The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-04-18
NORWALK ANTIQUES
FOR PUBLIC MUSEUM
Rare and Valuable Collection Will BE
Placed in Metropolitan Museum
of Art

From the living rooms and the gar
ret of an ancient house in NorWalk,
Conn, there has gone to the Metro
politan Museum of Art in. New York
to be a part of it's permanent collec-
tons, a remarkable group of house
hold articles of beauty and utility,
and wearing apparel of women that
in interest and beauty is unrivaled by
few things of the kind in this city.
There are several hundred pieces in
all and they were bequeathed to the
museum by Mrs. Maria P. James, who
inherited them and the home i'll
which they were used and stored from
two sisters, Mrs. Carnelia Ann Lud-
low Willink and Miss Elizabeth Lud-
low, daughters of Charles Ludlow,
who lived in IS Wall street, when
that thoroughfare was a. residence
street.
That is going back a hundred years
lection will have on those who go to
see it to-day. In the recent access
sions room all of the objects will be
displayed. AS the collection stands
it is an excellent representation of the
life in New York at the beginning
of the 10th century in so far as the
life of a time can be represented by
inenimate objects which are not ac-
tual pictures of persons or scenes.
To the antiquarian and lover of old
furniture the culeI OBJECT OIL interest
in the room will be the unique table,
consisting of three parts. niaus by
Duncan Phyfe. the New FORK cabinet
maker of that era, and the only one
of its kind known to exist. With
the table are five mahogany Tyre
backed chairs made by Phyfe. There
| is also a pair of painted chairs.
From Danes of Old.
To the average visitor to the mu-
scum and to all women who enter the
room the beauty of that mahogany
| will be quite oVershadoWed by four
| cases containing 10 gowns of the CO.
| lonial period, of the style of the first
| empire, and one of the crinoline Pc
| ROD Two of these gowns are of
| yellow brocade with knots of roses Us
| part of the design of the weave, and
they are trimmed with beautiful lace
| of the time.
Another is of blue silk with more
| beautiful lace: The four Empire
gowns are Of white and blue and
pink. The two in blue and pink were
/ imported from France in 1903 and
worn by the Misses Ludlow at the
balls of the City Assembly, the invita-
ton cards to which are in the cases
with the frocks. With these also
| are the fans the Misses Ludlow wav-
! ed and the tiny silk slippers they
| danced in. The crinoline gown is
of violet material, and has the wide
| =
| that is as quaint as the frock itself
/ With that frook is the poke bonnet
| one of the Misses Ludlow wore with
| 1t, her green silk parasol, her gloves
| and fan.
These are the most striking things
| in the large collection that Mrs
James left to the museum and which
| was selected by the director and his
assistants out of the mass of such
! treasures found in the Ludlow house
| in NorWalk.
| Inlaid Mahogany.
Among the other things that are q
part Of the whole collection are ar
inla1d mahogany dressing stand and
| two rare mahogany and oak wine ca
| ses with bottles and glasses intact, al
dating from the 18th century. Oh
the empire period is an unusual ma.
hogany tea stand in the form OF &
table or raised box holding four GOV.
cred caddies and two glass jars, the
latter for spices and sugar.
fine pair of brass andirons, urn
shaped with pierced rail; hot-watel
| kettle, brush-holder, caddy, ant
trays in lacquered tin or wood; a Sc
verely classic Empire clock by Galale
with gilt arch frame, and a solid ma
| hogany wine chest also are among
the objects.
The porcelain of Mrs. James be-
quest is on par with the furniture
Especially fine is a set of Crown Der
by plates and dishes, gold on a blue
ground with central hand-painted de-
signs of English and Continental
views. The Wedgewond also contain.
many choice examples, notably two
breakfast services or parts of services
and the basketwork fruit dish anC
tray, all in Queens ware, three lus
tered two-handled mugs. and variou
pieces of black basalt, comprising su
gar bowls, cream pitchers and tea
pots of different sets.