Dean Thomas Lahikainen
A Family Legacy: Classical Furniture by Mark Pitman in the Ropes Mansion, Salem, Massachusetts

American Furniture 2024

Full Article
Contents
  • Figure 1
    Figure 1

    The Ropes Mansion, 318 Essex Street, Salem, Massachusetts. Unknown photographer, ca. 1890. (Courtesy, Phillips Library, Peabody Essex Museum [Ropes Papers, box 21, folder 2].) This photograph shows the site of Mark Pitman’s cabinetmaking shop on the left side of the house with the board fence erected in the 1850s.

  • Figure 2
    Figure 2

    Desk and bookcase, labeled by Mark Pitman (1779–1855), Salem, Massachusetts, 1807–1812. Mahogany, pine, glass. H. 67 1/2", W. 41 7/8", D. 20 1/2". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, given in honor of Dean Lahikainen and in memory of Anna Sterns by Anna Thurber, 2018.31.1AB; photo, Michael E. Myers.)

  • Figure 3
    Figure 3

    Detail of the printed label of Mark Pitman inside the desk and bookcase in fig. 2. (Photo, Michael E. Myers.)

  • Figure 4
    Figure 4

    Printed label with Mark Pitman’s handwritten signature pasted over the name of Josiah Caldwell. (Location unknown; photo, Phillips Library, Peabody Essex Museum.) Illustration from Dean A. Fales, Essex County Furniture: Documented Treasures from Local Collections, 1660–1860 (Salem, Mass.: Essex Institute, 1965), pl. 33.

  • Figure 5
    Figure 5

    William Bache (1771–1845), Silhouette of Elizabeth (Cleveland) Ropes (1757–1831), stamped “Bache’s Patent,” 1805. Cut paper and chalk. H. 5 3/8". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989, R905.1.)

  • Figure 6
    Figure 6

    Detail of Henry McIntyre, A Map of the City of Salem, Mass. (Philadelphia, 1851). (Courtesy, Phillips Library, Peabody Essex Museum.) The map shows the two shop buildings at 324 Essex Street next to the Ropes Mansion, marked “Mrs. Orne.”

  • Figure 7
    Figure 7

    Traveling desk by Mark Pitman, 1812. Mahogany, pine, glass, baize, brass, metal. H. 6 1/2", W. 20", D. 10". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989, R1129.)

  • Figure 8
    Figure 8

    Medicine chest by Mark Pitman, ca. 1807–1830. Painted pine, metal. H. 8 1/4", W. 13", D. 9 1/4". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989, R1290; photo, Dennis Helmar.)

  • Figure 9
    Figure 9

    Medicine chest containing sixteen glass bottles (ten labeled) with mixing and measuring equipment, British, 1820–1850. Mahogany, glass, brass, velvet. (Courtesy, Science Museum Group, Sir Henry Wellcome’s Museum Collection, A173654, © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum.)

  • Figure 10
    Figure 10

    Sewing box, attributed to Mark Pitman, ca. 1807–1836, with painted decoration possibly by Sally (Ropes) Orne (1795–1876) or Elizabth Ropes Orne (1818–1842). Maple or birch, pine, paper. H. 1 7/8", W. 3 1/2", D. 3 1/2". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989, R1250.)

  • Figure 11
    Figure 11

    Detail of the painted decoration on the top of the box in fig. 10.

  • Figure 12
    Figure 12

    Work table by Mark Pitman, 1810–1825, with painted decoration attributed to Elizabeth Ropes Orne (1818–1842), possibly in association with James A. Cleveland (1811–1868), 1830s. Bird’s-eye maple, mahogany, glass, brass. H. 30", W. 21 3/4", D. 16 1/2". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989, R1119; photo, Michael E. Myers.)

  • Figure 13
    Figure 13

    Detail of the painted decoration on the top of the table in fig. 12. (Photo, Michael E. Myers.)

  • Figure 14
    Figure 14

    Detail of the painted decoration on the front of the table in fig. 12. (Photo, Michael E. Myers.)

  • Figure 15
    Figure 15

    Detail of the painted decoration on the right side of the table in fig. 12. (Photo, Michael E. Myers.)

  • Figure 16
    Figure 16

    Detail of the painted decoration on the left side of the table in fig. 12. (Photo, Michael E. Myers.)

  • Figure 17
    Figure 17

    Elizabeth Ropes Orne, Sketch of a bridge, 1830s. Graphite on paper. H. 3 1/4", W. 5 3/4" (approx.). (Courtesy, Phillips Library, Peabody Essex Museum [Ropes Papers, box 10, folder 4].)

