Described as “startling” when it reopened to the public in 1977, after a historically accurate reinterpretation, Boscobel soon became a visual reference for the architecture and decorative arts of the Federal period. —All images collection of Andrew Baseman and courtesy Boscobel House and Gardens.
GARRISON, N.Y. – Boscobel House and Gardens’ 2016 exhibition “Hudson Hewn: New York Furniture Now” earned popular appeal and critical acclaim, so the museum plans to build on that success this year with “Make-Do’s: Curiously Repaired Antiques,” the first major exhibition focused on historic attempts to reduce, reuse and recycle. It will be on view June 3-October 1.
Staffordshire, England, agateware jug with pewter lid and tin replacement handle and bands, mid-Nineteenth Century with later alteration, 8¾ inches tall.
Make-dos include everyday household remnants, such as porcelain teapots with silver replacement spouts and or tin handles. They also include treasured relics, such as a decanter riddled with staples that was once owned by Washington Irving. More than 100 examples will be drawn from local, private and public collections. At some point in their history these objects met with calamity, and yet, were deemed too precious to discard. They invite curiosity: were they repaired for practical, sentimental or aesthetic reasons?
Boscobel is the ideal organizer of “Make-Do’s,” as Boscobel itself is a kind of make-do. The original 1804-08 neoclassical mansion was partially demolished in 1955, but – thanks to dedicated preservationists – reassembled and repurposed as a museum. Like Boscobel, make-dos illustrate the complex relationships between everyday people and the things that they choose to save.
The exhibition is open during regular museum hours and is included with admission to the house or grounds. An illustrated catalog with essays by curator Jennifer Carlquist and collector/designer Andrew Baseman will accompany the exhibition and be available for purchase in the gift shop. Exhibition-related programs include lectures, a “Repair Cafe” for community members co-organized with the Desmond-Fish Library on June 17, a panel discussion moderated by design historian Glenn Adamson and a lecture by Andrew Baseman.
Boscobel House and Gardens is at 1601 NY-9D. For additional information, www.boscobel.org or 845-265-3638
