.
World of the 1820s :
Masters Hubard and Hankes, Silhouettes and the Dickensian Life!
We were delighted that the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts included Savannah in its
Lowcountry Institute this year.
Each summer the Museum selects
a region of the South to explore. In
July, the group of decorative arts
scholars visited the DH and toured
with docent Mary Ann Scott. On
seeing Sarah Davenport’s silhouette, the group coordinator typed
“Master Hankes,” the silhouette
artist, into her phone, tapping into
MESDA’s database of southern
craftsman. Up popped an advertisement for “Jarvis F. Hanks” in
the Augusta newspaper from December 1827.
Papyrotomia
OR
Gallery of Cuttings,
LA[T]ELY so attr[ac]tive in New
York, Boston, Philadelphia,
Baltimore, New Orleans, Savannah,
&c. &c. will shortly be exhibited in
this city.
The Cuttings are Flowers, Trees,
Landscapes, Perspectives and
Portraits of Distinguished
Individuals.
The whole cut with
Common Scissors by
Master Hubbard & Hankes.
Admission to the exhibition,
including a correct likeness by
MASTER HANKES, fifty Cents—
Children half price
Augusta Chronicle & Georgia Advertiser, Augusta, Georgia, December
1827, 3-6
This information was in a scanned
notecard transcribed years ago.
Thinking now that historic Savan-
nah newspapers are online maybe
we can easily find out when and if
Hankes was in our town. Staff
typed in “Hankes” and “December
1827” and found an ad for Master
Hankes visit to Savannah. Now
we know he was in Savannah. It
remains a mystery though why the
three silhouettes the DH owns,
Sarah Davenport, Cornelia Davenport and Susannah Clark, are
stamped with “Gallery of Cuttings
Master Hankes With Commons
Scissor,” and have a hand written
note affixed to the original backing
giving the date of 1828. Did the
date come from the time of framing? Did the Davenports get their
profiles cut on a second visit by
Hankes? Or, did they go to
Charleston in 1828 when Hankes
was advertised as being there? All
of this is curious and got us thinking more about Hankes as well as
Master Hubard and the world of
the 1820s. So, we looked online
and found Dickensian lives!
December 1, 1827. Savannah
Republican.
Master Hubard is touted as one
of the major silhouettists of the
early 19th century along with Auguste Edourt, Raphaelle Peale and
a few others. He was the more
noted (famous) of the two silhouette artists. (Journal of American
Conservation, 2002)
The reason the “handle” Master
was applied was to denote youth.
William James Hubard, born in
1807 in Warick, England, was a
paper and scissors phenomenon.
In 1822 at age 15 “an `adroit
showman’ called Mr. Smith discovered Master Hubard’s talent and
decided to establish the Gallery at
Ramsgate in order to turn his
prodigy's skills to commercial advantage. Little seems to be known
about Mr. Smith, but he saw his
opportunity and the history of the
Gallery shows that he was able to
run a successful enterprise.” One
source cites, Smith had “an unusual flair for writing advertising copy
[as seen in the Augusta and Savannah newspaper ads]. It is he
[Smith] who conducted young Hubard’s tours through the British
Isles, and it was he who brought
him to America.” (Hubard Gallery
– SCC Newsletter, January 2006)
“Between 1824 and 1826 the Gallery travelled about the States accompanied with much advanced
publicity. It presented itself as a
sort of show with other attractions
to the paper cutting. The word
PAPRYOTOMIA was coined to
cover all types of cuttings by the
gallery - these included sporting,
military, architectural, flora and
fauna subjects, as well as portraits
Stamp on the back of
Sarah Davenport’s silhouette.
of distinguished people, family
groups and much more… The
Gallery was brightly lit and customers were invited to enter . . .
and to pay a small fee to have their
silhouettes cut in a few seconds
‘without drawing or machine, by
sight alone and simply with a common pair of scissors by Master Hubard’…. Often notices were given
out that the Gallery would be moving by a certain date and it would
be the last chance to partake . . .
[I]n the Gallery's history Mr Smith
employed artists in addition to Hubard and that probably only a small
proportion was the “little boy's”
work. The quality of the work varied greatly - some being described
as ‘cheap and terribly unequal.’" (Hubard Galery – SCC
Newsletter, January 2006)
Somehow the young man, Jarvis
Frary Hanks [aka – Jervis, Hankes],
joined the Gallery of Cuttings and
became Master Hankes. A source
notes he adopted the title ‘Master”
about 1826 – no doubt because of
the association with the Gallery of
Cuttings. By the time he was a
grown man he had already experienced extraordinary adventures.
Hankes’ birth year varies from
source to source but the most definitive gives it as 1799 in Pittsford,
New York to Joseph and Anna
Fray Hanks. At age 13 he enlisted
in the 11th Regiment, U.S. Infantry,
in 1813, and served for the dura-
tion of the War. He served at
Sackett’s Harbor, the Battle of
Chrysler’s Field, on the Niagara
Frontier at Buffalo, Chippewa,
Fort George and Lundy’s Lane.