  • Figure 18
    Figure 18

    Detail of a sketch by James A. Cleveland, 1830s. Graphite on paper. H. 4 1/2", W. 7 3/4" (approx.). (Courtesy, Phillips Library, Peabody Essex Museum [Ropes Papers, box 10, folder 4].)

  • Figure 19
    Figure 19

    Sketch by James A. Cleveland in Elizabeth Ropes Orne’s autograph book, 1839. Graphite on paper. H. 2 1/4", W. 5 1/2" (approx.). (Courtesy, Phillips Library, Peabody Essex Museum [Ropes Papers, box 10, folder 10].) The inscription reads: “Drawn by J. Cleveland.”

  • Figure 20
    Figure 20

    Sketch shown on plate 7 in James Arthur Cleveland’s The Elements of Landscape Drawing (Cincinnati, 1839). Lithograph on paper. H. 9 1/2", W. 12". (Courtesy, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1954, 54.524.76; photo, Art Resource NY.)

  • Figure 21
    Figure 21

    Detail of the painted decoration on the back of the table in fig. 12. (Photo, Michael E. Myers.)

  • Figure 22
    Figure 22

    Samuel Finley Breese Morse(1791–1872), Mrs. Joseph Orne (Sarah “Sally” Ropes), 1817. Oil on board. H. 15 1/2", W. 13 1/4". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989, R744.)

  • Figure 23
    Figure 23

    Samuel Finley Breese Morse(1791–1872), Joseph Orne, 1817. Oil on board. H. 15 1/2", W. 13 1/2". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989, R745.)

  • Figure 24
    Figure 24

    Detail of a photograph of the Capt. William Orne House, Washington Street, Salem, Massachusetts, attributed to Daniel A. Clifford, ca. 1855. (Courtesy, Phillips Library, Peabody Essex Museum.) The house was designed by Samuel McIntire (1757–1811) in 1795 and was the home of Sally and Joseph Orne from 1817 to 1819.

  • Figure 25
    Figure 25

    Set of bookcases by Mark Pitman, 1816. Pine (grain-painted to simulate mahogany or rosewood), glass, metal. H. 89 1/2", W. 50 1/4", D. 14". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989, R1075; photo, Michael E. Myers.)

  • Figure 26
    Figure 26

    Set of bookcases by Mark Pitman, 1818–1830s. Pine (grain-painted to simulate mahogany or rosewood), glass, metal. H. 89", W. 50", D. 12". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989, R1076; photo, Michael E. Myers.)

  • Figure 27
    Figure 27

    Detail of the bracket foot, base molding, and stiles and rails on the glass door on the bookcase in fig. 25 (above); detail of the shaped skirt and bracket foot on the bookcase in fig. 26 (below). (Photos, Michael E. Myers.)

  • Figure 28
    Figure 28

    Receipt for Capt. Jonathan Hodges from Mark Pitman, April 8, 1808, for furniture supplied for the marriage of his daughter, Elizabeth H. Hodges, to George Cleveland of Salem. (Courtesy, Phillips Library, Peabody Essex Museum [Hodges Family Papers, box 22, folder 17].)

  • Figure 29
    Figure 29

    Bedstead with painted cornice by Mark Pitman, 1816–1817. Mahogany, maple, painted pine, brass, metal, with canvas, rope, and reproduction chintz. H. 90 7/8", W. 60 1/4", D. 78 3/4". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989, R1104; photo, Dennis Helmar.) The bedstead was made for the wedding of Joseph and Sally (Ropes) Orne. The hangings were added in 2015 using a reproduction of the original chintz fabric (see fig. 33).

  • Figure 30
    Figure 30

    Postcard, 1950s. Printed paper. H. 3 1/2", W. 5". (Collection of the author.) This image of the Peabody Museum of Salem’s 1950s recreation of the bedroom on Cleopatra’s Barge shows the painted bedstead commissioned for the yacht by George Crowninshield. The hangings are a reproduction of the original chintz fabric used on the bed in 1816.

  • Figure 31
    Figure 31

    “A design for a bed,” shown on plate 9 of Thomas Sheraton’s The Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer’s Drawing-Book (London, 1793). (Courtesy, Yale Center for British Art, Friends of British Art.)

  • Figure 32
    Figure 32

    Detail of the right front post of the bed in fig. 29. (Photo, Michael E. Myers.)

  • Figure 33
    Figure 33

    Detail of a piece of the original English glazed cotton chintz used for bed hangings on the bed in fig. 29. (Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989, R1934; photo, Walter Silver.)

  • Figure 34
    Figure 34

    Detail of the painted cornice with gilded medallion on the bedstead in fig. 29. (Photo, Dennis Helmar.)

