1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,696 Hello, my name is Claire Ross and I 2 00:00:02,696 --> 00:00:05,106 am a junior historic preservation 3 00:00:05,106 --> 00:00:08,394 and anthropology major and this is 4 00:00:08,394 --> 00:00:11,513 a summary of the research I did 5 00:00:11,513 --> 00:00:13,896 this past spring on the decorative 6 00:00:13,896 --> 00:00:15,826 objects inside of the antebellum 7 00:00:15,826 --> 00:00:17,370 Sherwood Forest plantation home. 8 00:00:20,410 --> 00:00:22,430 In the summer of 2017, 9 00:00:22,430 --> 00:00:24,420 the University of Mary Washington 10 00:00:24,420 --> 00:00:26,012 Archaeological Field School excavated 11 00:00:26,012 --> 00:00:28,474 a utilitarian yard of Sherwood Forest 12 00:00:28,474 --> 00:00:30,604 Plantation in Stafford County, Virginia. 13 00:00:30,604 --> 00:00:33,506 From 1843 to 1864, this property 14 00:00:33,506 --> 00:00:35,924 was home to the plantation owners 15 00:00:35,930 --> 00:00:38,870 the Fitzhughs, their white overseers, and 16 00:00:38,870 --> 00:00:40,990 approximately 50 enslaved individuals. 17 00:00:40,990 --> 00:00:42,178 During the university's 18 00:00:42,178 --> 00:00:44,554 dig multiple decorative items were found. 19 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:47,332 These items most likely belong to the 20 00:00:47,332 --> 00:00:50,091 Fitzhugh family and these two photos show 21 00:00:50,091 --> 00:00:52,900 excavations at the side yard and garden. 22 00:00:56,910 --> 00:00:58,486 The Fitzhugh family, 23 00:00:58,486 --> 00:01:00,456 like other 19th century 24 00:01:00,460 --> 00:01:01,944 Europeans and Americans, probably 25 00:01:01,944 --> 00:01:03,799 had an enormous appetite for 26 00:01:03,799 --> 00:01:05,580 mass produced consumer goods. 27 00:01:05,580 --> 00:01:07,550 The rapid standardization of manufacturing 28 00:01:07,550 --> 00:01:09,520 methods made formerly inaccessible products 29 00:01:09,520 --> 00:01:11,490 both cheap and readily available. 30 00:01:11,490 --> 00:01:13,848 A trend of home object curation, 31 00:01:13,850 --> 00:01:16,442 or what is commonly called bric-a-brac, 32 00:01:16,442 --> 00:01:19,412 arose from the sudden influx of consumer 33 00:01:19,412 --> 00:01:22,130 goods. Completely decorative and mostly cheap, 34 00:01:22,130 --> 00:01:24,100 these knickknacks decorated the tables, 35 00:01:24,100 --> 00:01:26,060 mantels, and other furniture 36 00:01:26,060 --> 00:01:28,020 pieces of Victorian homes. 37 00:01:28,020 --> 00:01:29,490 These seemingly ubiquitous objects offer 38 00:01:29,490 --> 00:01:31,808 some insight as to how their former 39 00:01:31,808 --> 00:01:33,396 owners positioned themselves socially, 40 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:35,758 as well as their participation in 41 00:01:35,758 --> 00:01:37,742 the cultural movements and attitudes 42 00:01:37,742 --> 00:01:40,150 of the mid to late 19th century. 43 00:01:40,150 --> 00:01:42,298 In the context of an antebellum 44 00:01:42,298 --> 00:01:44,110 and post bellum plantation home, 45 00:01:44,110 --> 00:01:44,820 decorative objects, 46 00:01:44,820 --> 00:01:47,305 and the spaces they occupied, were used 47 00:01:47,305 --> 00:01:49,551 to convey complex messages about the 48 00:01:49,551 --> 00:01:52,030 power and cultural capital of the owner. 