He was honorably discharged on
May 23, 1815. Following the war,
he moved with his family to
Wheeling, VA (West Virginia) and
later to Gallipolis, OH, where he
partnered with Soloman Whitemore as ornamental painters.
While residing in Charleston he
married Charlotte Garber.
He left Gallipolis and began traveling throughout Ohio and Virginia
earning a living as an artist. He
first studied art with his uncle who
was a local carpenter. In 1823 he
went to Philadelphia to study with
Thomas Sully and though this did
not happen, he spent his time there
copying the works of Old Masters
and American artists. Making his
way back to Ohio in 1825, he
worked in Zanesville, Cleveland
(where he had a home) and Painesville as a portrait, sign and ornamental painter. He stayed two
years before going to New York,
where he found it difficult to gain
commissions as a portrait artist and
advertised as a sign painter.
It was at this time that he entered
into a business relationship with
Gallery of Cuttings. One wonders how Hankes with a Barnumtype promoter and possibly with
wife in tow traveled the North
American continent from Toronto
to New Orleans and almost all
points in between. It appears that
Hankes was the only profile cutter
at this time. One can only ponder
the incongruity of the situation,
where two grown men were advertised as “Masters.” A source mus-
es over Hubard’s position,
“Eighteen was rather a great age
for an `infant prodigy;’ perhaps the
young man was irked by having to
dress and behave as a person of
lesser years to make his skill seem
the more remarkable . . . .” (Helen
B. McCormick, “Virginia Enriched
by Hubard Silhouette”)
For the next six years Hankes’ itinerary included appearances in Lexington, Kentucky (December 1826January 1827); New Orleans, Louisiana (March –April 1827 and
April 1830); Toronto, Ontario (July
1827); Montreal, Quebec (AugustSeptember 1827); Salem, Massachusetts* (July 1827); Washington,
DC (January 1829); Reading, Pennsylvania (May 1829); Cincinnati,
OH (May 1820); and Halifax, Nova
Scotia (winter, 1830-31) among
others cities.
As the profile maker Hankes was
promoted as "a youth [though 25
years of age], who possesses the
rare talent of delineating every object in Nature and Art with a pair
of common scissors" and the
"immediate and only successor to
the celebrated Master Hubard,”
who no longer cut profiles. The
question is was Hubard with the
Gallery all that time, or was it only
his work that was exhibited. One
source states, “Master Hubard decided to leave the Gallery for good
on 29" March 1826.”
Following their stop in Augusta,
the Gallery was in Charleston
where the newspaper noted its offerings.
. . . GALLERY OF PAPER
CUTTINGS by Master HUBARD and HANKES. . .
STRIKING LIKENESSES . . .
without the least aid form any
Drawing or Machine . . . every
object of Nature or Art, simply
with a pair of common Scissors.
FULL LENGTH FIGURES,
plain or elegantly bronzed. Likenesses of Horses, Dogs, &c. taken
during the day . . . Likenesses
copied . . . . Courier, Jan. 10,
1828.
. . . Day visitors are also entitled
to future free admission during
the day by introducing a Stranger.
The privilege will also apply to the
former visitors of the Papyrotomia . . . Master HANKES will
exercise his extraordinary talent . .
. Likenesses 25 cents each . . .
Courier, Feb. 20, 1828.
. . ADMISSION 50 CENTS,
Children half price; which during
the day entitles the visitor to inspect the exhibition, and to receive a correct likeness in Bust,
and in the evening to see the exhibition and to hear the concert.
Master HANKES cuts out Likeness in the Evening from 8 till
half past 9 o’clock at 25 cents
each extra.
Courier, Mar. 11,
1828.
. . . MR. SMITH, THE PROPRIETOR OF THE Papyromtomia
& Panharmonicon . . will give
TWO MORE CONCERTS . . .
Courier, March 22, 1828.
. . . Master HANKES, will remain
in Charleston a few days longer . .
. . Courier, Mar. 27, 1828.
Master Hankes WILL, positively
cut no LIKENESSES in Charleston after Monday, 14th inst . . .
Courier, April 7, 1828.
Less than a year later, traveling Massachusetts Hankes cut President and
Mrs. John Quincy Adams’ profiles,
which are now in the collection of
the Massachusetts Historical Socie-
President John Quincey Adams’
family silhouettes
ty. An online search relates,
“Shortly after the Adams family left
the White House for their home on
Meridian Hill, John Quincy Adams
noted in his diary, ‘Mr. Reynolds
came with Master Hankes who cut
me out and all the family in paper. I
had my wife and myself; my son
John, his wife and their baby, Mary
Roberdeau and Abigail S. Adams, all
cut out and pasted upon one Card.’
All are neatly labeled in John
Quincy Adams's own hand.” (Entry
24 March 1829)
A source explains, Hankes
“exhibited a gallery of paper cuttings and cut silhouettes touched in
bronze by assistant Reynolds.” This
must be the Reynolds referred to
above. Of their style the Journal of
American Conservation offers
Hubard and Hanks “mounted their
cutouts to plain cards and then connected the sitters firmly to the earth
with a wash of watercolor to suggest the ground and even shadow.”