  • Figure 35
    Figure 35

    A Roman carrying a fasces (wooden rods bound with straps around an ax head), an ancient symbol of united strength and power, from Cesare Vicellio and Ambroise Firmin-Didot’s Costumes anciens et modernes = Habiti antichi et moderni di tutto il mundo (Paris, 1860), pl. 4. (Courtesy, Indiana University; photo, HathiTrust Digital Library.)

  • Figure 36
    Figure 36

    Design for a “Bed Pillar” (detail) shown on plate 106 of George Hepplewhite’s The Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer’s Guide (London, 1794). (Courtesy, Phillips Library, Peabody Essex Museum.) The upper reeded column is entwined with faux straps in imitation of a Roman fasces.

  • Figure 37
    Figure 37

    Field bedstead by Mark Pitman, 1817–1825. Mahogany, maple, pine, canvas, rope, brass, metal. H. 85", W. 59 1/4", D. 79". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989, R1078; photo, Kathy Tarantola.)

  • Figure 38
    Figure 38

    Detail of the circular mahogany disc applied to the scroll on the headboard of the bedstead in fig. 37. (Photo, Kathy Tarantola.)

  • Figure 39
    Figure 39

    Detail of the pressed brass cap covering the metal bolt used to secure the front post to the side rail of the bedstead in fig. 37. (Photo, Kathy Tarantola.)

  • Figure 40
    Figure 40

    Detail of the turned urn finial on the tester of the bedstead in fig. 37. (Photo, Michael E. Myers.)

  • Figure 41
    Figure 41

    Detail of the turned urn finial on the cornice of the desk and bookcase in fig. 2. (Photo, Michael E. Myers.)

  • Figure 42
    Figure 42

    Sideboard by Mark Pitman, 1817–1818. Mahogany, mahogany veneer, pine, metal. H. 42", W. 61 1/4", D. 22". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989, R1063; photo, Michael E. Myers.)

  • Figure 43
    Figure 43

    Design for “A Cabinet,” shown on plate 48 of Thomas Sheraton’s The Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer’s Drawing-Book (London, 1793). (Courtesy, Phillips Library, Peabody Essex Museum.) The lower section is similar in form to the sideboard in fig. 42.

  • Figure 44
    Figure 44

    Detail of an ovolo cap on the top of one of the engaged columns on the sideboard in fig. 42. (Photo, Michael E. Myers.)

  • Figure 45
    Figure 45

    Detail of the carved floral motif on one of the engaged columns on the sideboard in fig. 42. (Photo, Michael E. Myers.)

  • Figure 46
    Figure 46

    Detail of the acanthus-leaf carving on one of the engaged columns on the dressing chest in fig. 50. (Photo, Michael E. Myers.)

  • Figure 47
    Figure 47

    Detail of a design for “Ornament for a Tablet and Various Leaves,” shown on plate 11 of Thomas Sheraton’s The Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer’s Drawing-Book (London, 1793). (Courtesy, Getty Research Institute; photo, HathiTrust Digital Library.)

  • Figure 48
    Figure 48

    Secretary with tambour doors labeled by Mark Pitman, 1800–1810. Mahogany, birds-eye maple, Eastern white pine, oak, brass, bed ticking. H. 52 1/4", W. 38 1/4", D. 19". (Courtesy, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, purchased through a bequest from Lulu C. and Robert L. Coller, Class of 1923, F.984.19.)

  • Figure 49
    Figure 49

    Detail of the label on the secretary in fig. 48.

  • Figure 50
    Figure 50

    Dressing chest with attached looking glass by Mark Pitman, 1817–1818. Mahogany, mahogany veneer, pine, mirror glass, painted brass. H. 71", W. 44", D. 22 1/2". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989, R1112.AB; photo, Dennis Helmar.)

  • Figure 51
    Figure 51

    Dressing glass by William Hook (1777–1867), Salem, Massachusetts, 1818. Mahogany, mahogany veneer, white pine, mirror glass, metal, brass. H. 27", W. 27 1/2", D. 11 1/2". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the estate of George Rea Curwen, 1900, 4134.83; photo, Kathy Tarantola.) This dressing glass was made for use on top of a bow front chest of drawers, also in the Peabody Essex Museum’s collection (4134.82).

  • Figure 52
    Figure 52

    Designs for brackets shown on plate 5 of the New-York Society of Cabinet Makers’ The New-York Book of Prices for Manufacturing Cabinet and Chair Work (New York, 1817). (Courtesy, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1939.) Several of the illustrated designs are in imitation of the ancient lyre and similar to the brackets on the dressing glasses in figs. 50 and 51.

  • Figure 53
    Figure 53

    Looking glass, Boston or Salem, possibly by Mark Pitman, 1800–1820. Mahogany, pine, mirror glass. H. 17 7/8", W. 31 3/8". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989, R1116; photo, Michael E. Myers.)

