Residence of Lauriston Cruttenden, Esq.

Description

Media Type

Image

Item Type

Photographs

Description

Hand-tinted photo of Lauriston Cruttenden, Esq. standing in front of his home (36 Ontario Street North. There is a fence along the home's property line with several trees in view.

This photo came from Mary Chesterfield Rutter of Leamington, who had received this photo as a wedding gift from Julia Ford in 1935.

Notes

Condition: Okay. Very old looking and worn.

Condition Report of 1857ph or 992.9.3
Framed 1870s photograph of 1859 house, 36 Ontario Street, St. Marys
Hand Coloured
Date: June 17, 1992
Reporter: M. Smith
Narrative:
The original owner, Mary Rutter, was very anxious for the Museum to have this photograph which had been given to her as a wedding present in 1935 by her neighbour, Julia Ford. It appears to have been taken some time in the 1870s and shows the brick house still located at 36 Ontario Street North, St. Marys. In 1935, this was the home of Mrs. Rutter’s family, the Chesterfields (and still is in 1992, in fact) but it was originally built, ca. 1859, by Julia Ford’s grandfather, Lauriston Cruttenden, one of the town’s first settlers, as a home for his family.
The photograph is hand-tinted and the small figure of Lauriston Cruttenden himself can be seen posing proudly beside the picket fence at the front of the house. Many original architectural details of the house can be seen – it has been significantly changed over the years – such as shutters, veranda pillars and bargeboard trim. However, several bushy young trees obscure quite a bit of the building.
The photograph is in a carved oak frame which the donor prizes almost as much as the picture. It has gilt trim and rough wood backing. Upon close examination, it is evident that the colours of the photograph have faded badly and that its mounting is both dirty and acidic. It is also evident that the colouring of the photograph was not particularly well done. Water colours were used and were applied in a rather blotchy fashion. In some places, outlines (of at least one tree trunk, for instance) appear to have been emphasized by pencil. Perhaps this is the work of a child; the Cruttenden daughters were accomplished artists as adults and some of their coloured photographs in the Museum’s collection – portraits of their parents, Lauriston and Permillia Cruttenden, for example, are beautifully done.
However, the photograph is of significant historic value as a record of the building, complete with details of landscaping, fencing, paint colours of the period. The figure of Lauriston Cruttenden is very clear and recognizable, although small.
Problem: It is imperative to remove the photograph from its acidic mounting and keep it from light so that it will not fade further. However, if the donor ever visits the Museum, she will undoubtedly expect to see the picture on display in its original frame.
Immediate Solution: Remove photograph from frame and store in acid-free envelope in photo storage area. Put good copy of original in frame and hang.
Long-term Recommendation: Get expert opinion as to whether this photograph should receive – and could withstand – further de-acidification treatment.

Inscriptions

The residence of
Lauriston Cruttenden Esq.
Erected in the year -
1859 - in St. Marys
Ontario
Canada

Dimensions

Width: 21.6 cm
Height: 16.6 cm

Image Dimensions

Image Width: 20.5cm
Image Height: 15.2cm

Subject(s)

Dwellings
Portrait photographs

Local identifier

1857ph

Collection

St. Marys Museum photo collection

Language of Item

English

Geographic Coverage

St. Marys

Ontario, Canada

Latitude: 43.2596105 Longitude: -81.1483984

Donor

Came from Mary Chesterfield Rutler, 1992

Copyright Statement

Copyright status unknown. Responsibility for determining the copyright status and any use rests exclusively with the user.

Recommended Citation

"Residence of Lauriston Cruttenden, Esq." St. Marys Museum, 1857ph.

Terms of Use

Reproduction of digital objects is restricted to fair use for personal study or research; any other use must be done with permission of copyright holder.

Reproduction Notes