Description:

White House Fabric Swatch, from "Dollie Madison's Time" - Handsomely Presented with Superb Provenance

Fabric swatch salvaged from early White House furnishings, with superb provenance. The swatch appears in a floating mount under a reproduction of the circa 1817 Benjamin Henry Latrobe watercolor study of the proposed South Portico of the White House, and a copy of the provenance. The overall matted size is 12.125" x 15.75".

Provenance: Estate of Gene H. Baber, Fishersville, Virginia; Collection of Mary "Mollie" Zeiler Zerkle and Lemuel Zerkle, Luray Museum, Luray, Virginia

The 6.125" x 3" oblong swatch of taupe floral damask has lustrous olive green and beige accents. Expected wear including a few frayed edges, else near fine. The fabric is accompanied by a copy of the provenance reading: "Scraps of upholstery from the original White House used in Dollie Madison's Time Presented by Mandie McSpeiden, July 1921, Carmas Chch, Nash. Te." The fabric eventually made its way into the collection of the Luray Museum of Luray, Virginia.

The White House was lavishly redecorated during the Monroe administration. British troops had set fire to the White House during the 1814 Burning of Washington, and almost all of the Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Madison era furnishings had been destroyed. (Notable exceptions included a full-length Gilbert Stuart portrait of George Washington and a silver service, both rescued by First Lady Dollie Madison (1768-1849)). The building façade had escaped most fire damage. Architects Benjamin Henry Latrobe (1764-1820) and James Hoban (1755-1831) oversaw the reconstruction between 1815-1817, during which time the iconic North and South Porticoes were added.

It was in fact President Monroe, and not Dollie Madison, who was responsible for the sumptuous redecoration of the White House. The President was initially granted a $20,000 Furniture Fund by Congress with which to obtain suitable furnishings for the Executive Mansion. Monroe favored the French Empire furnishings then in vogue. The White House was decorated with some of Madison's personal furniture, as well as by pieces acquired abroad by two American agents, Joseph Russell and John LaFarge. Russell and LaFarge greatly exceeded their allotted budget purchasing commodes, tea tables, sideboards, desks, clocks, chandeliers, china, silver plate, and elaborate mirrored centerpieces from France. Their most infamous acquisition was a 38-piece suite of drawing room furniture and accessories designed by French cabinetmaker Pierre-Antoine Bellange. This fabric swatch was likely taken from one of the curtains, upholstered settees or fauteuils and then purchased.

James Monroe wanted the new White House to be decorated with "articles of the best kind, & on the best terms" to command the world's respect for the fledgling republic, which had just won its so-called second War of Independence against the British. The fashionable furnishings impressed visitors and greatly enhanced American prestige.

The fabric came from the Luray Museum of Luray, Virginia. The museum, started by town resident Mary "Mollie" Zeiler Zerkle (1845-1933), safeguarded artifacts of mostly local interest. According to family history, nineteen-year-old "Mollie" nursed Union soldiers after the 1864 Battle of New Market. She married Lemuel Zerkle, and the two lived in New Market, Virginia until 1890. That year, the family relocated to Luray, fourteen miles east across the Massanutten Mountain range, where Lemuel had secured a post as Superintendent of Luray Caverns. Local historian Daniel Vaughn reported that the museum operated between 1938-1960, after which point the collection was sold at auction.

Gene H. Baber of Fisherville, Virginia was an avid antique collector. His collection included everything from Civil War letters to epaulets, from early frakturs to vintage wind-up toys.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

November 29, 2023 10:30 AM EST
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000