The Winterthur Library

The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum

5105 Kennett Pike, Winterthur, Delaware  19735

Telephone: 302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883

 

 

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

 

Creator:         Dorman, Charles G.               

Title:               Research notes and photographs

Dates:             1954-1960

Call No.:         Col. 261                     

Acc. No.:        94x29; 2017x84

Quantity:        1 box

Location:        9 B 1

 

 

 

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

 

Charles Gilpin Dorman (1920-2000) was a curator at Independence National Historical Park, where his favorite project was the restoration of the Bishop William White House.  Born in Wilmington, Delaware, in 1920, he was the son of Melda May Walthers and Thomas Gilpin Dorman.  He received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Delaware.  He worked at the J. Kenneth Danby Galleries (an antiques shop in Wilmington) before becoming a historian in the division of political history at the Smithsonian.  In 1960, he became a curator at Independence National Historical Park, from which he retired in 1983.  Dorman assisted in a number of historic restorations in the Delaware Valley area.  His hobby was collecting Delawareana.

 

He was recognized for his expertise in 18th century American decorative arts and wrote the book Delaware Cabinetmakers and Allied Professions, 1655-1855, published in 1960.  He was an active member of the Historical Society of Delaware and a board member of the Chester County Historical Society.  Mr. Dorman died in Philadelphia in 2000.

 

 

SCOPE AND CONTENT

 

Consists of Dorman's notes and typescript of what he titles "A Survey of Delaware Cabinetmakers, 1700-1830."  Much of the material was later published as Delaware Cabinetmakers and Allied Artisans, 1655-1855.  Included in the material are photographs of furniture, photocopies of inventories of cabinetmakers' estates and wills, typewritten biographical information, and miscellaneous accounts.  Most of the information and photocopies were taken from material in the Delaware State Archives.

 

The collection also includes some slides which are believed to have been taken by Dorman.  Pictured are pieces of Delaware furniture; log cabins in Chester County, Pennsylvania; other houses and buildings (some labeled, some not); and buildings at Independence National Historical Park.  One of the slides is a photo of Dorman.

 

           

ORGANIZATION

 

The files on cabinetmakers are arranged alphabetically by surname.  The slides were not received in any order, but have been roughly grouped by subject.

 

 

LANGUAGE OF MATERIALS

 

The materials are in English.

 

 

RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS

 

Collection is open to the public.  Copyright restrictions may apply.

           

 

PROVENANCE

 

Accession 94x29: found in stacks; acquisitions information unknown.       

Accession 2017x84: gift of Independence National Historical Park.

 

 

ACCESS POINTS

 

Topics:

            Cabinetmakers - Biography.

Cabinetmakers - Delaware.

Furniture – Delaware – Photographs.

Furniture industry and trade - Delaware.

Furniture - Photographs.

            Inventories of decedents' estates - Delaware.

            Log cabins – Pennsylvania – Photographs.

            Buildings – Pennsylvania – Photographs.

            Buildings – Delaware – Photographs.

            Estate records.

            Notes.

            Photographic prints.

                        Wills.

                        Cabinetmakers.

           

 

 

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

 

Location: 9 B 1

 

 

Box 1 of 1:

 

Folder 1:        Introduction.

 

Folder 2:        A-Ba:

George Anderson, Dudson Bacon, Sampsom Barnet.

 

Folder 3:        Bu-By:

Aaron Burton; Samuel, James Fitch, and Caleb Byrnes.

 

folder 4:          C-H:

Jared Chesnut; John Ferris; William Cox; Robert Owen; Francis McMullen Gardiner; Samuel Nichols; Timothy Hanson

 

Folder 5:        John Janvier: account book.

 

Folder 6:        J-M:

Peregrine Janvier; James, Daniel, and William McDowell; Joseph P. Monigle; James Maxwell, Jr.; John H. Pennington

 

folder 7:          P:

David and William Penny. 

 

folder 8:          Q-S:

                        John Quilling; Thomas Ralph; James and Thomas Stevenson

 

folder 9:          T-W:

Charles Trute;,Joseph Tumblin; John Watson; John White

 

Folder 10:      W-Y:

Joseph White; George Whitelock; John Williams, Jr.; Henricus Williams-Neering; John Yarnall

 

 

Folder 11:      Slides (acc. 2017x)

 

Abbreviations frequently used:

            J. Kenneth Danby was an antiques dealer in Wilmington and trustee of Historical Society of Delaware;

            HSD = Historical Society of Delaware;

            CGD = Charles G. Dorman

            Del. City = Delaware City, Delaware

            KPB = K. P. Brown

 

