Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-10-22
AN OLD LANDMARK.
Interesting Contents of the Baltzel House I'm
Georgetown.

georgetown.
ONE OF THE OLD LANDMARKS OF
~ departed aristocracy in Georgetown left
behind in the general march of modern i'm
proyement that has set back toward the heights
ever since the first Scotch settlement was made
down by the water side is the old Baltzel house,
on NJ street near SOD. 1t cannot be said to be in
the bloom Of its youth nor in the best state Of
preservation. but it contains some relics of I'VE
olden time" that well repay visit if one does
not mind the rather dismantled settings in
which they have to be viewed.
The house is old-fashioned, with gabled win
dows and "one-eyed hall'-that is. one minus
vestibule. The hallway is lined with pic
lures, some Of them old and signed by master
hands. others more modern, the work of that
school Of lightning impressionists who held ex-
hlbitions on the avenue last winter and painted
24x36-inch landscapes in from one to three
minutes. One OF the largest pictures in the hall
is "Christ Walking the Waters,' signed by
Casper Poussin, and another. 1.-The Bandits
Prisoner" bears the name Of Kuyp. There is
also Head Of Job, copy from the original
by Raphael, but no name is attached and the
same may be said of all the others in the hall,
though. as their owner says, what is the differ
ence? "A rose by any name would smell as
sweet, and for my part don't think much of
body that don't know whether to like pic
ture or not till they know who painted it"
IN THE oLD-FAsHIoNED PARLoR
upstairs the collection of pictures includes
three portraits by Rembrant Peale. one Of them
truly artistic piece of work with soft flesh
tints and dark richness of hair that would at
tract attention in any surrounding. There are
here also eight or ten specimens of what we're
many years ago n popular form of art, little
eight or nine-inch pictures done on copper
with minute smoothness of finish that calls to
mind. only family, however, some of the mocros-
copical triumphs of Meissonier. The most in
teresting objects in the room two small
pictures said to be the work of Rubens. One
is the finding Of Moses, and the other a meeting
of Mars and Venus. A modern addition. though
if the pictures be genuine one would hesitate to
call it an improvement, has been made to
these pictures by their owner, who is something
of an artist herself, by dashes of gold in
prominent places. The gunwales of Moses ark
and the trimmings Of Venus costume have been
lighted up in this way and sundry flashes of
gilded sunlight woven throughout the somber
clouds. II just spread 1t on with my finger to
see how it would look" tho artist explained,
but Max Weyl advised me to take it off again,
SO guess l will.
The same attack that put the gold passemen-
terie trimming on Venus Mother Hubbard gave
full coat Of glitter to pair of old oak chairs,
family heirlooms of curious design, brought
from Germany over a hundred years ago. One
artistic curiosity of the parlor collection j, a
picture by James Henry Hachett. "Fallst4rs
Soiree, painted on boards instead of canvas.
The tongue and grooves are opening little
with age and display the peculiarly to ad-
vantage.
BEAUTIFUL MINIATURE.
Another fine piece Of work in the parlor col
lection is an ivory miniature fthe Rev. Stephen
Balch, founder Of Presbyterianism in the Dis
trict, 1900. II is beautiful piece Of workman
ship, and one of the few pictures of the old
clergyman now in existence. Alongside of it
hangs photograph of Septimus Iustin, chap
lain OF the Senate twenty years ago, another
interesting relic Of a bygono age. Two marine
pieces by Lanmau about close the list Of noie-
worthy pictures in the room. bu: the furniture
and ornaments are of themselves worthy of
cataloguing On the mantel is one of the old
musical clocks of gold and crystal. 1t plays two
tunos, one dreamy, rhy thmi al Italian waltz
and the other a lively jig. Tho furniture is
all of heavy old mahogany and numbers among
other things two antique pier tables with tops
of black Pompeilan marble. There many en-
cravings among the collection, some OF artistic
worth and others with merely Interesting his
tories. One Of the latter is the Madonna della
Segottia" of Raphael, an artists proof from an
old copper plate by Conrad Schwartz, the ua-
fortunate proprietor Of the old farm above
Georgetown.
good example of the old colorod enGravngs
long (and it Is TO be hoped permanently out
of fashion is la Dernier Demand" after
Westal by Barthiere, dated 1928.
Another clergyman Of note who is repre-
sented in the ancestral gallery is tho RI Kev.
Bishop seabury. The plate Is interesting from
the inscription: Dedicated with respect and
esteem to BENZ. West by his friend and pupil,
Thos. Spence Duehe. London, 1855"
An interesting though not particularly beau
tiful relic of dead and forgotten art il an old
transfer on glass Of picture Of st. Lebbcus,
dated London, l798.
WITH OLD SILVER AND cur GLASS
the house is stocked. There are wine glasses
and tankards Of all sorts. punch and cake bowls,
salvers and frui, dishes, all of them dim and
grimy, but clear cut and heavy as quartz The
silver is in all sorts of archaic FORMS such Us
are seldom seen in use, toast racks choco-
late sticks, teddy muddlers and tea and coffee
services of queer design. One quaint reminder
! OF the old drinking days Is a cut-glass beck
beer mug, with silver lid, on which stands a
small silver goat rampant, with his fore feet
resting on silver ca.k.
For one who is fond of poking into odd cor
ners and stirring up the musty fragrance of a
bygoue fashion the old house presents mine
| OF wealth. The old carved furniture with it's
dusty horsehair covers studded with furnished
brass nails, the severely plain white walls and an
tlque chair boards and the ragged rag carpets on
| the floor call to mind mellow tinted picture Of
| what must have been one of the subs.a old
houses of Georgetown that almost n hundred
years ago looked patronizingly down on tho
| struggling little national capital on the other
side Of Rock creek.