  • Figure 54
    Figure 54

    Dressing table by Mark Pitman, 1817–1818. Mahogany, mahogany veneer, pine, brass. H. 38", W. 39", D. 17". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989, R1111.AB; photo, Dennis Helmar.) The chalk inscription “Bottom” in Pitman’s handwriting is on the underside of the drawer unit.

  • Figure 55
    Figure 55

    Detail of a pressed brass foot imitating a lion paw on the drawer unit on the dressing table in fig. 54. (Photo, Michael E. Myers.)

  • Figure 56
    Figure 56

    Chest of drawers by Mark Pitman, 1817–1818. Mahogany, mahogany veneer, pine. H. 41", W. 43", D. 21 3/4". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989, R1082; photo, Michael E. Myers.)

  • Figure 57
    Figure 57

    Washstand by Mark Pitman, 1817–1818. Mahogany, mahogany veneer, pine. H. 39 1/2", W. 19 1/2", D. 16 1/2". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989, R1081; photo, Michael E. Myers.)

  • Figure 58
    Figure 58

    Washstand by Mark Pitman, 1817–1818. Mahogany, mahogany veneer, pine, brass. H. 39 1/2", W. 19 1/2", D. 16 1/2". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989, R1125; photo, Kathy Tarantola.)

  • Figure 59
    Figure 59

    Washstand by Mark Pitman, 1817–1825. Mahogany, mahogany veneer, pine, brass. H. 39 3/4", W. 19 1/2", D. 16 3/4". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989, R1105, washstand and R361.AB, ewer and basin; photo, Michael E. Myers.) Shown with an ewer and basin, English transfer-printed pottery, ca. 1817. The wash set is one of four purchased by the Ornes in 1818 and used with their washstands.

  • Figure 60
    Figure 60

    Looking glass with a shell ornament, Boston or Salem, Massachusetts, ca. 1817. Gilded wood, pine, mirror glass. H. 38 1/4", W. 22 3/4". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989, R1083; photo, Michael E. Myers.) The Ornes purchased the mirror in 1817 to hang above one of their washstands.

  • Figure 61
    Figure 61

    Looking glass with floral ornaments, Boston or Salem, Massachusetts, ca. 1817. Gilded wood, pine, mirror glass. H. 39 1/2", W. 22 1/4". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989, R1106; photo, Michael E. Myers.) The Ornes purchased the mirror in 1817 to hang above one of their washstands.

  • Figure 62
    Figure 62

    Night table by Mark Pitman,1817–1818; altered into a four-drawer display chest, ca. 1900. Mahogany, pine, brass. H. 29 1/2", W. 25", D. 18 3/4". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, FIC2019.7.1; photo, Kathy Tarantola.)

  • Figure 63
    Figure 63

    Design for a night table (detail), shown on plate 82 of the third edition of George Hepplewhite’s The Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer’s Guide (London, 1794). (Courtesy, Phillips Library, Peabody Essex Museum.)

  • Figure 64
    Figure 64

    Commode or night table by Elijah Sanderson (1751–1825), Salem, Massachusetts, ca. 1800. Mahogany, mahogany veneer, white pine, brass. H. 29 1/2", W. 25 3/4", D. 19". (Private collection; photo, Phillips Library, Peabody Essex Museum.) Illustrated in Dean A. Fales Jr.’s Essex County Furniture: Documented Treasures from Local Collections, 1660–1860 (Salem, Mass.: Essex Institute, 1965), pl. 37.

  • Figure 65
    Figure 65

    Two-section dining table by Mark Pitman, 1817–1818. Mahogany, mahogany veneer, pine, metal. Each section, H. 28 1/2", W. 54", L. 56" (fully open) (total table length 112"). (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989, R1070; photo, Michael E. Myers.)

  • Figure 66
    Figure 66

    Pembroke table by Mark Pitman, 1817–1818. Mahogany, mahogany veneer, pine, brass, metal. H. 28 1/2", W. 42", D. 31". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989, R1068; photo, Dennis Helmar.)

  • Figure 67
    Figure 67

    Detail of the brass pull with thistle motif on the drawer of the table in fig. 66. (Photo, Dennis Helmar.)

  • Figure 68
    Figure 68

    Armchair, probably New York City, ca. 1817. Multiple woods, rush, and paint. H. 32 1/2", W. 20". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum; gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989, R1069.2.) This armchair was from a set purchased by Sally and Joseph Orne about 1817 to be used with the dining table in fig. 65. Two armchairs and four side chairs survive in the collection from what was likely a larger set.

