First, there was the field trip to Clifton. Then, there was the classwork. And finally by the end of Fall 2013, the students of Ms. Authur’s Museums and Society class had researched and prepared the material for their exhibition entitled “A Tale of Two Houses: Homewood, Clifton & Historic Preservation.” They then installed maps, photos, and objects – many from Special Collections — and gave an opening gallery talk about their work and findings. Now is the time to visit the Homewood House and view the results of their labors.
The exhibition introduces visitors to the Carrolls who owned Homewood House, the Thompsons who built Clifton which finally became the summer home of Johns Hopkins.
Where are the homes located? Students chose maps from the Sheridan Libraries’ collections to put the story of the two houses in context. The visitor can see how the city grew and eventually surrounded the houses.
In the back entry way, there are objects such as an old chair, a silver chocolate pot, and a copy of The American Register with a rare signature of Charles Carroll, Jr.
An exciting section of the exhibition displays the power of paint analysis. The original analysis of paint colors during the 1980s restoration showed that the color of the decorative trim was green. With the paint analysis that was finished in the fall, the outcome was very different. The current analysis shows that the colors were Naples Yellow with Prussian Blue trim.
Come, enjoy and learn about the Thompsons, the Carrolls, and Mr. Johns Hopkins and their summer villas. The exhibition will be open until May 25, 2014.