By 1835 Hankes returned to Cleveland where he painted signs, portraits, transparencies and designed
flags. An accomplished fiddler as
well, Hankes began giving vocal
lessons by 1840 and in 1850 was
appointed director of the newly
formed Cleveland Mendelssohn
Society. He was active civically,
serving as the secretary of the Cuyahoga County Total Abstinence Society (temperance) and participated in
anti-slavery meetings and movement. He fathered 10 children.
Suffering from tuberculosis he died
in 1853 and is buried in Woodland
Cemetery, Cleveland, Ohio.
What a wonder that a fifteen minute
silhouette sitting of a widow, her
young daughter and her mother for
50 cents each would lead to a discussion of an artist’s life and the
world of the 1820s one hundred
and eighty-eight years later. A big
factor in this being possible is the
accessibility of historical documents
and biographical information on the
Internet. As of now the only examples of Master Hankes silhouettes in
MESDA’s database are the three
from the Davenport House Museum.
SOURCES/ONLINE SEARCH:
A Brief Memoir of Master Hubbard. 1825.
John Quincy Adams Family Silhouettes. Massachusetts Historical Society.
“Jarvis Frary Hanks,” http://
www.artprice.com/artist/196568/
jarvis-frary-hanks/biography
“Hanks, Jarvis Frary.” The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History.
J. Russell Harper. Painting in Canada: A History.
Hubard Gallery (SCC Newsletter
January 206).
Phyllis Kohn, “Master Hubard and
Master Hankes,” Connecticut Hist.
Soc. Bull. 34 (1969): 106-08.
Helen B. McCormick. Virginia Enriched by Hubard Silhouette.
MESDA Craftsman Database. Research.oldsalemonline.org.
Andrew Oliver. Portraits of John
Quincy Adams and His Wife.
“Jarvis Frary Hanks.” From Ohio
History Central
Anna Wells Rutledge, Artists in the
Life of Charleston: Through Colony
and State.
Savannah Republican. December 1
and December 2, 1827.
Silhouettes. Journal of American
Conservation, 2002.
A LOOK AT THE DAVENPORT
HOUSE GUEST REGISTER:
During the month of July 2015,
the Davenport House saw visitors from 39 states and 1 U.S.
territory. The overwhelming majority came from the Southeastern states with Florida and Georgia leading the way. The next
highest number came from the
Midwest, followed by the Northeast, the Southwest and finally
the West. Our international
guests came from 11 nations Australia, China, England, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica,
New Zealand, Poland, Romania,
and Saudi Arabia. Interesting
hometown names include Hahira,
GA; Social Circle, GA; Clarind,
IA; Flatwoods, KY; Little Ferry,
NJ, Pickerington, OH; Sulphur,
OK; Kountze, TX; Shallowater,
TX; Kennewick, WA and Kenne,
WV.
How They Heard About Us
(in descending order of frequency)
Internet (Group On, Trip Advisor); tour guides (Andrew Low
House, Southern Tours, All-inOne Destinations); trolley tours
(Old Town Trolley, Old Savannah Tours, Oglethorpe Tours);
brochures, concierges (Marriott,
Hamption Inn, Holiday Inn Express); guide books (AAA);
walked by; friends; Visitor Center; maps; relatives; repeat visit;
Girl Scouts; magazines (Visit
Savannah); National Trust.
What They Had To Say About
Us
"Sage the teen host was outstanding & very knowledgeable. Great
job!" "Very interesting."
"Excellent tour. Thank you,
Sage." "Loved it!" "Beautiful"
"Mary was great - totally adorable
& very knowledgeable."
"Awesome!" "Fabulous! Very
knowledgeable."
"Bonnie was great!"
"Amazing!" "Ms. Betty - great guide."
"Lovely." "Really en-
joyed the tour. Amazing house."
"We love Savannah!" "Great
guide. Enjoyed the details of the
wallpaper.” "Great job. Keep it
up." "Most excellent." "Very
interesting. Thanks, Linda."
"Linda was awesome!"
"Awesome house. Awesome
tour guide!" "Wonderful and educational. Beautiful home!!"
"Wonderful piece of restoration
work!" "Lovely home & story of
ladies who cared about restoration!" "Sick!!" "Spectacular!"
"Outstanding docent (Ms. Toth).
Beautiful home." "Great story ,
history and preservation!"
"Thank you for not only showing
the house but teaching about
preservation." "Awesome look
back into the family's history!"
"Rad." "Mary gave an informative, fun tour." "This tour was
very informative! Thanks, Wilma." "Awesome. Marty is
great!" "Great tour and very well
informed tour guide." "Excited
for my 3 sons to tour & hear history of home." "Great job with
conservation efforts!!" "So glad
it's still here!" "Bello!" "Mitzi
was excellent."
Back of Sarah Davenport’s silhouette. See the outside of her profile.