Needs. Now it is my pleasure to introduce ronald l. Hurst the Vice President of conservation of museums and the chief cura curator. It goes without saying that ron plays a significant leadership role at williamsburg directing initiatives across the foundation and importantly expanding Decorative Arts research. Drayton halls staff is particularly happy to have him here this evening. What began as a series of correspondence grew to Collaborative Research and then finally the 27 objects from drayton hall. Ron has helped contexturalize the architecture of the hall. Ladies and gentlemen, lets give a warm welcome to ron hurst. Thank you, and everyone, im so pleased to be in charleston. I never miss an opportunity to come to the holy city, it is one of those very special places, whether youre interested in histor historic ar chitecture or not. For many people, the popular image stops there. While all of these elements are in fact a part of the early south story, the full picture is so much richer and more complex. The region was also home to people of french hugano dissent and those of german extractions. As well as moravian families like of that benzian who moved to the North Carolina piedmont before the revolution. There were scottish presbyterians. Southerners were not the two dimensional anglo African Society thats depicted in popular media. Instead, this he were a surprising diverse and multicultural people right from the beginning. Historians have known this to be the case because it is readily apparent in the documents. The objects made and used by early southerners also revealed that compelling story. From fine art to totalitarian objects the material record of the south is much more complicated and visually arresting than many observers suspect and thats what i would like to explore with you this evening. Ill begin by sampling the imported materials which are often ignored in studies of this kind. Imports are important because they tell us about the buyers cultural and economic affinities. Staggering quantities of european and asian goods flowed in. They usually arrived in one of two ways. Several cash crops were shipped to sale for ports in britain and sometimes the west indies. Alternatively Southern Consumers at all economic levels could purchase goods directly from local retailers like william pretus and Still Standing on the street today. Its interior probably resembled the one that was recreated at a nearby store. One of the best views into the home was found in 1767 advertising broadside for Tarpley Thompson and company. I quote, just imported from london in bristol. It lists literally scores of different types. Carpets, silk and leather shoes. Glass and earth and ware. Ornamental china. The best quote of all. At a very Great Variety of almost every article that can be thought of. Dont miss the visuals around the outside of this piece. The text is framed by a border with coffee pots, tea boards, gloves, stockings, shoes, hats and more. Lest we think such wares were only available in annapolis and charleston. I can confirm that merchants in mountains of virginia offered these. The merchant in hook in Bedford County virginia provided china, feather plumes, stonewares, transfer printed teapots, you name it, he had it for sale in 1772. So much for coon skin caps and deprivation on the frontier. Stylish attire topped the list for southern householders. This 1750s gown was made from silk in london but belonged to Elizabeth Dandridge in tidewater, virginia. And this gown made of cotton from east india belonged to a woman called Ann Breckinridge about 1810. Martha washington in these shoes in 1759 and Caroline Reid carried this about 20 years after the revolutionary war. Despite the International Origins from which all of these things were made. All of these finished goods were imported to the south from britain. That was the law of the day. Ceramics followed a similar source coming in huge numbers. The range included cheap ware like this dish and akin to this cup excavated from the yard of the hayward Washington House here in charleston. Stoneware found its place to places to as rural as the piedmont. Pearlware like this teacup made it from england to tennessees elk river rally by 180. This was all long before the advent of mechanized travel. Chinese export also arrived in quantity. We see teawares like this service used by the first members of the drayton family to live at drayton hall. Fwild guilding that was added in england. This service was used which the lear family in washington, d. C. Table wares appeared too. The massive 1764 order in virginia, and the maycon Family Service which was used in the pmentd. There was ornamental china. This tall and colorful originally sat on a mantle at drayton hall. One of the most ornate examples known from the early south. Silver and silver plate came from the mother country, too. Far more than most people realize. As evidenced made for tidewater virginia family made in 1771. These candlesticks ordered by john park custus and his maryland wife in 1774. This london silver in the neoclassic taste was made for william and hannah bultry in 1772 and this large english cup was fashioned to commemorate a horse race in North Carolina in 1754. Can you see the engraved horse and jockey on the front. English silver was pouring into the south in vast amounts. Perhaps the least understood is furniture. But Diligent Research over the last decade has turned up a wealth of welldocumented pieces and were beginning to see a pattern. Most of these goods were of a straightforward design. Often termed the neat and plain style by 18th century consumers like this clock made in scotland and used by the last governor in virginia. Or