Sheet 1:

Clock: Ed. LaFond’s Ziba Ferris Clock;       

Clock: Great Thomas Crow [clock], I found for Kenneth Danby, H.S.D.;

Clock: “The Clock supreme” [detail] Thos. Crow, found in a WWII housing development north of Wilm., H.S.D.;

Clock: [not labeled, tall case clock];

Clock: detail of unlabeled clock;

Outdoor Scene: fortified wall and cannon in background, excavation in middle ground;

Door: Short House near Laurel Del., June 1955;

Independence Hall and street;

Building at Independence Hall National Park, Philadelphia;

Building at Independence Hall National Park, Philadelphia;

Street scene, Philadelphia, with Building at Independence Hall National Park in background;

Houses, not identified;

Street and house porches;

Exterior of building –View of side of house in Fredericka, Del. showing Flemish bond and bricked up closet windows June, 1955; 

Brick house, Fredericka, Del., real view showing outbuildings, June 1955;

Several buildings

 

 

Sheet 2:

Near Crome, Log House: corner post with mortise tenon at corner, 1959;

            [seems to mean Chrome, Penn., which is south of Oxford, on route 272]

Log House at Crome: corner post mortise & tenon, 1959;

Log Building at Hause Store, 1958;

Log House, North of Romansville, 1958;

Log House, North Romansville;

Log House at Grove, 1959;

Log Cabin, Grove Rd., Detail of Corner, 1953;

Log Cabin, Grove Road

Log Cabin, Valley Creek;

Log Cabin, Valley Creek, Detail Stone Filling;

Log Cabin, Valley Creek, Detail of Bed Post used as studs in Partition taken from attic;

Log Cabin, Valley Creek, detail Stone Filling;

Log Cabin, Valley Creek, Detail Stone Filling;

Log Cabin, Mrs. Hopper, 1958;

Log Cabin, Mrs. Hopper, 1958;

Log Barn, South Immaculata College, Zook Barn, 1958;

Log Barn: Detail of Corner, South Immaculata College, 1958;

Log Barn, with Floor held down with Oak Pins 1” Dia., across from Immaculata College, 1958;

Log Barn, interior, south of Immaculate College

Log Barn, corner detail, Boot road, South Immaculata college, 1958

 

 

Sheet 3:

Log House at Martin’s Corner, 1958;

            [there is a Martin’s Corner north of Hibernia County Park]

Log House Martin Corner, 1958;

Living Room Log House at Martin’s Corner, 1958;

Log House, Martin’s Corner, Living Room Fireplace, 1962;

Pin Floor, Log House, Martin Corner, 1959;

Pin or peg floor, Log House, Martin’s Corner, 1958;

Bedroom Door Hardware, Martin’s Corner, 1958;

Log House, Martin Corner, Wood Hinge, 1958

2nd floor, Log House, Martin Corner;

 

Plank Cabin;

Plank Cabin;

Plank Cabin;

Plank cabin N. of Primitive Hall (West Marlboro PA);

Plank house;

Plank House;

Plank House, Mill Town;

Plank House, Milltown;

Plank House, Milltown;

Plank House, Milltown, 1960;

 

 

Sheet 4:

Log House, Chester Co., 1958;

Outside of cabin

Remains of Croft house, Odessa, Del., in 1956, Now Demolished, 1961,

Outbuilding, home of Mrs. Wm. Truitt, near Laurel, Del., June 1955;

Exterior of brick house

Houses

Two views of stone farmhouse with log cabin;

Two close-up shots of log cabin attached to stone farmhouse;

Pennington Family Lowboy, Owned by Mrs. Nickles, Sr., Del. City;

Round top pedestal table, Nickels, Del. City, Pennington Family;

Alleyway or passage between two buildings, with carts at end;

Drawing Room, Rockwood Museum, Early View;

Muniment Chest, Old Swede’s, Wilmington;

 

 

Sheet 5:

Jeffries Chest, Slightly Dark, Owned in Lewes, Del.;

Chest on chest: “This wouldn’t go up my stairway so I had to give it up Now at ASD”;

Sideboard, Ex Harrington, Dover, now Winterthur in Odessa;

Sideboard with silver;

Nan Campbell’s Ralph Cupboard;

Nan Campbell, Laurel Del.;

Clock: My Janvier Clock in my apt. on Pine St in Phila. 1962;

View of Mr. John Janvier’s [house], now in Biggs Museum, Dover, Del.;

Janvier chest of drawers, Corbit House;

Janvier, Cooch, Newark Del.;

J. Janvier Jr., Ex me, now Ken Brown;

Side Table on J. Janvier, Sr., Bill;

