A superb chest-on-chest-on-frame attributed to New Hampshire cabinetmaker Samuel Dunlap, circa 1790–1795, 82 5/8 by 41 1/8 by 20 inches. Currier Museum of Art, Manchester, N.H. Museum purchase: Currier Funds, 1959.3.
:While the eyes of the antiques world are focused on the numerous antiques shows that make up Antiques Week in New Hampshire, taking place this week, August 3–8, it is worth noting that some of the best antiques and art available for viewing in this former industrial hub are located a short trip across town at The Currier Museum of Art. When not shopping the shows, or at any time for that matter, this venerable institution is well worth a visit.
The Currier is an internationally renowned art museum that features American and European paintings, decorative arts, photographs and sculpture. The art collections include works by Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet, Georgia O'Keeffe, Andrew Wyeth and Rockwell Kent. The antique furniture and accessories holdings are rich with regional silver, Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century New Hampshire furnishings and folk art, as well as contemporary crafts.
The Currier's collection of decorative arts represents the three-century-long tradition of quality craftsmanship in New England. Highlights of the New England furniture on view include important examples from the 1700s to the 1900s, as well as contemporary studio furniture by the New Hampshire Furniture Masters. The glass collection comprises examples from the major manufacturing centers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and elsewhere, including select art glass by the likes of Tiffany and Quezal. Another feature of the glass housed at the Currier is the Henry Melville Fuller collection of historic and contemporary paperweights.
The collection of studio ceramics from 1950 to the present is extensive, representing the rich tradition of this craft in New England and, more to the point, locally, with artists such as Mary and Edwin Scheier. Mary was an Artist in Residence at the University of New Hampshire and the Scheiers have several important works on view.
The manicured and private backyard of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home built for Lucille and Isadore J. Zimmerman is inviting, almost becoming a part of the living space as viewed through the expansive glass walls that the architect placed with a passive Southern exposure.
Considered by many to be the gem of the Currier's holdings is the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Zimmerman House, a structure built in 1950 for Lucille and Isadore J. Zimmerman. Wright designed the house, the interiors, the furniture, the gardens and even the mailbox, working hand-in-hand with the owners to meticulously design and situate the home on the property. Located just a short drive away from the Currier, it is the only Wright home open to the public in New England, and it is also one of only a few Wright buildings owned and operated by an art museum.
Dr and Mrs Zimmerman, who lived in the house for 36 years, bequeathed the property to the museum in 1988 and in 1990 the house and grounds were opened so that visitors could enjoy glimpses of a private world from the 1950s and 1960s. The home, one of Wright's classic Utopian designs, was donated in its entirety, including the Zimmermans' personal collection of modern art, pottery and sculpture. Viewed in its entire original context, many people believe that the Zimmerman House is a total work of art.
