by Libby Clay
WEATHER VANES: Vanes were mounted with the use of a compass
so that they were oriented true north, thus giving an accurate reading of the
wind direction. There were pre-Christian weather vanes, usually in the shape of
wind deities. However, it was a 9th- century edict by the Pope in
Rome that greatly increased their use. He decreed that there should be a vane
in the shape of a rooster or cockerel placed in the highest point of the roof
on every Christian church. Why the rooster? Because the rooster’s crow heralds
the dawn, separates the dark from the light. Thus it was a symbolic affirmation
that Christians had left the darkness and entered into the light. There is a
rooster vane on the chapel roof at Holy Sepulcher Cemetery, though not at the
highest point of the roof.
One of MAG ’s vanes is in the shape of a horse or
“trotter.” It probably graced the roof of a race track building. Harness or
sulkie racing involved a trotter or pacer pulling a two-wheeled cart on which
sat the driver. The horse had to keep a specific pace or be disqualified, thus
the word “trotter.” The term “sulkie” was coined because of the rapport between
driver and horse – the driver was said to be anti-social or “sulky.” There are
remnants of a harness racing track in Victor. Many towns had baseball fields
and tracks.
Remember the words from “The
Music Man”?...”not a wholesome trotting race but a race where they sit down
right on the horse!” Trouble!
OPTOMETRIST SIGN: The Egyptians, Greeks and Romans had mirrors but they did not have
devices for magnification. The “reading stone” (our magnifying glass) was
developed around 1000 C.E. Much later came “spectacles” with quartz lenses
because optical glass had not been invented yet. They were set into bone, metal
or leather mountings.From the time glasses were invented, there was a problem
that took almost 350 years to solve: how to keep them on. The Chinese used
ribbons over the ears and the ribbons had weights on them. Some glasses perched
on the nose, but success depended on the size of the nose. Finally, in 1752,
James Ayscough advertised, “spectacles with double hinged side pieces.” Early
spectacles had holes at the ends of the side pieces through which black ribbons
could be inserted to tie behind your head.
People were self-conscious
about wearing glasses and often used them only in private. Colonial Americans
had to import theirs from Europe and they were costly, as much as $200 in the
early 1700s. Benjamin Franklin developed the bifocal in the 1780s. MAG ’s optometrist hopefully did better for his
clients than the 1783 Philadelphia optometrist who advertised “a bushel
basketful” of spectacles through which people could pick and choose.
THE CAROUSEL GOAT: Carousels were originally used to help young knights
become accurate at spearing a brass ring with a lance. A pit was dug and two
crude wooden “horses” mounted above it, turned by a wheel propelled by some
unlucky man. As the device revolved, the knights tried to “catch the ring” and
that sport carried over to modern carousels. Catch a brass ring and get a free
ride. Since more people are right-handed than left, that may be the reason
carousels (everywhere but in
England) run counter-clockwise, the better to try for the brass ring.
Carousels in the time of
Louis XIV became great contests between teams of knights. Teams would try to
unhorse each other with their lances. Other carrousel venues were in parades
where they looked grotesque and scary.
Later merry-go-rounds became more of a treat for children, and the animals
became recognizable and friendly.
There were a number of
carrousel factories in the area. The menagerie animals were hand-carved and the
best carver got to carve the head; thus the term, “head man.” The Herschel Spellman Carousel Factory Museum
in Buffalo is interesting to visit. You even get a free ride. This factory made
smaller menagerie animals, the kind for traveling carnivals and circuses. The
merry-go-round in the mall in Washington is a Herschel Spellman.
THE HAT SIGN: Hats of this sort can be called a top hat, silk hat, cylinder hat,
chimney pot hat or stove pipe hat. President Lincoln is often pictured wearing
a silk hat. It is said that he kept important papers in it. These hats are
still worn, but usually only with morning dress or white tie, in dressage, or
in doormen’s livery.
It is claimed that the first silk top hat was made in
1793 in England. Within twenty years they had become popular with all social
classes, and at that time those worn by “the lower classes” were usually made
of felted beaver fur, the generic name being “stuff hat.”
Today the standard top hat is a hard, black silk hat,
with fur now often used. Collapsible silk opera hats, or crushed hats, are
always black and are made of satin or grosgrain silk.
JUDGE AND
MRS . YATES: Have you ever
wondered about the background in the painting? It has been suggested that this
was a painted window shade, a form of interior decorating that gave you instant
scenery. John Twachtman’s father was a painter of window shades, as was John in
his early career. Judge Yates’
grandson Frederick, from whose estate the painting was acquired, was elected to
the Rochester Historical Society in 1902, and his address was listed as 1040
East Avenue.
JOHN ROGERS:
The label is very complete on Rogers’ “Taking the Oath and Drawing the Rations”
sculpture. This was one of his most popular subjects, and copies continued to
sell over a period of 30 years. For Rogers, sculpture was a narrative art. He
maintained a factory in New York where 20, then 60 workmen helped him fashion
the plaster groups which, with the aid of flexible molds, were reproduced by
the thousands from his clay or bronze master models. The plaster groups were
painted the color of putty to hide dust.
SAMPLERS:
Again, the label is very complete on Mrs. Pixley’s sampler, also known as an
exemplar. In the early 1800’s, reading and writing were not required of young
women. To be educated as a skilled needle worker was important, however. Most
needlework was designed by the school mistress and their young charges were
taught sewing techniques as well as alphabets and numerals. It was important to
know how to mark your highly- prized household linens so that they could be
returned from public launderers. The letters “J” and “U” did not come into full
use until the 1800’s. “T” and “J” were used interchangeably. It seems to have
been at the discretion of the stitcher.
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