southern views

Thumbing through an old stack of postcards I found this image of Marie Adrien Persac’s painting of Shadows-on-the-Teche, 1861. The French-born Presac (1823–1873) is not particularly well known outside of Louisiana, but his legacy is significant. He was a true renaissance man, a civil engineer who worked as an architect, cartographer, photographer and artist. Persac’s renderings of Louisiana plantation scenes are invaluable records of mid-nineteenth-century life along the Mississippi and the bayous. Although I was familiar with the plantation scenes, I was delighted to discover that while employed by the New Orleans Notarial Archives he produced an amazing series of architectural drawings and paintings of the city. He also created a group of charming watercolors for sale posters of properties intended for public auction (see below, and here).

Persac worked primarily in watercolor and gouache on paper, achieving an amazing degree of precision. It is interesting to note that while he clearly was an excellent architectural draughtsman, he clipped his figures from various printed sources, and affixed them by collage. For more, see Marie Adrien Persac: Louisiana Artist.

(top image: Shadows-on-the-Teche (Front View), 1861, collection of Shadows-on-the-Teche, New Iberia, Louisiana, National Trust for Historic Preservation; and below: Eugène Surgi and Marie Adrien Persec, sale plan, 25 February 1860, New Orleans Notarial Archives)

boeuf bourguignon & other things

I have been obsessed with food ever since I saw Julie & Julia this weekend. Seriously, no one does onions like Meryl Streep. No one. She was extraordinary.

Anne ~ here is Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon recipe. Get to cookin' girl! Or perhaps I should say: "bon appétit" !!

Mmmmm...peppers from the market, and pizza from here.

trouvée: a curiosity

Found recently on eBay. Uninscribed, undated. I'll let you write your own story on this one...because you know it has to be a good one.

Some other friday curiosities:

* a marquetry table (for JTL)
* an amazing piece of history
* the unknown sitter project
* Wijnanda Deroo
* a few points of view
* and something rare and beautiful

Have a great weekend!

read, eat, drink

I should have had this image last week when I posted the apple-blackberry crisp recipe, no? Ah, well, apples only just made an appearance at the market on sunday.

It is hot out there people! So, let's have a little fun:

* read: Dancing to the Precipice
* eat: Summer Fest 2009
* drink: an Albariño (my latest obsession)

Cheers! Happy Wednesday.

sometimes...

...summer is just an embarrasment of riches. Okay, I need to get cooking. Hope you all had a good weekend.

trouvée: the bee and the flower

Something different today ~ a recto-verso drawing. Found last year at an antiques store in Fredericksburg. I particularly couldn't resist the bee. The embossed crown in the corner is nothing more glamorous than the "A. Pirie & Sons Bristol Board" logo.

Some random fabulousness:

* the new antiquarians

* Tamara Thomson

* and two reasons to go to Kentucky: Pope Villa and Pleasant Hill

Sit back and relax this weekend. You deserve it. xo

American Gothic

The other day, while musing on the architecture of Benjamin Latrobe, I stumbled across this painting of Sedgley Park. Built in 1799 near Lemon Hill, Philadelphia, it is thought to be the earliest Gothic-style house in America. A contemporary writer remarked "The natural advantages of Sedgley Park are not frequently equalled, even upon the banks of the Schuylkill. From the height upon which the mansion is erected it commands an interesting and extensive view. The scenery around is of unusual beauty, but its character is altogether peaceful and quiet."

Sedgley was the country house of William Cramond, a Philadelphia merchant. Business difficulties forced Cramond to sell the house a mere seven years after its construction. From there it passed through the hands of several owners and tenants, including the Philadelphia sheriff who ran a beer garden on the estate (much to the delight of the local boaters). The city eventually acquired the estate in 1854, incorporating it into what is now Fairmont Park. By that time the house had fallen into such disrepair that it was demolished in 1857. Today, the only remaining structure of the Sedgley estate is the guard house. So one can only imagine...

Here's a little something well worth adding to your digital library ~ Thompson Westcott, The Historic Mansions and Buildings of Philadelphia, with some notice of their Owners and Occupants (1877).

Thanks JTL for the inspiration on this one!

(image: Thomas Birch, Southeast View of “Sedgeley Park,” the Country Seat of James Cowles Fisher, Esq., about 1819, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, Museum purchase made possible by the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment)

blackberry season

The woods in Maine are full of wild blackberry bushes, and when I was a kid I used to pick them and sell them on the side of the road. My niece, who is not quite so entrepreneurial (but none the less practical), remarked last summer that blackberries are great, because if you are playing and you get hungry you can stop and have a snack.