  • Figure 69
    Figure 69

    “Landscape” painted side chair, probably New York City, 1816. Multiple woods, rush and paint. H. 33 1/4", W. 18", D. 16". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of Arthur R. Sharp, Jr. and Mary Silsbee Sharp, 1972, M8541; photo, Kathy Tarantola.) This side chair was from a set used for dining on George Crowninshield’s yacht Cleopatra’s Barge.

  • Figure 70
    Figure 70

    William Brown Jr.’s advertisement for “FANCY CHAIRS” in the Mercantile Advertiser (New York, N.Y.), February 15, 1816. (Courtesy, New-York Historical Society.)

  • Figure 71
    Figure 71

    Pier glass with a cornucopia and grapes motif, Salem or Boston, Massachusetts, 1817. Gilded and ebonized wood, mirror glass. H. 45", W. 22", D. 2 1/2". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989, R1066; photo, Michael E. Myers.) This looking glass was purchased by the Ornes in 1817 for their dining room to coordinate with the painted black and gold chair in fig. 68.

  • Figure 72
    Figure 72

    The Pitman dining furniture and other table accessories owned by Sally and Joseph Orne, installed in 2015 in the dining room that had been remodeled in 1835–1836 in the Ropes Mansion. (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum; photo, Kathy Tarantola.)

  • Figure 73
    Figure 73

    Grecian style sofa by Mark Pitman, 1817–1818. Mahogany, maple, pine, brass, with red wool upholstery from the 1890s. H. 38", W. 84 1/4", D. 24 1/4". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989, R1048; photo, Dennis Helmar.)

  • Figure 74
    Figure 74

    Design for a “Grecian Sofa,” shown on plate 73 of Thomas Sheraton’s The Cabinet Dictionary (London, 1803). (Courtesy, Phillips Library, Peabody Essex Museum.)

  • Figure 75
    Figure 75

    Detail of a front leg of the sofa in fig. 73. (Photo, Michael E. Myers.)

  • Figure 76
    Figure 76

    Detail of child’s sarcophagus depicting the marriage feast of Cupid and Psyche, Roman, 3rd century CE. Proconnesian marble. (Courtesy and © The Trustees of the British Museum.) The couple are seated on a sofa similar in form to the sofas in figs. 73 and 77.

  • Figure 77
    Figure 77

    Grecian style sofa by Mark Pitman, carving attributed to Samuel Field McIntire (1780–1819), ca. 1815. Mahogany, maple, with modern upholstery. H. 37 1/2", W. 85", D. 24 1/2". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of Mrs. Robert Johnston, 1984, 136133; photo, Dennis Helmar.) The sofa was made for the family of Jonathan Peele Saunders (1785–1844).

  • Figure 78
    Figure 78

    Design for a settee (detail), shown on plate 18 of Thomas Hope’s Household Furniture and Interior Decoration (London, 1807). (Courtesy, Phillips Library, Peabody Essex Museum.)

  • Figure 79
    Figure 79

    Detail of the brass floral mount on the crest rail of the sofa in fig. 73. (Photo, Michael E. Myers.)

  • Figure 80
    Figure 80

    Detail of the brass floral mount on the arm of the sofa in fig. 73. (Photo, Michael E. Myers.)

  • Figure 81
    Figure 81

    Detail of the brass floral mount on the front seat rail of the sofa in fig. 73. (Photo, Michael E. Myers.)

  • Figure 82
    Figure 82

    Side chair (from a set of ten) by Mark Pitman, 1817–1818. Mahogany, mahogany veneer, cane. H. 33", W. 17", D. 18". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memoral, 1989, R1131.1.)

  • Figure 83
    Figure 83

    Side chair, attributed to Isaac Vose and Son, Boston, Massachusetts, with Thomas Wightman, carver, 1824–1825. Mahogany, birch, modern upholstery. H. 33", W. 19", D. 17". (Private collection; photo, David Bohl.) This chair is from a set originally owned by Samuel Atkins Eliot and Mary Lyman Eliot.

  • Figure 84
    Figure 84

    Easy chair by Mark Pitman, 1817–1818. Mahogany, various hardwoods, later upholstery. H. 40 1/2", W. 28 1/2", D. 30". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989, R1114; photo, Dennis Helmar.)

  • Figure 85
    Figure 85

    Detail of the front leg and rocker on the easy chair in fig. 84. (Photo, Dennis Helmar.)

  • Figure 86
    Figure 86

    James Frothingham (1786–1864), Elizabeth Ropes Orne, ca. 1822. Oil on canvas. H. 42", W. 35" (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989, R746.)