49 00:01:54,140 --> 00:01:56,066 The selection and curation of the 50 00:01:56,066 --> 00:01:58,050 decorations in the Fitzhugh home 51 00:01:58,050 --> 00:01:59,655 would have been the responsibility 52 00:01:59,655 --> 00:02:01,240 of the family matriarch, 53 00:02:01,240 --> 00:02:03,599 Jane Fitzhugh. In doing this duty, 54 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:05,290 Jane was following the tenants 55 00:02:05,290 --> 00:02:06,980 of a dominant cultural ideology, 56 00:02:06,980 --> 00:02:08,296 the cult of domesticity. 57 00:02:08,296 --> 00:02:10,668 The idea behind the cult of domesticity 58 00:02:10,668 --> 00:02:12,971 was that a mother and wife should 59 00:02:12,971 --> 00:02:15,066 be the spiritual center of her 60 00:02:15,066 --> 00:02:17,458 home and raise her children to be 61 00:02:17,458 --> 00:02:18,810 patriotic and virtuous citizens. 62 00:02:18,810 --> 00:02:21,127 Jane Fitzhugh would have been obligated 63 00:02:21,127 --> 00:02:23,689 to make her home a literal shelter 64 00:02:23,690 --> 00:02:25,415 from the outside world, where 65 00:02:25,415 --> 00:02:26,795 her husband could rest 66 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:28,864 and her children would be safe 67 00:02:28,864 --> 00:02:29,896 from corrupting influences. 68 00:02:29,900 --> 00:02:32,315 This shelter also needed to be beautiful. 69 00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:34,175 It was thought that beautiful 70 00:02:34,175 --> 00:02:35,288 surroundings would positively 71 00:02:35,288 --> 00:02:36,798 influence the mind and soul, 72 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:38,630 so Jane would have been expected 73 00:02:38,630 --> 00:02:40,600 to decorate her home beautifully. 74 00:02:43,020 --> 00:02:45,462 The cult of domesticity's emphasis on 75 00:02:45,462 --> 00:02:47,534 the physical separation between the 76 00:02:47,534 --> 00:02:49,802 public masculine sphere and the private 77 00:02:49,802 --> 00:02:52,333 feminine sphere made it so that female 78 00:02:52,333 --> 00:02:54,003 dominated spaces within the home, 79 00:02:54,010 --> 00:02:56,632 such as the parlor, became increasingly 80 00:02:56,632 --> 00:02:58,380 private and physically secluded. 81 00:02:58,380 --> 00:03:00,473 This seclusion is reflected in the floor 82 00:03:00,473 --> 00:03:02,929 plan of the Sherwood Forest Big House. 83 00:03:02,930 --> 00:03:04,736 The home had a closed off floor 84 00:03:04,736 --> 00:03:06,378 plan with a central hallway 85 00:03:06,378 --> 00:03:08,388 running through the ground story. 86 00:03:08,390 --> 00:03:09,371 The first floor's 87 00:03:09,371 --> 00:03:11,660 dining room and two parlors are accessible 88 00:03:11,719 --> 00:03:13,519 from the hallway by French doors. 89 00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:14,760 The two living spaces, 90 00:03:14,760 --> 00:03:17,380 the parlor and the less formal living room, 91 00:03:17,380 --> 00:03:20,817 were internally divided by a pocket door. 92 00:03:20,820 --> 00:03:22,962 In these photos you can see the two French 93 00:03:22,962 --> 00:03:25,038 doors on either side of the main entrance. 94 00:03:25,040 --> 00:03:26,936 The photo on the right is a view 95 00:03:26,936 --> 00:03:28,756 from within one of the living rooms. 96 00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:31,096 You can see how the pocket door could 97 00:03:31,096 --> 00:03:33,307 have been used to divide the space. 