Happy Wednesday, everyone! Welcome to the second-to-last edition of Collection Items That Blow Natalie’s Mind. Up fiftieth-second: Fanny’s Paper Theater Fanny received this paper theater, currently on display in the Nursery, as a Christmas gift from her mother, Frances, in 1858 when she was 14. It contains a wooden stage with holes for stage set pegs, three backdrops and seven forward props, 23 figures (18 men, 5 women) that are between three and four inches high. The theater was made by Matthias Trentsensky (1790-1868), who was a prolific lithographer and engraver born in Vienna. Drawing on his experience in the Napoleonic campaigns, he began by producing militaria but also produced plates of theater costume, toy theaters, and genre scenes that were sold individually in black and white or hand-colored. Thanks to Fanny’s remarkable record keeping in her diary, we know exactly when she received this gift and what she thought about it. She wrote: “I woke very early and ‘rose with the sun’ after lying awake for sometime on coming into my little room I saw on a chair beside the chimney piece (where hung my stocking) a large white box with a beautiful picture on the top, on opening it, I found a most beautiful little Theater, of paper, I knew at once that it was from my dearest mother and was delighted with it, dearest, best of mothers! how kind and thoughtful in the top of my stockings was a paper box in imitation of oak filled with paper actors for, as it announced, ‘The Mignon Theater.’ oh how very very neat and pretty.” Considering it was a 14-year-old’s toy 156 years ago, this charming theater is in impeccable condition, despite one corner of the small bow. But there is an explanation for that! In her January 2 diary entry, Fanny reported that she left the theater box somewhere that Belle, her puppy, could get his paws on it, and he chewed up the corner. Belle was, however, just a little puppy, so she didn’t punish him too harshly. After opening her presents on Christmas morning in 1858, Fanny gave gifts to her mother (“a crocheted basket and gilded candlestick”) and popped into her brother Will’s room to wish him a Merry Christmas. Along with her friend Kate, Fanny then went to church, which “was very handsomely decorated with Evergreens and laurels, a cross of these behind the alter, festoons from the ceiling, and wreathes around the pillars in the front a mass of evergreens, pure, wailike, white camellias and on stem of deep scarlet flowers.” She then paid a visit to a few friends to bring them gifts. At 3pm, two local teachers came over for a “nice dinner of ‘turkey and plum-pudding.’” They stayed until 6pm eating dinner and reading to one another. After her guests left, Fanny played with her paper theater until going to bed around 10pm. She ends her diary entry with an interesting thought: “One thing seems very strange to me, the southern custom of firing guns, pistols, crackers, etc. on the day of all other sacred to ‘peace and good will toward men,’ thus celebrating the era of peace with the emblems of war.” This theater is only one of many items in the collection that we know the family received as a Christmas gift. Thanks to the family’s letters and diaries, we know a fair bit about Christmas with the Sewards. In fact, our very own Andy Roblee just recorded a SewardCast all about Seward Christmas’s that can be found on our website. They had many customs that were very similar to ours, including decorating the Christmas tree, Santa visiting overnight, and hanging stockings from the mantel. Fanny even hung up one of her mittens for Belle, who received some treats. I don’t know about you, but I’ll be hanging up stockings for my cats which just might get filled with treats. Every Wednesday throughout 2014, I will post another collection item that blows my mind. Please feel free to share these posts with anyone you think might be interested. Not all of the items Ill be sharing are currently on display at the Museum, but when they are we will say where.
Posted on: Wed, 24 Dec 2014 14:00:01 +0000
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