  • Figure 87
    Figure 87

    Bow front chest of drawers by Mark Pitman, 1810–1825. Mahogany, mahogany veneer, pine, brass. H. 39 1/2", W. 44 1/4", D. 20 1/2". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989, R1113; photo, Dennis Helmar.)

  • Figure 88
    Figure 88

    Detail of the brass drawer pull with sea shell motif on the chest of drawers in fig. 87. (Photo, Dennis Helmar.)

  • Figure 89
    Figure 89

    Dressing box with attached looking glass by Mark Pitman, 1817–1825. Mahogany, mahogany veneer, pine, ivory, metal, mirror glass. H. 16 1/2", W. 14 7/8", D. 6 1/2". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989, R1103; photo, Dennis Helmar.)

  • Figure 90
    Figure 90

    Toy cradle by Mark Pitman, 1820–1830. Mahogany. H. 8 1/2", W. 14", D. 7 1/2". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989, R1098; photo, Dennis Helmar.)

  • Figure 91
    Figure 91

    Toy washstand by Mark Pitman, 1820–1830. Mahogany, brass. H. 8 1/4", W. 4 1/2", D. 4 1/2". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989, R1099, washstand and R351.2, plate; photo, Dennis Helmar.) Shown with miniature plate, English, ca. 1825.

  • Figure 92
    Figure 92

    Two-part bookshelf with two drawers by Mark Pitman, 1828. Mahogany, mahogany veneer, pine, brass. H. 45 1/2", W. 28", D. 8 1/2". Shown on top of a single drawer table by Mark Pitman, 1807–1825. Pine, maple. H. 29", W. 32 1/4", D. 17 3/4". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989, R1101, R1100; photo, Dennis Helmar.)

  • Figure 93
    Figure 93

    Detail of the gilded medallion on the right scroll of the bookshelf in fig. 92. (Photo, Michael E. Myers.)

  • Figure 94
    Figure 94

    The Elizabeth Ropes Orne bed chamber in the Ropes Mansion, containing the bedstead in fig. 37, washstand in fig. 57, and mirror in fig. 60. (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989; photo, Allison White.) The room was restored in 2015 using reproductions of period wallpaper, ingrain carpeting, and cotton dimity bed hangings.

  • Figure 95
    Figure 95

    Grecian style Pembroke table by Mark Pitman, 1826. Mahogany, mahogany veneer, pine, unidentified wood, brass, metal. H. 29", W. 46 1/2", D. 24 1/2". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989, R1054; photo, Kathy Tarantola.)

  • Figure 96
    Figure 96

    Detail of the mahogany veneered panel with fillet moldings set into the end of the apron rail on the table in fig. 95. (Photo, Kathy Tarantola.)

  • Figure 97
    Figure 97

    Grecian style work table by Mark Pitman, 1828. Mahogany, mahogany veneer, pine, glass, brass, metal, paper, silk fabric. H. 28", W. 19 1/4", D. 19 1/2". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989, R1136; photo, Michael E. Myers.)

  • Figure 98
    Figure 98

    Design for a “Ladies Work Table” (detail), shown on plate 35 of Ackermann’s Repository, no. 30 (June 1811). (Courtesy, Phillips Library, Peabody Essex Museum.)

  • Figure 99
    Figure 99

    Detail of the original cut-glass drawer pulls on the work table in fig. 97. (Photo, Michael E. Myers.)

  • Figure 100
    Figure 100

    Detail of the original plaid silk fabric, with a fragment of gold fringe, covering the storage drawer on the work table in fig. 97. (Photo, Michael E. Myers.)

  • Figure 101
    Figure 101

    Detail of the swing bracket used to support the raised leaf on the work table in fig. 97. (Photo, Michael E. Myers.)

  • Figure 102
    Figure 102

    Cylinder desk and stand by Mark Pitman, 1827 or 1828. Desk: mahogany, mahogany veneer, pine, baize fabric, brass, glass bottles with silvered caps, fabric glued to the reeds. H. 7", W. 15 1/2", D. 11 1/2". Stand: mahogany, mahogany veneer, unidentified wood, brass. H. 28 1/2", W. 21 1/4", D. 17 1/2". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989. R1109, R1110; photo, Dennis Helmar.)

  • Figure 103
    Figure 103

    John Harden (1772–1847), Harden Family at Brathay Hall, 1827. Watercolor on paper. Dimensions not recorded. (Courtesy, Abbot Hall, Lakeland Arts Trust, Cumbria, England.) The young woman by the window is using a lap desk on a stand similar to the one in fig. 102.

  • Figure 104
    Figure 104

    Cylinder desk by Mark Pitman shown in fig. 102. (Photo, Dennis Helmar.)

  • Figure 105
    Figure 105

    Stand with hinged octagonal top by Mark Pitman shown in fig. 102. (Photo, Dennis Helmar.)

