Pre-publication copy of "Early American Decoration"

Item — Box: 1

Identifier: A0064

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection is comprised of, what is presumed to be, a pre-publication copy of Esther Stevens Brazer’s seminal text Early American Decoration. Originally housed in a black binder, this copy is branded with the stamp of R. Stanley Penfield, of Hartford Connecticut on the first page. The text is typed and matches the text in the published manuscript (although the pagination is not the same). This representation of Early American Decoration does not include the author’s introduction, Chapters 14-16, or the addenda section. The most intrinsic quality of this item is the hand-drawn illustrations at the back of the book, some of which are quite large and fold out from the manuscript. These match the photos and illustrations in the published book and, in fact, appear to have been traced from the original images.

Dates

circa 1930s

Creator

Brazer, Esther Stevens, (1898-1945) (Author, Person)

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Biographical / Historical

Esther Stevens Brazer (1898-1945) was an American historian and pioneer in the study of early American decoration. Her book Early American Decoration, published in 1940, was the first text on the subject. In memory of her life and career as a scholar and teacher, the Historical Society of Early American Decoration (HSEAD) was founded in 1946.

According to his great-niece, Raymond Stanley Penfield (1897-1973) was an avid antique clock collector and practiced decorative painting. It appears he lived in Connecticut all his life, spending his adult years in Hartford as an Insurance underwriter. It is not entirely clear, at this time, why Penfield owned this copy of Brazer’s book, however what is notable is that, like Brazer, he invested his resources into the study and appreciation of early American history and decoration. Penfield did not have children, and his belongings passed to his niece. The daughter of Penfield’s niece later donated this item to the Museum.