1 



Figure 5. — Chair dksigned by Benjamin Latrobe for the Oval Drawing 

 Room of llic While H<jusc. {Photo lourtesy Marytaifl Historiail Soaety.) 



The Finlays advised Latrobe in a letter dated -Sep- 

 tember 20, 1809, that they were sending the sofas 

 and settees by the bearer, John Richardson. At 

 the same time Latrobe was notified that "there had 

 l)cen shipped in good order and well conditioned by 

 John and Hugh Finlay in and upon the good sloop 

 called the Alice Branon whereof Bede Clements is 

 master, now in the harbour of Baltimore and bound 

 for Georgetown three dozen chairs." '^ 



The success of the appearance of this furniture is 

 attested in several contemporary descriptions of the 

 room, among which is the notation in the diary 

 of William Preston that "the furniture of the room 

 with the brilliant mirrors was very magnificent." '' 

 An oblique tribute, from the design standpoint, is 

 found in a letter from Latrobe to Finlay dated April 



^4Z^ -f^^- 



IT 



» .Allen C^. Clark, Life and Letters of Dollev Madison (Wash- 

 ington, 1914). p. 140. 



Figure 6. — Detail of chair designed by Latrobe. 

 {Photo courtesy Maryland Historical Society.) 



PAPER 49 : BENJAMIN L,A,TROBE AND DOLLEY MADISON DEC.OR.\TE THE WHITE HOUSE 



159 