Here's my favorite thing to do with blackberries (and I should point out that my measurements are never quite exact!):

Apple Blackberry Crisp

Filling:

3-5 apples, peeled and thinly sliced

a handful of blackberries

1/4 cup sugar

Topping (taken from the Quaker Oats lid):

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup margarine or butter, melted

2 tablespoons flour

Toss the sliced apples with sugar and place in an 8-inch square baking dish. Add blackberries (do not mix them in with the apples or they will break). Combine topping ingredients in a bowl and sprinkle over the top of the fruit. Bake at 350° for 30-35 mins, or until apples are tender.

trouvée: the road trip

The great American rite of summer ~ a road trip! Top image inscribed: "View going from Gertrude Vaughan's N.Y."; bottom: "Bear Mountain Bridge." Taken in the Hudson River Valley, probably 1930s. I love finding a group of photographs together, particularly when they start to tell a story.

Today it is all about the men:

* Kirby James Pilcher

* Nicholas Gottlund

Have a great weekend!

historic house tour: tate house

I admit that this tour is a bit of a tease as I did not actually get to see inside (so, I promise a part II some day!). It was pouring rain the day I stopped by the Tate House. Knowing it was closed, I thought perhaps I might be able to snap a few views form the street. However, I had the good fortune of running into the chairman of the board. He gave me a plan of the colonial-style garden (a riot of roses, lavender, sweet basil, and scented geranium), and graciously allowed me to walk around the property.

The Tate House was built in 1755 on a hilltop overlooking the Fore River in Portland, Maine, and the city’s once bustling mast yards. Maine was then the primary source of white pine, prized for its use as ship masts. George Tate came to Portland, along with his wife Mary, to serve as Mast Agent for the British Navy, overseeing the export of white pine to the great shipyards of England.

Tate modeled his Georgian-style home after the fashionable townhouses of London. At the time, it was exceptional for its grand size, innovative gambrel roof, and windowed third story. Though it is now dwarfed by neighboring Victorians and rambling townhouses, the house remains a relatively intact example of colonial architecture. Most extraordinary of all, the clapboards have never been painted!

a summer palette

I love how the color palette at this time of the year softens and deepens, and the sun gets lower, casting golden shadows in the evening. Two lovelies from this past weekend ~ False Queen Anne's Lace (a lovely dark variety) at the market, and the frayed hem of a 1840s linen pillowcase I found in Maine.

Some other fabulous things:

* Birds

* the artist's palette series on Style Court

* wild garlic soda bread

* and pretty much everything about this month's Gourmet!

Cheers!

some currants

Okay, I wholly admit that I bought these for the sole purpose of photographing them. I was inspired by EEE's post on Paulette Tavormina and her fabulous photographic still-lifes. And lest you think those lovely currants went to waste, I am happy to report that they were rather delicious tossed into last night's salad.

My latest obsession: peach smoothies with a dash of almond extract (thanks K for the tip!).

Hope you are all having a good monday.

trouvee: dans les jardins

A recent acquisition. Uniscribed, undated, and printed on "carte postale." A château in France? Does anyone recognize it? I haven't had a chance to do any research.

Some friday link love:

* Middle Air by Raymond Meeks
* Lacey Terrell
* Poter Hovey's summer reading list on Little Augury
* and Jan Dibbets (look closely)

Un bon weekend à vous!

summertime

Ooooh, gosh, two days have slipped by without a post! Isn't summer supposed to be slow and the livin' easy? I do have lots of things to share, including a house tour post (in progress, I promise!), but somehow I can't get my act together. Ah, well, at least we have been treated to a beautiful sunny week here in Washington.

Some lovely things you might like:

* bubbles (via a cup of jo)
* I Told You So (just ordered a print!)

...and not that I am trying to hurry summer, but I am looking forward to the fall exhibitions at Yale.

A happy thursday to you all!

peaches for you

At last! Local peaches. They are late this year, but oh-so-divine. In fact, they are so fabulous they need a post all of their own.

The gorgeous Greer was over for brunch yesterday. I made a quiche and sliced up some of those peaches and a local tomato. I tossed them with fresh basil, drizzled them with Balsamic vinegar and a little olive oil, and then finished with a pinch of coarse sea salt and fresh-ground pepper. (Hint: be sure to wash some of the fuzz off before slicing, and use a firmer piece of fruit as it will hold up better when tossed). I love the combination of sweet, savory, and salty. Yum.

Doesn't this look good? Oooooh, and how about a peach in champagne! What is your favorite way to serve them up? Do tell.

trouvée: camping

Found last week in Maine (click to view larger). No inscriptions or date. However, based on the type of postal card on which it was printed, it was taken some time between 1904 and 1918. Honestly, if one is going to insist on going camping, this is the way to go.

Some things:

* Jefferson Hayman
* Anne Schwalbe
* and a honeymoon (lovely!)

Take care. Have a good weekend!

in the woods

My niece is convinced that fairies live in these woods. I am pretty sure she's right. How could they not? Last year my dad planted her a fairy garden, and as you can see the little people have made themselves quite at home.