98 00:03:33,310 --> 00:03:35,040 Access to these private living 99 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:36,770 spaces was probably granted at 100 00:03:36,832 --> 00:03:38,650 the discretion of Jane Fitzhugh 101 00:03:38,650 --> 00:03:40,684 She would have opened and closed 102 00:03:40,684 --> 00:03:42,747 her parlors for visitors based on 103 00:03:42,747 --> 00:03:44,667 status and relation to the family. 104 00:03:44,670 --> 00:03:46,578 The objects that decorated these spaces 105 00:03:46,578 --> 00:03:48,340 would have been carefully selected. 106 00:03:48,340 --> 00:03:48,698 Remember, 107 00:03:48,698 --> 00:03:50,846 Jane was operating under the premise 108 00:03:50,846 --> 00:03:53,346 that the beauty of these spaces was a 109 00:03:53,346 --> 00:03:55,690 reflection of her and her family's virtue. 110 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:02,094 Now let's talk about what was 111 00:04:02,094 --> 00:04:03,410 actually decorating these spaces. 112 00:04:03,410 --> 00:04:05,060 By the late 19th century, 113 00:04:05,060 --> 00:04:07,776 almost anything that could be modeled was 114 00:04:07,776 --> 00:04:10,238 represented in the form of a figurine. 115 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:11,116 People, animals, 116 00:04:11,116 --> 00:04:13,306 and mythological characters were all 117 00:04:13,306 --> 00:04:15,660 possible muses for figurine makers. 118 00:04:15,660 --> 00:04:17,468 Contemporary celebrities and notorious 119 00:04:17,468 --> 00:04:19,728 figures were also popular subjects. 120 00:04:19,730 --> 00:04:23,293 So many parlors were graced with a 121 00:04:23,293 --> 00:04:25,910 miniature Queen Victoria or Napoleon. 122 00:04:25,910 --> 00:04:28,950 On this slide I have a Queen Victoria, 123 00:04:28,950 --> 00:04:30,930 a shepherdess looking suggestively at 124 00:04:30,930 --> 00:04:34,053 her ankles, and a King John figurine; all 125 00:04:34,053 --> 00:04:36,545 of these are from the 19th century. 126 00:04:40,170 --> 00:04:41,842 Actors and other performers 127 00:04:41,842 --> 00:04:43,514 could also inspire figurines. 128 00:04:43,520 --> 00:04:45,884 Joseph Grimaldi, who was a famous 129 00:04:45,884 --> 00:04:48,130 clown of the period, 130 00:04:48,130 --> 00:04:49,798 popularized the traditional 131 00:04:49,798 --> 00:04:51,466 Victorian clown costume. 132 00:04:51,470 --> 00:04:53,140 Many figurines of clowns were 133 00:04:53,140 --> 00:04:54,476 likely modeled after him. 134 00:04:54,480 --> 00:04:56,060 These two clown figurines, which 135 00:04:56,060 --> 00:04:57,640 are currently housed in the 136 00:04:57,701 --> 00:04:59,149 Victoria and Albert Museum, 137 00:04:59,150 --> 00:05:01,814 are in costumes typical for the time period. 138 00:05:07,150 --> 00:05:09,327 This is the head of a porcelain 139 00:05:09,330 --> 00:05:10,578 clown figurine recovered 140 00:05:10,578 --> 00:05:12,138 from the Sherwood Forest dig. 141 00:05:12,140 --> 00:05:13,555 Its head was broken cleanly 142 00:05:13,555 --> 00:05:15,570 from the body of the figurine, 143 00:05:15,570 --> 00:05:17,130 which is to be expected. 144 00:05:17,130 --> 00:05:19,164 Anything that protrudes from a statue 145 00:05:19,164 --> 00:05:21,134 or figure is normally the first 146 00:05:21,134 --> 00:05:23,059 thing to be broken off, like arms, 147 00:05:23,060 --> 00:05:24,128 noses, heads, etc. 148 00:05:24,128 --> 00:05:26,950 Much of the paint has definitely worn off 149 00:05:26,950 --> 00:05:29,299 in the 150 years it was in the Earth, 150 00:05:29,300 --> 00:05:32,333 but you can still see some of the original 151 00:05:32,333 --> 00:05:34,610 colors on the hair, rim of the hat, 152 00:05:34,610 --> 00:05:35,549 mouth, and cheeks. 