|
Aurora and the Civil War: an Exhibit on the
150th Anniversary of the Civil War
Officers of the 36th Illinois Vol. Regiment, June 6, 1865 in Tennessee
Opening April 15th at the David L. Pierce Art and History Center! Aurorans were quite active during the Civil war, showing their Northern Pride. Come join us for an exhibit showcasing their efforts, on the battlefield and at home, as well as the legacy that remained strong at the Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Hall.
|
Upcoming Events!
Spring is here, time to get out and enjoy some history with these great upcoming events!
Quilts and the Civil War, April 9 - April 16
A special event presented by the Yorkville Public Library, it includes a full week of prestentations, programs, and even a quilt show! Check out the Quilts and the Civil War Facebook Page for more details.
Luxenburger Immigration in Aurora exhibit, May 16
Opening reception from 5-8 pm, at the David L. Pierce Art and History Center, 20 E. Downer Place
Join us for the opening, and meet dome prominent local Luxembourgers while Aurora's Luxembourg heritage. After the opening, the exhibit will be up until July.
44th Annual Independence Day Celebration, July 4
Hours TBA, all activites are FREE, at the Tanner House Museum, Corner of Oak and Cedar Street
Come join us celebrate America's Independence in an oldfashioned style! The Tanner House will be open for free tours, as well as numberous activies for young and old alike. As the event gets closer, please check out our webpage for a complete schedule!
|
Parlor Restoration: The Original Parlor Carpeting
This article is presented as what will hopefully become a series of articles, chronicling the updates and restoration of the Tanner House Parlor. It will be a slow process, but always very interesting! If you are interested in contributing to the Parlor restoration fund, please contact John or Jackie at (630) 906-0650.
Parlor, Summer 2010
Here’s a sight that hasn’t been truly seen in the last 40 years or so – Mr. And Mrs. Tanner’s Original Parlor carpeting. If you have been to the Tanner House since the 1970s, a beautiful blue oriental rug has been down in the parlor, covering the carpeting from the late 1850s. As part of the upcoming parlor restoration project, we really needed to get a good idea of what the carpet truly looked like, and then get a look at the floor underneath which needed repairs.
Tanner original carpet, badly damaged
The carpeting was laid shortly after the house was built in 1857, and while stylish, it was a design that was popular in a slightly earlier period, about 1850. The design is quite busy to modern standards and quite large – to complete one floral cartouche (which was arranged in a repeating diamond pattern) took 4 strips of carpet 27 inches wide.
To clean a carpet was quite an arduous chore in the early days. To have it done properly, the entire carpet needed to be removed, then shaken or beaten. If a washing was called for, it was suggested that it only be washed in soiled spots, as shrinking could occur. To replace the carpet it first needed to be “made up” – which was the process of sewing together the strips, by hand, for installation.
Hand sewn strips in the Tanner carpet
Newspapers were most often used as carpet padding, and in the Tanner House this was no different. They helped date the last time the carpet was removed; May 1908. Sadly, the newspapers crumbled to dust when we tried to pick them up, but we got many good shots of advertisements from the time while they were still in the place where they were laid in 1908. Here are some fun ones:
 
Unfortunately, the carpet is too worn and fragile to be replaced and the historical society is looking into comparable alternatives, including getting the original carpet replicated (which would cost the society roughly $10,000). We are fortunate that we still have the carpet, and that spots of the carpet are as vibrant as they are; we can approximate the original colors. The carpeting is really only one small part of the total parlor restoration project, and we are looking forward to sharing with you what we would like to get done once the funding is in place. If you would like to support this project and the Parlor Restoration fund, please give Jackie or John a call at (630) 906-0650. Thank you!
|