Have you ever read The Borrowers?

Here's wishing you a little magic in your day.

beachcombing

Doesn't matter what age you are, but there's something about the beach in Maine that draws one's eye to the ground. As a kid I used to collect all sorts of shells, bits of driftwood, sea glass, mica, and stones. And truth be told, I still do it sometimes ~ all part of an uncontrollable tendency to create order out of nature.

I added a few more images to flickr. And lest you think I had a string of beautiful sunny days on my vacation, let me assure you that there was rain. Lots of it! It is just not that fun to photograph in a downpour (which is why they invented books, needlepoint and hot tea). Lots more to share (including a house tour), so stay tuned. Cheers.

a few bits

Back from Maine. Lots of rain, but still wonderful. There is so much catching up to do, but thought I would share a few little bits (more here). Hope you are all well and that the sun is shining where you are.

fiori di zucca & other things

I am off tomorrow morning for a little vacation. Heading north, and unplugging for a few days. For now, I leave you with a bit of culinary inspiration ~ greens from issue 3 of Jamie magazine (I just want to lose myself in those pages!). And, how cute is that zucchini (from the sunday market)!?

Speaking of zucchini, Greer has been frying up some fiori di zucca from her garden, with "just a simple pastella with flour and water and a spray of salt before biting down." However, if you feel like something slightly more sinful, you might try this.

Ok, be well. Type to you later.

P.S. You can catch me over here today (thanks Little Augury!).

welcome summer

What better way to welcome summer than with a mass of flowers? Or in my case, fresh tomato salad, a glass of rosé, and a new iPhone. I lingered on the roof last night until the sun finally set on the longest day. There is something magical about midsummer's night ~ or is it just that Shakespeare has forever romanticized it for us? What do you think?

And not to miss: Little Augury is celebrating the season with a fantastic summer reading series. Be sure to check in daily because you never know who is going to stop by with a bit of literary inspiration, or what goodies "little a" will give away!

trouvée: the gardener

This is my dad in the late 1940s, in his parents' garden in Ireland. He apparently liked to dig up the potatoes and check on their development. While he is somewhat less interested in root vegetables these days, he still likes to garden.

Some links:

* Paula McCartney
* a few botanicals
* and some interiors

Happy father's day to my dad! And a wonderful weekend to all. Summer begins on sunday.

scenes from a picnic

No weekend outing would be complete without some seriously good food (and a few vintage cars!). I always love pulling out the old Polaroid for a picnic...and letting the good times roll.

Speaking of food:

* looking for the perfect summer dish?
* how do I get invited to one of these Sunday Suppers?
* and, are you feeling adventurous? because this is not your grandmother's ice cream!

Happy thursday to you all.

historic house tour: poplar forest

A bright, sunny (and typically steamy) Virginia Saturday marked the last of the house tours for the season. A very hardy group of six (including our favorite architect) set out for a 4-hour drive to Poplar Forest, the country retreat of Thomas Jefferson. Located some 90 miles south west of Monticello, near Lynchburg, Poplar Forest served as a refuge for Jefferson: “I have fixed myself comfortably, keep some books here, bring others occasionally, am in the solitude of a hermit, and quite at leisure to attend to my absent friends,” he wrote to Benjamin Rush in 1811. He began construction on the house in 1806 and (as with Monticello) continued to work on it until his death in 1826. However, the main hexagonal block of the house was for the most part complete by the time Jefferson decided to add an east wing of offices in 1814. In typical Palladian fashion, Jefferson intended there to be a west wing, though it was never constructed. The house is flanked by two ornamental mounds of earth and necessaries (which look more ornamental than necessary), and a sunken lawn extends out from the south façade of the house.

Over the years the house suffered a devastating fire and several generations of alterations, so the current structure is a restoration based on exhaustive architectural investigation, archeology, and Jefferson’s own meticulous plans and writings. “When finished it will be the best dwelling house in the state, except that of Monticello; perhaps preferable to that, as more proportioned to the faculties of a private citizen,” he wrote to John Wayles Eppes in 1812. Indeed, Mr. Jefferson, it is one of the finest I have seen.

For a bit more, see Stefan’s fantastic post, and my flickr. Special thanks to Mr. Rudder for providing the perfect quotes and inspiring me to make the journey south.

P.S. I couldn't resist posting the obligatory southern magnolia, even though that particular tree wasn't even a seedling when Jefferson inhabited the house. He of course preferred poplars.

green, green

Bright sun and beautiful greens at the market yesterday. It was one of those days where I filled my bag with far more than one person can possibly consume. But, I like a challenge, so we'll see what I can dish up this week. Peas made their debut...and I am dying to get my hands on a certain potato salad recipe with fresh peas and dill (G!).

Overall, a fantastically busy weekend ~ and I have lots to share. So, more tomorrow.