153 00:05:35,549 --> 00:05:37,427 It was probably displayed in its 154 00:05:37,427 --> 00:05:39,288 entirety inside the Fitzhugh home. 155 00:05:43,650 --> 00:05:46,008 When compared to the other clowns, 156 00:05:46,010 --> 00:05:47,975 it seems very similar to 157 00:05:47,975 --> 00:05:49,940 them in dress and expression. 158 00:05:49,940 --> 00:05:51,900 The painted face, raucous expression, 159 00:05:51,900 --> 00:05:53,740 conical hat, and oddly styled 160 00:05:53,740 --> 00:05:56,070 curly hair were all common visual 161 00:05:56,070 --> 00:05:58,185 motifs for 19th century clowns. 162 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:07,360 This clown is interesting because 163 00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:09,226 it means that the Fitzhugh 164 00:06:09,226 --> 00:06:10,706 family probably participated in, 165 00:06:10,710 --> 00:06:12,624 or at least knew about, popular 166 00:06:12,624 --> 00:06:14,850 forms of leisure and entertainment. 167 00:06:14,850 --> 00:06:16,760 Clowns were typically seen in 168 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:18,288 performances called pantomimes. 169 00:06:18,290 --> 00:06:20,210 The pantomime would begin with 170 00:06:20,210 --> 00:06:22,130 a tableau from a recognizable 171 00:06:22,198 --> 00:06:23,893 story, like Cinderella or Romeo 172 00:06:23,893 --> 00:06:26,084 and Juliet, and then be disrupted 173 00:06:26,084 --> 00:06:28,219 by clowns or stock characters. 174 00:06:28,220 --> 00:06:29,489 On this slide, 175 00:06:29,489 --> 00:06:31,604 I have some advertisements from 176 00:06:31,604 --> 00:06:33,712 Alexandrian newspapers for the Green 177 00:06:33,712 --> 00:06:35,697 Monster and the Rendezvous pantomime. 178 00:06:35,700 --> 00:06:37,176 Christmas pantomimes are also 179 00:06:37,176 --> 00:06:39,390 popular and in the middle here 180 00:06:39,458 --> 00:06:41,600 I have also included a late 181 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:43,028 19th century advertisement for 182 00:06:43,093 --> 00:06:44,877 a London Christmas pantomime. 183 00:06:44,880 --> 00:06:46,308 After looking through some 184 00:06:46,308 --> 00:06:47,736 databases of Virginia newspapers, 185 00:06:47,740 --> 00:06:49,875 it seems that advertisements like 186 00:06:49,875 --> 00:06:52,010 these were fairly prevalent. 187 00:06:52,010 --> 00:06:54,257 So one can easily imagine that the 188 00:06:54,257 --> 00:06:56,149 Fitzhughes would have attended, 189 00:06:56,150 --> 00:06:58,565 or at least been familiar with, pantomimes. 190 00:06:58,570 --> 00:06:59,602 In doing so, 191 00:06:59,602 --> 00:07:01,666 they were not only entertaining themselves, 192 00:07:01,670 --> 00:07:02,705 but also signaling 193 00:07:02,705 --> 00:07:04,085 signaling their cultural literacy, 194 00:07:04,090 --> 00:07:06,190 because in order to laugh at the 195 00:07:06,190 --> 00:07:07,880 clowns antics and disruptions, 196 00:07:07,880 --> 00:07:09,950 they had to already understand the 197 00:07:09,950 --> 00:07:12,020 canon and story the clown was hijacking. 