Etagere

Object Name:

Etagere

Object ID:

1956.083

Place of Origin:

probably France

Date:

circa 1845

Description:

Rectangular stand of type known as a "whatnot" or "etagere." Three rectangular shelves supported by four cylindrical wooden corner posts. Tops of shelves are decorated with marquetry designs including central medallion, fretwork borders, acanthus scrolls, palmettes and anthimions; central designs of three shelves differ. Shelves have applied brass edging which is decorated with a guilloche pattern. An openwork brass gallery on three sides of top. Corner posts each have a turned brass finial on top and curve outward at bottom in the diagonal plane. Posts are painted black. Marquetry of several unidentified woods. Mahogany veneer on underside of shelves. Wood of corner posts unidentified. A stenciled mark on underside of each shelf: "160" on upper, "16M" on middle and "16B" on lower. Shelf edging and one side of gallery loose. Several cracks in marquetry, pieces of mahogany veneer missing. Angular iron braces at junctures of legs and shelves. A small hole in each foot indicating former presence of button. Typed label on underside of tope shelf: "Lent by N.H. Hist. Soc. June 1958".

Material:

Wood

Dimensions:

H-31.5 W-18.75 D-13 inches

Provenance:

Said to be the music stand used in the White House by Franklin Pierce.
Franklin Pierce was a law partner of Josiah Minot in Concord, from 1844 until he was elected President in 1852. When he returned to Concord at the end of his term of office, he gave to Judge Minot this music stand which he had used in the White House. It was later given by Judge Minot to his daughter, Grace Minot, after her marriage to Dr. Ferdinand A. Stillings, who in turn gave it to her daughter, Mary Stillings (Mrs. Edgar C.) Hirst.
The White House was redecorated at the beginning of Pierce's term. This stand may have been among the "Parisian furniture" said to have been purchased from the estate of Pierce's Vice President, William Rufus Devane King, who died shortly after taking office. King had served as minister to France, 1844-1846. See accession file for details.

Credit Line:

Gift of Mary Stillings Hirst

People:

Pierce, Franklin (1804-1869), Minot, Josiah (1818-1891), King, William R. (1786-1853), Minot, Grace (1851-1906), Stillings, Grace M. (1851-1906), Hirst, Mary Stillings

Subjects:

Music, Music racks, Music stands