The Glebe House Museum & Gertrude Jekyll Garden will present “Treasures of Historic Woodbury 1700‱850,” an exhibition of Woodbury furniture and decorative arts on view from September 13 through October 18. Crooked back chairs with flag seats, joined chairs with “plush bottoms,” tea tables and other furniture designs with distinctive forms and decoration will be on display in room settings throughout the museum. Four Woodbury “high case of drawers” (highboys), the most popular large storage form in Woodbury during most of the Eighteenth Century, will be featured.
The exhibition, which has been several years in the making and will open with a preview party Saturday, September 12, 5:30 to 7:30 pm, helps to celebrate the 350th anniversary of Woodbury by highlighting the furniture thought to have originated in the town between 1700 and 1850.
Woodbury was settled in 1659, and was one of the largest and wealthiest Connecticut towns in the Eighteenth Century. By the Revolutionary War, Woodbury was a growing commercial center, and by the end of the century had increased its ties with the urban market of New York. Many cabinetmakers migrated to Woodbury, and a competitive market of cabinetmakers ensured.
With the wealth and influence of local merchants, consumers and the influence of urban centers, many pieces of furniture featured elaborate combinations of elements; other pieces were of a more simplified construction technique and design.
The 30 examples of furniture attributed to the Woodbury area create a visual diversity of strength and beauty. The exhibit will include Woodbury furniture from the museum’s collection, Mattatuck Museum Arts and History Center, Gunn Historical Museum, Old Woodbury Historical Society, First Congregational Church of Woodbury, Connecticut Landmarks, Harold E. Cole Antiques, Nathan Liverant and Sons Antiques, along with other institutions, antique dealers and private collections.
The museum is at 49 Hollow Road. The preview party is $50 per person, and proceeds will support the museum. For reservations and further information, 203-263-2855 or www.theglebehouse.org
