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Figure 7. — Sofa and settee designed by Latrobe for the Oval Drawing Room. 

 {Photo courtesy Maryland Historical Society.) 



26, 18KI, just four months after the room was opened 

 to the pubhc, in which he says that "three chairs were 

 broken by a man weighing 3 cwt. leaning back in 

 them,"'" presumably one at a time. 



We know that the walls of the room were painted, 

 because Latrobe's letter book for June 6, 1809, 

 mentions that the "President's Drawing Room was 

 painted by Mr. Bridgeport."" The same Mr. 

 Bridgeport, a craftsinan from Philadelphia, had dec- 

 corated the ceiling of the new chamber for the House 

 of Representatives. 



The curtains for the room had been a cause for 

 concern. On March 22, 1 809, Benjamin Latrobe 

 wrote to Dolley Madison: "There is no Silk Damask 

 to be had either in New York or Philadelphia & I 

 am therefore forced to give you crimson velvet cur- 

 tains of which I can get plenty and which to my 

 astonishment will not be dearer than Damask." '- 

 On April 12, Mrs. Latrobe advised Dolley that 

 "Mr. Rea has been fortunate in procuring a sufficient 

 quantity of velvet for the Drawing room curtains, 

 sophas, chairs & etc. and they will certainly be very 



elegant." " Latrobe, when he saw the velvet obtained 

 by Rea, wrote Dolley Madison on April 21 : "The 

 curtains! Oh the terrible velvet curtains! Their 

 effect will ruin me entirely so brilliant will they 

 be." " And on June 6, Latrobe wrote to Captain 

 John Meany in Philadelphia; 



It is true that I have been very much at a loss for materials 

 for curtains for the President's Drawing Room. The 

 quantity wanted is, however, so unusually large that 

 I have been obliged to have recourse to plain velvet. 

 There are five windows — 6 yards high. Five breadth 

 in each is 30 yards and five windows therefore require i 50 

 yards exclusive of draperies, chairs, and sofas — Your 

 six pieces contain only 108 yards." '* 



Latrobe's specification of five windows in the room 

 is evidence that the two alcoves on the inside of the 

 Oval Room were to be treated as windows. Four of 

 the sets of curtains and the four window seats, or set- 

 tees, were placed in the two windows overlooking the 

 south terrace and in the two alcoves on the north wall. 

 The fifth set of curtains was for the double door, 

 which opened onto the south portico. 



'" Latrobe papers, letter no. 149. 

 II Latrobe papers, letter no. 135. 

 ■-' M.S. in New-York Historical .Society. 



" MS, in Virginia Historical .Society. 

 ■' MS, in New York Public Library. 

 I'' Latrobe papers, letter no. 138. 



160 



BULLETIN 24 1 : CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE MUSEUM OF HISTORY .\ND TECHNOLOGY 



