The sun., 1891-07-12
TREASURES OF MANY ARTS.
RARE AND BEAUTIFUL THINGS IN 1fR.
FORREs1,s OLD HOUSE


New York has few houses that possess sucl
romantic and artistic interest for those VIII,
have liking for historic associations q.
the old-fashioned dwelling In West Twonty
second street. to which popular attention
has been drawn anew by tho rocen. deati
OF Catherine N. Forre,t the benutlfu
and accomplished English woman who was
once the wlIe OF Edwin Forrest. the trngedian
In this house the actor and hia wife dwelt fol-
several years, holding receptions ut which
William Cullen Bryant. N. p. Willis. Parke
Goodwin. the Row. Dr. Dewey. and other nota.
bles were frequent guests and here occurred
nenrly half century ago thut mysterious
quarrel OF which no ono has ever besn able TO
discover tho real cause and which ended in
tho famous Forrest divorce suit that first
made the fame OF the late Charles O'Conor.
The old house stands now practically un.
changed in structure as it did when Edwin
Forrest used to refor to IL rs the happy
home" 1t Is n wlde-fronted dwelling OF brown
stone, OF two stories and basement. with a
mansard root that is really third story. The
entrance is by q broad stone staircase. SGT
near the centre of the front. Forrest bought
the property away back In the forties. when II
had 100 feet OF ground extending sou thw ard TO
Twenty-frst street. and he owned tho two
houses djoinine 1t on the east In those days
1t was the third house from Ninth avenue. but
there is now q row OF dwellings on the east
extending to the avenue boundary. 1t had a
big garden In tho rear. which is still there.
fenced about with ornamental walls OF wood.
decked nowadays with profusion OF trailing
vines and greenery. The tradition is that the
actor bought the place OF a wealthy English
man. VINO built 1t sixty or seventy years ago as
the exact counterpart OF the English homo Of
to ,,,tfn Ia EnV tuh
hill. and he built 1t because Mrs. Cogghill was
seized with inconsistencies and longing to re-
turn to her old homo In Leeds. He said that
he would erect house identical with the Eng
lish house. aud carried this promise into effect
like the devoted husband that he was.
Here has lived for many years Mr.. James F.
Drummond. q merchant whose vet recreation
has been to spend fortune In gathering
varied museum OF bric-l- brao that is classed
by connoisseurs as among the choice OF art
collections OF the town. He has spent years in
gathering his store OF curios. and he has given
to the famous old dwelling an art interest
that 1t did not possess in Forests day.
has MADE Of # ssSe S. oyer
full Of these beautiful things that, the over
flow Of them has swept out and filled UP the
Portable piazza in the tragedian's day. The
mer:hant.has built an upper story over the old
na
from all elimes. Every inch OF wall lG the
hn%ss Is c9ys "a With art . end the
trimmings. This is the same old fashioned
spiral staircase that was SO frequently ierred
A hobby Of the prrseni owner is the &c Collecting
cabinets of Louis XV. 8 time They are crammed
on these things alone. 4 ioSture that adds in:
the tools used by the carvers. There arc saws y,
and files and knives OF al sizes an, aneer
the carvers worked. The eNt is in japaness. csc
Nj: Drummond sent to japan to secure those
The tools. are in o drawer OF n French table
centuries old; and IN mn I'd dining drawer isH
oxs hsan G hs 81 " or medGn9 b
Round about nre some OF the choicest speci:
lacquer: exduis te examples OF lacquer work,
and teak carvings are spread on the mantels
s e hS
into ecstacies over. An odd ornamegt Of one
made for the first exhihition in Paris. In
oih,r nooks there are treasures OF dark Co.
Carvings. Richly emhroidered @ % Chairs fr"m iHIn
the castle at Fontainebenu are or nned
around p ~ the e. omen ilrePlaee and beautiful
the gold :inlAil toilet table that was once
used by Marie An'oinette. The north walls of
min nintures. Barys bronzes arc dispiayei on on
each side. and there are some fine Russian
Sropses SGT on Guarz The quartz represents
On the cas- ern RI wall wall are two photographs in
oval silver frames; They are porIraits of Mr..
amiable expression not found in other photo
grSph. which reproduce the stern look habit-
n tIhn
ier youth, when her beauty OF face was famous.
,pecin:ens Of blsQuo and China brio a-i,rnc and
sontains also q score Of beautiful! japanese
eabne Te
.pecimen OF the crystal in tho rough has been
lc!iy where was the finest specimen Of these
ally rewarded a few weeks ago by news sent
rom Japan u to an imp rter in this city I at The
; ball seven inches In diameter and-wthout a
law. There y q crystal Of nearly this n.ens-
asSment now In tnis city but 1t Is marred by
Tm9oiIFeos Of dI,g ne generations incln Ing
'oather" wall ss cass aSn l.d wsS tn
otos Loaf carvings, in ivory: From ae Of the
japanese % mi mshrines hang, q large Chinese nest
'alls In perfect condition. Each is carved with
different design. The balls are cut Il ON a
olld ivory ball: Ths artisan ,lirst 6ores
'nHrys. the surface, cutting circles about
or in ervals, and with u keen and curious |
mile carves until he has made u thin and per- |
ect She leaving q smaller solid ball within. |
The surface OF this 10 cut away In turn. aud |
arved in the same laborious manner, and tho !
work is continued until the rnl solid ball |
4 ivory is renched. II requires months OF ra- |
ient toll to complete tho nest. Ono slip OF the |
When the collector couldn't find any more !
Dom in the spaci. .,us puror or tho hallway or /
he dining room. he went out to the porch and ,
he ga den beyond He put things among the /
'lants aud flowers, and nlled the porch with |
Irmor. lanterns. Jumps. pRnels. wood cnrv-
racts the eye on the Lorch is The, haneine
amps are there TO DELIGHT the antiauar.
decorated with allOgoricaf figures indicating
ospii iality This 1. the porcn where Forrest /
sed to sit on summer evenings. cha, ting about |
lay acting and sipping the delicious mint |
uleps TINT his " 70 brewed for him and his !
rlsnd.. Min, julspI were just beGinn n = 10 be
ppl eciated fully in those days. and Forrest
n have reduced the mixing OF them TO a fine
- tk.n all tlts...