this english side board table with its italian modern top which was owned by the family in Southern Maryland at their plantation called the plains. They often used terms such as good and well made of their kind. They were looking for quality, but not usually ornaments, except in some cases, these are the exceptions, perhaps none as remarkable for its expense and elegance as this book case. This object has all of the available editions from purely ornamentally carving, right down to hardware on the drawers. Drayton was making a statement about his position and taste even with his imported furniture. Early southerner imported everything from fine arts to furniture, to architectural stonework to wall coverings, virtually all of it came through great britain. They revealed cultural empath s empathies. They sought to follow the latest fashions that were trendy in the mother country. Looking at imports is instructive. The clearest hallmarks are seen in the goods actually made by early southerners. Artists and artisans that echo their own backgrounds. Especially in the coastal plain of the early south. Lets look a few of those. It was limited to the coastal plain. Utilitarian vessels. And modeled on english forums. This chamber pot and colander. Similarly this bird nesting bottle made in york town virginia about an industry later looks exact like its english counterparts. The sugar dish and tea pot of the 1770s excavated ear in charleston, they are almost certainly english imports, but a slight chance that they were made by english potter john bartland. He made goods akin to these. Thats the point of course, if they are charleston made. You can scarcely detect the difference between them and english examples and thats what low country patrons wanted. English influences is also stro strong. His technique is unmistakably english. Depicted here in her teens. It is likely based on engraved images of english noblewoman rather than something that this teenage girl actually wore. In furniture consider this book case, the maker very obviously lifted the design right out of thomas chippendales cabin director. The premier english pattern book of the day. English influence is even deeply reaching into the back country at an early date. As evidenced by this tallfaced clock from frankfort, kentucky. Even the floral inlay on the pediament. It was used by lowerys contemporaries also imported by britain. We could make the same observations with regard to silver and needle work and architectural details. Lets look at other cultural influences in the early south. England is not the only source. Although fabricated on the shores of the river in the 18th century, a number of pieces of furniture including these two tea tables exhibit all of the hallmarks of furniture. The heavily shaped rails they are all identical to furniture made in dublin, lemmeric and shannon. At least two settled near one of the small towns on the river and continued to make furniture just as they had learned in ireland. How do we account for this phenomenon . There was Enormous Growth in chesapeake and Wheat Production during the Third Quarter of the 18th century. And surprisingly more than half was shipped not to england but to ireland. That coincided with indentured servitudes. Most of those were irish immigrants. They came to the port of baltimore, but sold to planters and masters. Hence, irish cabinet makers near tapphannic, virginia. The welsh were here, too. It is difficult to find but here nonetheless. Look at this hearth chair. Youve probably never seen another like it, but it is a dead ringer. These seats were used throughout the 18th century to facilitate cooking and other hearth oriented work. Scottish influences are apparent as well. Scores of scottish cabinet workers he settled in areas. One was Robert Walker, not to be confused with the cabinet maker here in charleston. He arrived in virginia in the 1740s having been raised and almost certainly trained in aberdeen in eastern scotland. A heavy bold and georgian field that was common in scotland but rarely seen in American Furniture of his day. You find it here in the ornaments, the legs and the styles. The characteristics were abundant in the southern back country, too. We see their presence in this robustly scaled chair which descended in the gilmore family. The gilmores settled about 1750. Having come from north britain by way of pennsylvania. Their chairs maker is not known to us, but it resembles 18th century scottish and irish chairs in both design and construction. And colleagues at the museum of early southern Decorative Arts recently documented another back Country Group with scottish ties. Looking at the bracket feed and the wide inlays on these pieces, we see that same heavy georgean scale observed earlier in the furniture of Robert Walker along the coast. The scots pursued other trade as well. In the 1770s, his works have a softer focus that differs pretty sharply from most of the contemporary english painters working in the south. Scottish silver Smith Alexander petree some of the most ornate silver in the coastal south. Like this ember coffee pot reveals the direct transfer of ornamental and structural details from coastal scotland to coastal South Carolina. We find that transplanted german cultures also thrived in the south. The German Cabinet maker worked in charleston during the 1770s and early 80s and produced handsome and sophisticated goods. You see that in the pediment on this book case. It is more important in the marketry decorating the book cates and on the inlays at the feet of the chest. It would be difficult to find another piece of prerevolutionary americanmade furniture that matches the quality of this book case that