198 00:07:15,940 --> 00:07:18,502 Other objects of bric-a-brac that 199 00:07:18,502 --> 00:07:20,919 probably existed in the Fitzhugh home, 200 00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:23,056 were ceramic vessels with decorative motifs. 201 00:07:23,060 --> 00:07:24,695 Two sherds from two different 202 00:07:24,695 --> 00:07:26,330 vessels were recovered during UMW's 203 00:07:26,380 --> 00:07:28,040 investigation of Sherwood Forest, 204 00:07:28,040 --> 00:07:30,350 one from a Rebecca at the well teapot 205 00:07:30,350 --> 00:07:33,028 and one from a Bennett Heron picture. 206 00:07:33,030 --> 00:07:34,810 These shards are pictured here. 207 00:07:38,450 --> 00:07:40,235 The Rebecca at the well motif 208 00:07:40,235 --> 00:07:41,993 comes from an Old Testament Bible 209 00:07:41,993 --> 00:07:43,853 story where a woman named Rebecca 210 00:07:43,853 --> 00:07:45,579 was chosen to be Isaac's wife 211 00:07:45,580 --> 00:07:47,028 because of her willingness 212 00:07:47,028 --> 00:07:48,476 to help his servant. 213 00:07:48,480 --> 00:07:49,916 This story captivated Americans 214 00:07:49,916 --> 00:07:52,070 of the 19th century and the 215 00:07:52,133 --> 00:07:54,137 Rebecca at the well pattern became 216 00:07:54,137 --> 00:07:55,978 the best and longest selling 217 00:07:55,978 --> 00:07:58,158 Rockingham ware pattern in history. 218 00:07:58,160 --> 00:08:01,135 Rebecca seemed to represent the ideal woman, 219 00:08:01,140 --> 00:08:03,270 one who was unquestionably helpful 220 00:08:03,270 --> 00:08:05,400 and obedient to God's plan. 221 00:08:05,400 --> 00:08:07,734 Therefore, as a woman served tea 222 00:08:07,734 --> 00:08:10,510 to others with her Rebecca teapot, 223 00:08:10,510 --> 00:08:11,755 she simultaneously 224 00:08:11,755 --> 00:08:14,660 saw and was seen by an idealized 225 00:08:14,728 --> 00:08:16,480 virtual version of herself. 226 00:08:16,480 --> 00:08:17,770 In this way, 227 00:08:17,770 --> 00:08:19,920 a woman like Jane Fitzhugh 228 00:08:19,920 --> 00:08:21,683 would construct and reproduce 229 00:08:21,683 --> 00:08:24,143 her identity as a wife, 230 00:08:24,150 --> 00:08:26,700 striving to meet a biblical ideal. 231 00:08:29,980 --> 00:08:31,870 In contrast to the feminine 232 00:08:31,870 --> 00:08:33,760 Rebecca at the Well teapot, 233 00:08:33,760 --> 00:08:35,268 the other vessel sherd 234 00:08:35,268 --> 00:08:37,153 recovered from the Sherwood site, 235 00:08:37,160 --> 00:08:39,050 represented a more masculine vessel, 236 00:08:39,050 --> 00:08:40,950 a Bennett Heron pitcher. 237 00:08:40,950 --> 00:08:42,850 When it was complete, 238 00:08:42,850 --> 00:08:45,601 the picture probably depicted a scene of 239 00:08:45,601 --> 00:08:48,088 several herons in a grassy marshland. 240 00:08:48,090 --> 00:08:50,298 Images of prey animals in their 241 00:08:50,298 --> 00:08:52,296 environment were evocative of 242 00:08:52,296 --> 00:08:54,140 masculine pursuits and sensibilities. 243 00:08:54,140 --> 00:08:56,165 Hunting motifs also acted as 244 00:08:56,165 --> 00:08:58,570 complementary pieces to Rebecca and well 245 00:08:58,570 --> 00:09:00,580 and other feminine vessels. A Hunter, 246 00:09:00,580 --> 00:09:02,998 one who leaves the domestic sphere 247 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:05,562 and proves his mastery over nature, is 248 00:09:05,562 --> 00:09:07,270 loosely the masculine ideological 249 00:09:07,341 --> 00:09:09,447 equivalent of Rebecca at the well. 250 00:09:09,450 --> 00:09:12,738 It seems that the ideal 19th century man 251 00:09:12,740 --> 00:09:14,672 would have been one that is independent 252 00:09:14,672 --> 00:09:16,773 and able to provide for the women 253 00:09:16,773 --> 00:09:18,591 and children that depended on him. 254 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:19,282 Henry Fitzhugh, 255 00:09:19,282 --> 00:09:21,328 the plantation master of Sherwood Forest, 256 00:09:21,330 --> 00:09:25,234 was likely the owner of the heron vessel. 