Week 11: The 1950 Inventory

            As I finished typing up what I have discovered about the life of Arthur Laws, I became frustrated with the lack of details we have about how Glen Foerd appeared during the Foerderer and Tonner eras. Records about actions taken by the Lutheran Church during its ownership are lacking, and documentation of the collection is spotty. Because of this, some objects that received accession numbers are not actually part of the museum’s collection. This makes the task of anything collections related both frustrating and mysterious. The collection is extremely large, and though some of the objects were likely used by Arthur or other servants, it is difficult to know for sure without an expert opinion or extensive research. For example, a table previously located in the front hall (and now in a safer location away from spaces used by the caterer) appears like an ordinary wooden side table, but was probably a butler’s tray. Upon closer inspection, it is obvious that the surface of the table is expandable into three shelves, and was likely used for serving food or drinks.

            When I voiced my frustration to executive director Meg Sharp Walton, she suggested I take a look at an inventory Florence commissioned for insurance purposes in 1950. Florence had several inventories taken about every ten years. The 1950 inventory is the earliest of these we are aware of. Though 1930 is the latest year we are positive Arthur Laws worked at Glen Foerd, the 1950 inventory helped give me an idea of how the house appeared during Arthur’s time there.

            Today the first floor of Glen Foerd is fairly empty. Granted, paintings, dozens of tables, and cabinets overflowing with artifacts line the walls of almost every room. One compliment that board members, docents, and guests of weddings agree upon is that the amount of objects—china, glassware, silver tea sets and punch bowls and coffeepots, books, paintings, small wooden and marble tables, and more—make the space feel homey. But after reading the 1950 inventory I learned that to Florence, Arthur, and anyone else who spent time at Glen Foerd before the Lutheran Church inherited it, the space would feel bare.

            The amount of things in each room in 1950 was absolutely shocking (and impressive and humorous) to me. For example, the drawing room, which is the second largest room on the first floor, today holds a grand piano, a Chippendale recreation bench, four wingback chairs, two small Venetian corner cabinets, and several small wooden tables with table lamps on top, and has lots of open floor space. In 1950, the drawing room held seventeen arm chairs, a dozen tables, plus more smaller tables with table lamps, floor lamps, cabinets, chaise lounges, etc. The floor was covered in 4x6 rugs, which judging from the inventory must have overlapped each other to fit into the space. Each room inventoried had a similarly ridiculous amount of furniture and decorations in it. This would explain why today the basement, carriage house, and third floor are full of furniture. It’s a shame the house appears so unlike it did when the Foerderers and Tonners lived there. Hopefully, as Glen Foerd develops, objects can be restored and returned to their original places, and visitors can experience a deeper understanding of life at Glen Foerd.