you can see today at the hayward Washington House. German traditions were more pronounced and tenacious in the back country. Where some communities spoke german exclusively as late as the 1840s. A ar the arched hood, the cluster on top and the the round window are all typical of dutch and german aesthetics from the middle 18th century. A strong conservative streak in many back country communities. The relationship between the earlier continental traditions is readily apparent in the case of this german clock. Note the base. Krause, too, was of german booth and brought his ideas with him. Of course, painted blanket chests often signify cultures and the back country produced them in numbers. German immigrants and their offspring moved out of pennsylvania and down the great wagon road. Their progress can be traced by various schools found along the way. Here are just three examples. The work of spitler is found in the northern end of the shenandoah valley. A Striking Group of chests was made in wisp county. We find this example from green county in tennessee. Each of these groups exhibits its own combination of details, techniques and pallets. But note the continuing thread of dramatic symbolism. Each of these details was fraught with meaning of those in sync with german culture. Similar is seen with dramatic potters. They fabricated sugar pots, dishes, tankers and a variety of other vessel forms that clearly expressed their makers dramatic heritage. They were interrelated and interdependent. The decorative traditions that they brought were little influenced by outside forces and remain constant over a long period of time. And that has much to do with the relatively close nature of many dramatic communities. In addition to fabricating new o object, they were also adept at putting their stamp on imported goods. Covered this dish with an array of engraved ornament. The dish was utterly transformed when it was boldly decorated. And the french of course left their mark on the south, too. Although often in different districts and at different times. The first wave came about the turn of the 18th century, with the revocation in 1685. French protestants or hugonauts. Their cultural legacy is apparent. They all have back rails that are square in crosssection rather than round. This technique was unknown but common in others beginning in the 17th century. They also played a significant role in the low country. A few chairs with construction details and other elements that are quite different than those encountered on the chairs. This one was found here in coastal South Carolina in the late 1920s. In addition to its square rather than turned structural elements. It features an open back frame that was designed to be used with a tiedon back cushion. Another detail that we almost never see in britain before the 19th century. From the georgia piedmont, consider this chair, one of a very large group springing from a highly focused chair making tradition. These chairs closely rebemble contemporary examples. Among the earliest versions of the pattern. It probably owes its presence to the french and german settlements. Over time these cultures moved southwest in the georgia piedmont and took their craft traditions with them. The similar pattern appears in early louisiana chairs. They stored text styles in chests and drawers. This concept first arrived in louisiana when they were reported directly from france. Migrating french and french caribbean cabinet makers. Pennsylvania brought midatlantic craft traditions to that area when they migrated down the ohio from pittsburgh. At the same time, votes still with county proceeduse were prafbling down the ohio and down the mississippi to the gulf coast and then returning from new orleans with goods and new ideas. This outstanding objects illustrate the disparate forces add work even in the back country. In the chest to the left relates a very similar examples from the midAtlantic Coast and probably came to kentucky with a family of cabinet makers from virginia. Those short, square cabriole as on both of these xess are quite clearly french. The idea came to North Eastern kentucky by way of the river trade with french controlled new orleans. And before leaving the subject of french influence, lets look briefly at painting. French immigration to americas Atlantic Coast slowed to a trickle during the last decades of a colonial period. But that changed after the revolution. With the french as our wartime allies against the british, the post war period in the nuse United States saw a modest influx of french artists and artsons. Among them was one bush ai, even his first name is unknown, but his portraits in maryland and washington, d. C. Are very, very french in style and execution. You see here the murray sisters of annapolis on the left and washingtons an ogle taylor and her daughters on the right. So far, weve looked mainly at nationalistic groups, but religious communities also left clear physical evidence of thaur presence in the objects that they made. Among the most fascinating are the socalled saumentsburgers, a group of protestant christians who were expelled from modern day austria by the catholic church. They wanted to worship in their own way so fled toert european countries. But one group landed in the new colony of georgia in 1734 having negotiated for land with james ogle thorp. They planted a town called ebnoser. Two years later, they moved to a more desirable site on the bluffs of the savannah river. The community was essentially annast row German Village in georgia auchlt their language, worship, and all craft traditions were strictly german and naturally skunt continued to make german goods like this table. It can