  • Figure 106
    Figure 106

    Design for “A Lady’s Writing Table” (detail), shown on plate 71 of Thomas Sheraton’s The Cabinet Dictionary (London, 1803). (Courtesy, Phillips Library, Peabody Essex Museum.)

  • Figure 107
    Figure 107

    Detail of the carved scrolls on the upper legs on the stand in fig. 102. (Photo, Dennis Helmar.)

  • Figure 108
    Figure 108

    Bookshelf by Mark Pitman,1824–1828. Mahogany, brass mounts. H. 31", W. 27 7/8", D. 8 1/4". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989, R1115; photo, Michael E. Myers.)

  • Figure 109
    Figure 109

    Design for a “Profile of a dressing glass” (detail), shown on plate 14 of Thomas Hope’s Household Furniture and Interior Decoration (London, 1807). (Courtesy, Phillips Library, Peabody Essex Museum.) The scrolled brackets are similar in shape to the sides of the bookshelf in fig. 108, with a similar floral motif on the end of the upper scroll.

  • Figure 110
    Figure 110

    Detail of the brass rosette on the upper scroll of the bookshelf in fig. 108. (Photo, Michael E. Myers.)

  • Figure 111
    Figure 111

    Detail of the brass medallion on the lower scroll of the bookshelf in fig. 108. (Photo, Michael E. Myers.)

  • Figure 112
    Figure 112

    Brass hardware sewn into the trade catalogue issued by Thomas Potts, Designs for Curtain Pins, Curtain Poles, Drawer Handles, Knob Cupboard Turns, Bed Caps, Clock Pins, Doorknobs, etc. (Birmingham, England, 1829–1833). (Courtesy, Rhode Island School of Design Museum.) The medallion marked “01331” is similar to the medallion in fig. 111 used on the bookshelf in fig. 108.

  • Figure 113
    Figure 113

    Gray marble chimneypiece made by John Templeton, Boston, Massachusetts, 1835. H. 49 3/4", W. 68 3/4", D. (shelf) 8 1/2". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989; photo, Michael E. Myers.) The chimneypiece was purchased by Sally (Ropes) Orne and her sister, Abigail Ropes, for the front parlor of the Ropes Mansion during the 1835–1836 renovation; it was moved to a second-floor bedroom in 1894.

  • Figure 114
    Figure 114

    Design for a “Chimney Piece” in the Grecian style, shown on plate 50 of Asher Benjamin’s The Practical House Carpenter (Boston, 1830). (Courtesy, Phillips Library, Peabody Essex Museum.)

  • Figure 115
    Figure 115

    South wall of the front parlor of the Ropes Mansion, showing the commode, pier glass, and tabourets installed as part of the 1835–1836 renovation of the room. (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum; photo, Michael E. Myers.)

  • Figure 116
    Figure 116

    Design for a “Commode, Pier Glass & Tabourets,” shown on plate 26 of Ackermann’s Repository, second series vol. 6, no. 35 (November 1, 1818): opp. p. 307. (Courtesy, Philadelphia Museum of Art Library; photo, Internet Archive, the American Libraries collection.)

  • Figure 117
    Figure 117

    Commode or pier cabinet by Mark Pitman, 1835–1836. Mahogany, mahogany veneer, pine, marble. H. 33 3/4", W. 40 1/4", D. 19 7/8". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989, R1038; photo, Dennis Helmar.)

  • Figure 118
    Figure 118

    Design for a commode (detail), shown on plate 39 of Thomas King’s The Modern Style of Cabinet Work Exemplified, in New Designs, Practically Arranged (London, 1839). (Photo, HathiTrust Digital Library.)

  • Figure 119
    Figure 119

    Tabouret (one of a pair), attributed to Kimball and Sargent, Salem, Massachusetts, 1835–1836. Mahogany, mahogany veneer, pine, modern needlework. H. 18", W. 20 3/4", D. 13". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989, R1037.1, .2; photo, Dennis Helmar.)

  • Figure 120
    Figure 120

    Detail of a 1915 photograph showing the original needlepoint covering attributed to Sally (Ropes) Orne on the tabouret (or its mate) in fig. 119. (Courtesy, Phillips Library, Peabody Essex Museum [Ropes Papers, box 21, folder 3].)

  • Figure 121
    Figure 121

    Footstool by Mark Pitman, with needlework covering attributed to Sally (Ropes) Orne, 1830s. Mahogany, pine, wool. H. 4 5/8", W. 13 3/8", D. 10 1/2". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989, R1079; photo, Dennis Helmar.)

