The official national celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence nearly didn’t happen. ⬬
1876: Inventing the Colonial Revival
In celebrating the one hundredth anniversary of the signing of Declaration of Independence, The Philadelphia Centennial Exposition of 1876 was America’s coming-of-age party. ⬬
1826: Fashioning the American Myth
By 1826 the annual rite of celebrating the Fourth of July was already a well-established tradition, one that encouraged Americans to look to both the past and the future. ⬬
Curious Objects – Painting with Glass in Limoges
In this episode, Host Benjamin Miller is joined by Laura Kugel of the Galerie Kugel in Paris to discuss the fascinating art of enameling from Limoges, France ⬬
Hidden Gems: Madame Curiosity
Arader Galleries reveals the astonishing watercolors of Maria Sibylla Merian, a rare woman naturalist in eighteenth-century Germany. ⬬
Limoges Renaissance Enamels in Paris
It is difficult to envision a more appropriate setting for appreciating antique enameled objects than Galerie Kugel in Paris, with its rich backdrop of gilded splendor. ⬬
Hidden Gems: Warholia
The Old Lyme drawings by Andy Warhol and Marisol ⬬
Books: The Life Aesthetic
The World of Peter Dunham: Global Style from Paris to Hollywood, from Vendome, features Dunham’s iconic fig-leaf patterned fabric on the cover.⬬
Objects: The Birth of the Travel Memento
The Grand Tour began as a way for young men of means to see Europe, and resulted in the invention of what became modern tourist souvenirs. ⬬
Curious Objects: 135,500 Pieces (of Wood)
In this episode, the fine line between obsession and madness, illustrated in a piece of furniture.⬬