be easily be taken for a piece of continental wroodworker was it not for the fact that the table was made entirely by north american woods. Members of the society of friends are quakers also moved and resided in groups. As with the saltsburgers, that facilitated the movement of traditions from one place to iernth tact. The group of interrelated quaker families from the Delaware Valley in pennsylvania moved to the North Carolina piedmont in the 1750s, landing in randolph and chatm counties. There, they continued to make the same kinds of goods they fabricated in their prior homes. This is a case in point, found in adjacent almatser about 75 years ago, its part of a piedmont, carolina group. Jessie needham, also of quaker extraction, made this high chest in northern randolph county. Like the dresser, it has a very strong pennsylvania accent. And potter William Dennis or his son thomas made this earthen wear dish. They came from ireland, new jersey, and then pennsylvania before moving to North Carolina, the dennises were among a number of potters working in randolph county. In general, they trained their own children or present sed them to members of their own faith. That kept all this craft members packed and intact for long periods of time o. And certainly no discussion of religious communities would be complete without reference to the muraveians of North Carolina piedmont. This is a subject that deserves its own lecture. The church established new communities as it branched out from its north american base in pennsylvania. The most successful was its sale in North Carolina which grew from an out post in the 1760s into a thriving and commercially accessible town. In the process, transplants came without alteration from europe to the back country. For example, this desk and book case is the work ofio haun s who trained in germany from integrating to North Carolina with other muraveians. It could easily pass for a beings of furniture from the man over region in germany. This chair looks exactly like contemporary beader mire furniture. Thats because periodson was born and probably trained on a german danish border where similar goods were the norm. And then the muravian pottery, which is laden with meaningful and also beautiful detailing that springs directly from well preserved germanic traditions. Now, less wellknown is the broad array of goods made in the south by enslaved mech and women. Although people of african decent are counted for a sizable portion of the southern work force, its often impossible to document their productions with any precision. That doesnt mean the objects dont exist. In 1743, spenceman roe signed an indenture are virginia cabinet maker Robert Walker whose products we discussed earlier. Walker promiseed to teach both monroe and his slave, a man called muddy, quote the trade and mystery of a joiner. Now when looking at objects like this t3 table, we must assume that someone like muddy had a hand in the production. The same is true of goods in the shop of peatry. When peatry died in 1768ed, his estate included an enslaved silver smith called abraham who was sthen sold. Again, when looking at objects like this one bearing peatrys mark, we should assume that an enslaved hand like that of abraham had something to do with its production somewhere along the way. There are thousands of enslaved citizens working throughout the south. Fortunately, there are also a few better documented instances of the work of african americans. One is an arm chair made in the joinery of thomas jennifers chair. The chair is clearly based on seating furniture that jefferson himself saw and recorded during his travels to france, but it was made in virginia and likely by african hands. And we have a high degree of confidence that this stone wear storage jar was made by david jurbor, a former lay enslaved potter working for hew smith and alexandria virginia in the 1820s. He saved up enough money to buyer his own freedom and eventually that of his wife. It can be useful to consider images like this one by john rose in South Carolina. Here, he depicts enslaved men and women on his plantation enjoying a period of free time. Theyre performing a west african stick dance to music provided by several african musical instruments, including a ban jar and a percussion instrument called atia gra which is a gourd filled where seeds and if cased in a long net. Both were likely produced by the people using them. Few of the objects made by native americans in the early south have been identified, but the story of their interactions with european settlers is depicted in contemporary likenesses by british artists. One year after ogle thorp established the georgia colony, he returned to london with a delegation of yom craw indeans. This scene represents his delegation to them to 25 trusties in london. Ogle thorps transported native american delegation was one of several attempts by english colonists to strengthen the bonds between the two cultures, mainly by introducing the indeans to the splendors of england. English newspaper reports of the day recorded the yom caws activities on a daily basis, often noting that they were naked except at the waste. A chief is pictured here at the left with his hand extended, a single indian woman is portrayed in english dress to provide a more modest covering. She is the chiefs wife. The pink gown reportedly came back with her to georgia and was worn on special occasions for years after. 