  • Figure 122
    Figure 122

    Pole screen by Mark Pitman, with needlework attributed to Sally (Ropes) Orne, 1835–1836. Mahogany, mahogany veneer, pine, wool, silk backing fabric, glass, metal. H. 63 7/8", W. 16 7/8"; screen H. 16 1/2", W. 15 7/8". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989, R1055; photo, Dennis Helmar.)

  • Figure 123
    Figure 123

    Detail of the needlework panel on the pole screen in fig. 122. (Photo, Dennis Helmar.)

  • Figure 124
    Figure 124

    Footstool (one of a pair) attributed to Mark Pitman, 1830s. Mahogany, mahogany veneer, pine, modern needlework. H. 6 1/4", W. 13 1/2", D. 11 1/2". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989, R1044.1; photo, Dennis Helmar.)

  • Figure 125
    Figure 125

    Detail of a 1915 photograph showing the original floral needlework attributed to Sally (Ropes) Orne on the footstool (or its mate) in fig. 124. (Courtesy, Phillips Library, Peabody Essex Museum [Ropes Papers, box 21, folder 3].)

  • Figure 126
    Figure 126

    Design for a pole screen (detail), shown on plate 5 of Thomas King’s The Modern Style of Cabinet Work Exemplified, in New Designs, Practically Arranged (London, 1839). (Photo, HathiTrust Digital Library.)

  • Figure 127
    Figure 127

    Detail of the leaf carving on the base of the pole screen in fig. 122. (Photo, Dennis Helmar.)

  • 128
    128

    Detail of the finial with leaf carving on the pole screen in fig. 122. (Photo, Dennis Helmar.)

  • Figure 129
    Figure 129

    Detail of the leaf carving on the mid-section of the pole screen in fig. 122. (Photo, Dennis Helmar.)

  • Figure 130
    Figure 130

    Tabletop fire screen, attributed to Mark Pitman, needlework attributed to Sally (Ropes) Orne or Abigail Ropes, 1830s. Mahogany, pine, wool, silk fabric, metal, glass. H. 27 1/2", W. 8"; screen H. 9 7/8", W. 10 7/8", D.  3/4". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989, R1042; photo, Dennis Helmar.)

  • Figure 131
    Figure 131

    Design for a fire screen (detail), shown on plate 32 of Ackermann’s Repository 14, no. 84 (December 1815): opp. p. 348. (Courtesy, Library of the Philadelphia Museum of Art; scan, Internet Archive.) 

  • Figure 132
    Figure 132

    Grecian style card table by Mark Pitman, 1830s. Mahogany, mahogany veneer, pine, metal. H. 28 1/2", W. 36", D. 17 1/2". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989, R1085; photo, Michael E. Myers.)

  • Figure 133
    Figure 133

    Card table (one of a pair), attributed to Thomas Seymour (1771–1848), Boston, Massachusetts, 1816. Mahogany, various woods. H. 30 7/8", W. 36 1/4", D. 18". (Courtesy, National Park Service, Adams National Historical Park.) The tables were made for Peter Chardon Brooks.

  • Figure 134
    Figure 134

    Design for a card table (detail), shown on plate 43 of Thomas King’s The Modern Style of Cabinet Work Exemplified, in New Designs, Practically Arranged (London, 1839). (Photo, HathiTrust Digital Library.)

  • Figure 135
    Figure 135

    Detail of one of the feet with domed cap and bead edge on the table in fig. 132. (Photo, Michael E. Myers.)

  • Figure 136
    Figure 136

    Detail of the turned base on the right front column of the chest of drawers in fig. 137. (Photo, Kathy Tarantola.)

  • Figure 137
    Figure 137

    Chest of drawers by Mark Pitman, 1833. Mahogany, mahogany veneer, pine, metal. H. 42", W. 47", D. 22". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of Mary Osgood Hodges, 1918, 107547; photo, Kathy Tarantola.)

  • Figure 138
    Figure 138

    Design for a “Commode en acajou flambé” (chest of drawers with flaming mahogany) (detail), shown on plate 328 of Pierre de La Mésangère’s Collection de meubles et objets de goût (Paris, ca. 1802–1818). (Courtesy, Bibliothèque de l’Institut national d’histoire de l’art, collections Jacques Doucet.)

  • Figure 139
    Figure 139

    Round-top table attributed to Mark Pitman, 1830s. Mahogany, mahogany veneer, pine, metal. H. 29 1/4", Diam. top 28 1/2". (Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989, R1128; photo, Dennis Helmar.)

  • Figure 140
    Figure 140

    Designs for a “Stool and Reading Table” (detail), shown on plate 30 of Ackermann’s Repository 8, no. 47 (November 1812): opp. p. 289. (Courtesy, Phillips Library, Peabody Essex Museum.)