257 00:09:25,240 --> 00:09:26,804 As landholding southern gentry, 258 00:09:26,804 --> 00:09:28,759 Henry perceived himself as master 259 00:09:28,759 --> 00:09:30,729 of the surrounding landscape, 260 00:09:30,730 --> 00:09:32,414 the individuals he enslaved, 261 00:09:32,414 --> 00:09:33,677 and his household. 262 00:09:33,680 --> 00:09:36,305 The fruit of this mastery was the 263 00:09:36,305 --> 00:09:38,296 capital generated by his plantation. 264 00:09:38,296 --> 00:09:40,672 In much the same way Rebecca's 265 00:09:40,672 --> 00:09:43,022 image aided in the representation 266 00:09:43,022 --> 00:09:45,497 and reproduction of Jane's identity, 267 00:09:45,500 --> 00:09:47,756 Henry Fitzhugh's heron pitcher would 268 00:09:47,756 --> 00:09:49,823 have reminded others and himself 269 00:09:49,823 --> 00:09:51,827 of Henry's masculine independence. 270 00:09:54,990 --> 00:09:56,902 All of these items of bric-a-brac would 271 00:09:56,902 --> 00:09:58,657 have been displayed on a mantle 272 00:09:58,657 --> 00:10:00,182 above the fireplace or in a special 273 00:10:00,190 --> 00:10:02,680 furniture piece called an étagère. 274 00:10:02,680 --> 00:10:04,228 The Victorian étagère functioned 275 00:10:04,228 --> 00:10:06,550 as a display case for collections 276 00:10:06,614 --> 00:10:08,609 of bric-a-brac and other mementos. 277 00:10:08,610 --> 00:10:11,769 It could stand by itself or be mounted above 278 00:10:11,769 --> 00:10:14,826 the mantle for additional display space. 279 00:10:14,830 --> 00:10:16,894 It is very likely that one of these 280 00:10:16,894 --> 00:10:18,663 pieces of furniture was present in 281 00:10:18,663 --> 00:10:21,024 at least one of the parlors or the 282 00:10:21,024 --> 00:10:22,809 dining room of the Fitzhugh home. 283 00:10:22,810 --> 00:10:25,194 The concept of bric-a-brac and the 284 00:10:25,194 --> 00:10:27,259 attache was somewhat paradoxical. 285 00:10:27,260 --> 00:10:29,180 An individual could express their 286 00:10:29,180 --> 00:10:30,716 original thoughts and feelings 287 00:10:30,716 --> 00:10:32,917 through the mediums of mass produced 288 00:10:32,917 --> 00:10:34,677 furniture and mass produced trinkets, 289 00:10:34,680 --> 00:10:37,459 while all their neighbors did the same. 290 00:10:37,459 --> 00:10:39,508 Bohemians and authors of the time, 291 00:10:39,510 --> 00:10:42,142 like Oscar Wilde and Henry James, spoke on 292 00:10:42,142 --> 00:10:44,700 the artistic importance of home decorating. 