The Forgotten Aristocracy
of the South
1873 Bible
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Printed in London, England by George E. Eyre and W. Spottiswoode, "Printers to the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty."
Date: c. 1873 when it was inscribed
This Bible has a black cover with gold writing and accents. As It contains a handwritten inscription inside the front cover on the first page, written in black ink that reads “Frank H. McClung from Mother, Dec. 25, 1873. indicated by the inscription, this Bible appears to be a gift of sorts, perhaps a Christmas gift, to Frank H. McClung from his mother. Let this blessed Word be a lamp unto they feet and a light to thy path.” The book has not been well kept and the overall condition of the book is poor with visible chipping, spinal tearing, and staining. The table of contents reveals that the book was printed in London, England by George E. Eyre and W. Spottiswoode, “Printers to the Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty”.
Gifts such as these were common in the upper echelon of the South's social structure. This artifact is important to the overall collection because it shows that while most of the South was indeed in tatters after the war, there remained a small segment of the population who could afford the luxury of providing gifts such as this. While The passing on of this Bible also demonstrates the importance and role that religion played in the region at the time, helping this region to be known as the Bible Belt.
A Southern Aristocrat
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Label from The Collector's Eye (2014):
A Southern Aristocrat, 1896
Lloyd Branson (1861-1925), American
Oil on panel
Bequest of Judge John W. and Ellen McClung Green, 1957.3.707
Oil on canvas painting of a woman in a large brimmed born hat in a white silk dress. Painting was signed by East Tennessee artist L. Branson in 1896 and titled “A Southern Aristocrat”. As indicated by the title of the work, the woman is a Southern aristocrat and as such her overall style of dress and stature is that of a wealthy upscale individual. Her hair is done in the popular style of the time, the knot-top, a style that would require the help of servants. Her hairstyle, usage of makeup, and style of dress denote aristocracy and the abundance of free time that would not be available to women of a lower social class.
The most important aspects of this painting are that she is southern, the date is 1896, a time where the south was seemingly still shattered, and that she is an aristocrat. This artifact adds to the overall collection as it expresses the quintessential Southern aristocrat. This painting shows that there were still people who had the time and luxury to have the portraits painted, something that typically is reserved for the upper class in American and European societies. Aristocrats like the woman being depicted still held a certain sense of power and influence that was known in the South, but thought of as an obscurity or unfathomable by Northerners.
Georgian Home Painting
Description: Painting, on of two of "States' View" by Hugh C. Tyler (18840). American.
Painting of a large Georgian- style home that sits atop of a grassy hilltop. There are a multitude of plant in this scene which include shrubbery in the background near the home and larger tress in the foreground. The season of the painting appears to be early Autumn, as noted by the lack of leaves on the trees along with the orange-brown hue of the leaves; the grass also appears to yellow-brown indicating a chilly season. The home itself is large and square with a multitude of windows and an apparent high ceiling that are characteristic of Southern homes at the time. The painting was finished in 1925 by artist Hugh Tyler.
With most of the fighting in the Civil War having been fought in the South, most of the destruction was concentrated there. As such most people would assume that this meant the end of the Southern architecture and an end to the grandeur of the region This artifact proves this incorrect as large homes and estates still existed. This is a very important artifact and its contribution to the overall collection is immense because it helps to end the perpetuated beliefs that there were no large structures that either survived the War or people wealthy enough to maintain them.