Chair, J. Janvier Sr., DAR Museum;

Chair, J. Janvier Sr., DAR Museum, Washington DC;

1 of pair of chairs on Janvier bill, Mrs. Chamberlain, Lewes, Del.;

Chest of drawers, John Janvier, Sr., ex Chancellor Harrington, Dover, Del., signed as work progressed;

Original bill from Janvier, Sr., owned by Mrs. Chamberlain, Lewes, Del.;

Chair, J. Janvier Sr., Biggs Museum;

Winterthur in Odessa, Odessa, Del., portrait of John Janvier Sr.;

Mr. & Mrs John Janvier, Senior, Odessa, Del., Winterthur: silhouettes;

 

 

Sheet 6:

McDowell Desk, State House, Dover;

McDowell Chest of Drawers, HS. Del.;

Clock: Now owned in Conn,. James & Daniel McDowell (Israel Sack, Inc. slide);

Label in tall case clock by James & Daniel McDowell;

My James and William McDowell chest of drawers, now K.P. Brown;

K.P. Brown - McDowell Sideboard;

KP Brown, McDowell Sideboard;

KP Brown, McDowell Sideboard;

[James McDowell brand,] Chest from Dover sale I bought for J. Kenneth Danby, H.S.D.;

 

Armchair;

Rush-bottom armchair: Sussex County, Del., Owned by Warnock;

Windsor chair with arms: Ex me, Now K.P. Brown;

Corner chair;

My Chair sold to Smithsonian;

Caeser [sic] Rodney Chair;

Del. Armchair sold to S.I.;

My Signed Wilm “Boston” rocker, gave to H.S.D., C.G.D.;

Chair, Ridgely House, Dover;

Chair – HSD

My Wilm. Chair, CGD;

 

 

Sheet 7:

4 views of marble top table, Christ Church, Dover;

My Barnett Sack Back [Windsor chair], Gave to HSD, CGD;

My Barnet Side [Windsor chair];

Barnet Comb back [Windsor chair], Danby Coll., H.S. Del., brand & label;

Barnet [brand of S. Barnet];

Label on Barnett comb back [Windsor chair], Danby Coll., HSD;

Lafayett [sic] Brace framing with brick filling, 1955;

Lafayette HDQ sill & siding, 1956;

Front door, Asa Boyce house near Laurel, Del., June 1955;

Offset stair, Asa Boyce House, near Laurel, Del., June 1955;

Bayard Family, looking glass, Corbit House;

Looking glass, HSD;

Stairway entrance hall, Parson Sydenham Thorne House, Milford, Del., June 1955;

2nd floor landing stair of Parson Thorne house, Milford Del., June 1955;

 

 

Sheet 8:

Windsor chair: J. Chesnut, ex me, Now KPB;

Richardson Chair, HSD

Del. Chair in Lewes, Del.;

Del. Table in Lewes;

Del. Candlestand in Lewes;

Table;

Doherty High Chest, HSD;

Hollingsworth family of Brandywine Hd. [Hundred], Penny brothers walnut candlestand, madde for [not completed], My Phila apt, 1962;

 

Clock: Whitelock case [clock case], Phila. Sofa, Burton watercolor, my apt. in Phila on Pine (321) 1962;

Clock: George Whitelock Label My Phila apt. 1962, with view of pendulum;

Whitelock Sideboard, HSD? or Milford, Del.;

Whitelock card table in my Phila apt;

Whitelock, HSD, label;

 

Del. Highboy, Wilm., Bringhurst’s, from Park Place, Sold to Robt. McNeill, Phila.;

Del., Bringhurst, Chest on frame, Sold Robert McNeill;

 

66.30, [illegible], Sidechair, McKinley Chair, H. McNeil

66.30.1, McKinley Chair, H McNeil;

66.30.1, Detail of handwritten identifying label, McKinley Chair, McNeil Coll.;

 

 

Sheet 9:

Secretary, HSD [Historical Society of Delaware];

Label in white chest of drawers owned by one of Irené du Pont Sr.’s daughters;

Charles G. Dorman in city park [probably at Independence National Historical Park];

Windsor chair in front of fireplace;

 

Exterior of building: Marriott house? [sic] House near Old St. Anne’s Ch., Middletown, Del.;

House near St. Anne’s Ch., Middletown, Del.;

House on lower Orange St., Wilmington, Del.;

Three views of small building covered with shingles and clapboards;

Three houses, one brick, one focusing on porch, one from side;

Two street scenes, with brick houses [possibly Philadelphia or Wilmington];

Out building;

Top of large building, with taller building next to it