293 00:10:44,700 --> 00:10:45,097 However, 294 00:10:45,097 --> 00:10:47,479 even though Oscar Wilde claimed that 295 00:10:47,479 --> 00:10:50,087 it is difficult to lay down rules 296 00:10:50,087 --> 00:10:52,115 as to the decoration of dwellings, 297 00:10:52,120 --> 00:10:54,448 because every home should wear an 298 00:10:54,450 --> 00:10:56,155 individual air in all its 299 00:10:56,155 --> 00:10:57,178 furnishings and decorations, 300 00:10:57,180 --> 00:10:59,612 it was clear that there were in fact 301 00:10:59,612 --> 00:11:02,079 rules of decoration which reflected the 302 00:11:02,079 --> 00:11:05,170 rules and social conventions of the time. 303 00:11:05,170 --> 00:11:07,246 In tastefully expressing 304 00:11:07,246 --> 00:11:09,841 their individuality through the correct 305 00:11:09,841 --> 00:11:12,211 combination of objects, the Fitzhughs 306 00:11:12,211 --> 00:11:14,001 could clearly express their cultural 307 00:11:14,061 --> 00:11:16,026 capital to themselves and others. 308 00:11:16,030 --> 00:11:16,710 Certain objects, 309 00:11:16,710 --> 00:11:18,750 such as the decorative glass flower, 310 00:11:18,750 --> 00:11:21,662 a clown figurine, or a vessel depicting 311 00:11:21,662 --> 00:11:24,770 the Bible story of Rebecca at the well, 312 00:11:24,770 --> 00:11:28,046 could all be imbued with agreeable values. 313 00:11:28,050 --> 00:11:28,850 These values, 314 00:11:28,850 --> 00:11:30,850 whether they stemmed from Christianity 315 00:11:30,850 --> 00:11:33,255 or the popular intersecting philosophies 316 00:11:33,255 --> 00:11:35,527 of individualism and naturalism, 317 00:11:35,530 --> 00:11:37,402 were constantly being reproduced 318 00:11:37,402 --> 00:11:38,338 and reinforced. 319 00:11:41,210 --> 00:11:43,986 As the Fitzhughs admired their clown and 320 00:11:43,986 --> 00:11:46,077 other decorative objects in their home, 321 00:11:46,080 --> 00:11:48,228 they gazed into a mirror reflecting 322 00:11:48,228 --> 00:11:50,060 their own constructed identity. Objects 323 00:11:50,060 --> 00:11:52,419 that contain an image, such as porcelain 324 00:11:52,419 --> 00:11:54,834 figurines, help us to better understand the 325 00:11:54,834 --> 00:11:56,878 cultural landscape from which they came. 326 00:11:56,878 --> 00:12:00,100 No image, whether it is a painting or an 327 00:12:00,186 --> 00:12:03,048 item of bric-a-brac exists in a vacuum. 328 00:12:03,050 --> 00:12:05,289 The fact that it was created, purchased, 329 00:12:05,289 --> 00:12:07,563 and consumed implies that there was 330 00:12:07,563 --> 00:12:09,279 cultural meaning embedded within it. 331 00:12:09,280 --> 00:12:11,905 The image also serves as a material 332 00:12:11,905 --> 00:12:13,832 manifestation of the identity 333 00:12:13,832 --> 00:12:16,876 of an individual. If not the artist, 334 00:12:16,876 --> 00:12:19,780 than the individual to whom the 335 00:12:19,885 --> 00:12:21,339 image belonged. 336 00:12:21,340 --> 00:12:22,510 The Fitzhugh family's 337 00:12:22,510 --> 00:12:24,070 clown figurine and vessels, 338 00:12:24,070 --> 00:12:26,476 along with a multitude of other 339 00:12:26,476 --> 00:12:28,080 decorative objects that might 340 00:12:28,145 --> 00:12:29,920 have existed in their home, 341 00:12:29,920 --> 00:12:31,870 all conveyed 1000 tiny messages 342 00:12:31,870 --> 00:12:33,430 regarding the social class, 343 00:12:33,430 --> 00:12:34,990 cultural literacy, and cultural 344 00:12:34,990 --> 00:12:36,550 capital of the family. 345 00:12:39,470 --> 00:12:41,168 Finally, I would like to thank 346 00:12:41,168 --> 00:12:42,300 Dr. McMillan for advising 347 00:12:42,354 --> 00:12:43,630 me throughout this project. 348 00:12:43,630 --> 00:12:46,178 I could not have completed this without 349 00:12:46,178 --> 00:12:48,918 your help and words of encouragement. 350 00:12:48,920 --> 00:12:51,097 Thank you for listening to my presentation.