28 years later, a cherokee delegation was escorted by Henry Timberlake to the english capital. One of the three natives was this chief. In this ingraving the sgrekts combination of european and native art attire was meant to suggest harmony between the cultures. Those round metals around his neck date to 1761 and commemorate the marriage of king george the third and charlotte of necklinburg. And the crescent shaped georget at his chest is engraved with gr three for king george the third. And the most striking aspect of the important is the grip on a scalping knife, a visual reminder between the cherokee and the colonists living in the south. Later, in the early 19th century, efrs to fold southern indeans into the main Stream Society produced objects like this distinctly nonindian sampler. It is inscribed, quote, wrought by Christine Baker, Choctaw Mission school, may hew, june 9th, 1830. The society of Foreign Missions established schools in the rural south for the education and civilization of native American Children in the early 19th century. One was set up with the choctaw in 1821 at may hew mississippi. Parents were to leave their children at the boarding school where they were to be taught to read, write, and practice a trade. Young Christine Baker was 13 years old when she made her american style sampler at the Choctaw Mission school and had been there for two years. Like in the pupils, she had been required to relinquish her indian name upon taking up residency in the school. She was apparently named for a donor from boston. Now, the passage of time and the dispersal of ethnic groups in the south brought many changes to the rooen, some visible in images of the land. The early 18th century english compulsion to control the landscape by rigorously serving the terrain is perhaps best illustrated here in a view of savannah as it stood on the 29th of march, 1734. Therein, the town is laid out by ogle thorp reflects his military background and the galitarian approach. The extreme contrast between the limitless bounds of the frontier stretching to the horizon and the regimented lay out of the town itself illustrates englands desire to impose order on nature. George becks 1805 depiction of boons knoll on the Kentucky River stands in sharp contrast to this approach, almost a century later. Had southerners and other americans strove to differentiate themselves from the mother country in the early 19th century, they embraced the ruggedness of the frontier. This is a view of the Kentucky River that remoteicized the view of americas wide open spaces. In similar fashion, earlier generationsof artsons in the south, generally that pattern receded as the population moved west and southwest in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Back country products gradually took on a look that was more american and less european. Aspeblths of the American Fancy Movement appeared in visually compelling objects like this painted chest from green county georgia. As vibant it is now, when it was new, the red was salmon pink. And this pally chromed mantle from pennsylvania county virginia also speaks to the new penchant for ged goods in the socalled fancy style. And surn craftsmen began to develop forms and motifs to new american cultural trends. Tennessee potter fashioned wares that exploited his regions unusual orange clay and featured abstract manganese products that differed wildly from products made along the coast. 20 years later, wares were fabricated with equally abstract ornaments. And a desk made in green county, tennessee, offers an excellent example of the emerging american aesthetic. The objects exterior is genetic and suggests little to us about its origin. But the interior is intricately inlaid with ornaments around it engaging and somewhat naive interpretation of the american spread eagle. So what do we take away from this review . I think we need a new focus. Since the 1950s, students of southern material culture have spent a great deal of time and published a great many books and articles trying to persuade the rest of the Decorative Arts world the remarkable furniture, silver, firearms, ceramics and other goods were made in the south, something that most folks outside the region were frankly unwilling to believe. We dont need to do that anymore. A host of scholars from the pioneering bros in the 1930s to frank horton with the creation of mez duin 1965 to the newest interns in the field have made the case on a thousand fronts. The research is solid and the question is settled. This culture produced extraordinary things. No, our goods dont look like those from boston and philadelphia and new york, but thats as it should be. Manmade objects are always a reflection of the time and the place in which they were produced. Now that we no longer feel the need to prove the existence of southern material culture, its time to begin asking what these objects tell us about the people, the places, and the cultures that produce them. To our partners that charleston museum, mez daw, and two other public and private collections, Colonial Williamsburg recently brought together some 450 examples of standing objects made and used in the early south. They have come together in a 5 year exhibition at the art mumz of Colonial Williamsburg and our goal is to see that as a group for further research for examination. Now, this evening we talked about ethnic influences that shaped these objects. There are so many other topics waiting to be explored. I hope youll have a chance to visit and see these compelling pieces of the southern past first hand and take part in that conversation. Thank you very much. applause . 48 hours of programming on American History every weekend on c span three. Follow us on twitter at c span history for information on our schedule, upcoming pramentz and to keep up with the latest history news. This years c span is touring cities across the country explorring American History. Up next, a visit to gre