HAF Exhibit Highlights Annapolis Craftsmen
By Theresa Winslow, Staff Writer
Published 04/17/11
Mention Annapolis and antiques, and one name keeps coming up: John Shaw.
The renowned 18th century cabinetmaker’s work is still coveted by collectors
and museums alike. But who else worked in the city?
From the time Heather Ersts started work at the Historic Annapolis
Foundation, she made it her mission to find out all she could about other
local craftsmen during the 1700s.
The result is a new exhibit showcasing the work of 16 artisans. There are
tables, chairs, paintings and silver on two floors of the Historic Annapolis
Museum.
The paintings include two portraits by James Peale, the younger brother of
Charles Willson Peale, that until recently were in private hands. The woman
pictured is Martha Rolle Mackubin, who George Washington danced with when he
came to Annapolis in 1783 to resign his military commission.
“It gives a very human aspect to the 18th century when you see the objects
people used in their daily lives,” said Ersts, who began work as vice
president of collections and interpretation at HAF in 2009.
“The Genteelist Town in North America: Craftsmen of the Annapolis Golden Age”
opened earlier this month and runs until the end of the year. The title is
borrowed from a quote by Jonathan Boucher, who came to the city in 1770 as
the rector of St. Anne’s Church.
Since many of the homes from that time also had furniture imported from
England, there are a few examples in the exhibit, too.
Ersts speculates that one reason more of the English furniture didn’t survive
is because of Maryland’s climate.
This isn’t to say that a lot of furniture and other household items made in
the city exist, either. Known artisans far outnumber their known work.
“In the decorative arts world, Philadelphia and Boston were the
quintessential areas,” said Ersts. “Where does Annapolis fit in? The exhibit
is the beginning of the dialogue.”
Ersts has a handle on the number of artisans who worked in Annapolis thanks
to a new database. It’s available to museum visitors by use of a touchscreen
computer included in the exhibit.
By this summer, people should also be able to access the database through the
HAF website, www.annapolis.org. The database was established using technology
initially built for the intelligence community by Orbis Technologies of
Annapolis.
The database contains the names of 1,079 artisans in a wide variety of
fields, as well as any identifiable works. Details on each piece are
available, as well.
“It was eye-opening to see how many artists we had in Annapolis,” said Brian
Ippolito, president and CEO of Orbis.
Of course, many of the craftsmen are identified by name only, since it’s
difficult to determine exactly what they fashioned. Ersts hopes that making
the database available to public will help her solve her more than
250-year-old puzzle.