September, 1923 
45 
FURNISHING AN EARLY AMERICAN HOME 
In the Authentic Work of Colonial Cabinet-makers and Carpenters 
Is Found the Inspiration for the good Reproductions of Foday 
RALPH C. ERSKINE 
A t various periods in the world’s 
. history and in various countries 
there have been high-water marks in 
the art of the people. A search into 
the causes of these waves of superi¬ 
ority in design and artistry is in¬ 
tensely interesting and is a search 
into the causes of the civilizations 
themselves. For what man has 
made for his habitation, use and 
adornment is the most significant 
sign of himself,—his ideals, his 
civilization, his spirit. It is also 
valuable to search into the causes of 
degradation in art and to understand 
The rough beam above these cot¬ 
tage casement windows, the color¬ 
ful chintz, and the simple furni¬ 
ture are in complete harmony 
the reasons for the periods of utter 
carelessness regarding beauty of or¬ 
nament, color and design; for it will 
be found that these low-water iriarks 
are also significant of the people 
themselves,—their habits, their opin¬ 
ions of what is right and wrong, their 
morals, their ideals about family life. 
Great beauty and lavishness in art 
may go hand in hand with decadence 
in morals and an essential careless¬ 
ness regarding the welfare of our 
neighbor. One cannot evolve a for¬ 
mula of significance to cover these 
phases, nevertheless there are certain 
A number of delightful cottage 
pieces are grouped in this com¬ 
modious Living Room. Furni¬ 
ture from Erskine, Danforth Co. 
