STEWARDING A NATIONAL TREASURE

Long-time antiques collectors Robert “Jess” and Mary Ann Peter finally found a historic home suitable for their collection of Chippendale and Federal furniture, Hudson River School paintings, and weather vanes in North Carolina’s 1772 Nash-Hooper House.

Mary Hood Hart

AMERICAN ART ILLUMINATED

The Philadelphia Museum of Art unveiled its recently restored American art galleries and offered us a preview. See how the museum has re-imagined its vast collections to tell a more inclusive story about the development of our nation’s artistic heritage.

DRESSING A PERIOD DOOR

Until the 1800s, most Americans entered their homes by grasping a wrought-iron thumb latch to swing the front door inward on long strap hinges. We explore how this utilitarian hardware developed and show some remarkably decorative examples.

Jeanmarie Andrews

TOWN MEETINGS GROW DEMOCRACY

Considered by many the purest form of democracy, the town meeting came to America with the Pilgrims and spread throughout New England. Thousands of meetings held yearly still allow every adult resident to comment and vote on local government decisions.

Barbara Hall

TOP TRADITIONAL ARTISANS

We continue to celebrate the handcraftsmanship of our ancestors by highlighting the work of today’s heritage artisans, who design and create furnishings and decorative objects in the spirit of the past.

SUMMER HOUSE

Cedar Grove, the summer retreat built by members of the Paschall family outside of Philadelphia in 1750, traces the organic growth of a house and its collections through five generations of family ownership. Managed by the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the house now stands in Fairmount Park amid other grand mansions built by the city’s elite.

ARTISANS IN THE MUSEUM

With rooms and decorating styles spanning more than a century, Cedar Grove provided the perfect backdrop for photographing the best work in this year’s Directory in historical context. Here baskets and boxes, metal and wooden wares, ceramics and textiles, and works in paper and paint fit neatly with their antique counterparts.

2021 DIRECTORY LISTING

We list all the artisans whose work was selected for this year’s Directory, with descriptions, images, and contact information so you can find examples of traditional handcraftsmanship for your period home.