THE
PERMANENT COLLECTION OF DECORATIVE ARTS
The primary goal of the Julian H. Sleeper
House is to
display and interpret Gilded Age interior design concepts and
lifestyles. Eastlake
and Renaissance
Revival furniture and mirrors, combination gas and electric
chandeliers,
Oriental carpets, and wallpaper by Bradbury and Bradbury (including
original
William Morris designs) all advance the principle of bringing nature
indoors in
a complex pattern of light and shade.
The
Julian H. Sleeper House is one of the few museums where you may
actually sit on
the furniture. You will see both typical and unique furniture and
decorative
arts objects. Accurate interior design and elements of wit are mixed,
just as
they were in 1884. The house exemplifies the decorating tastes of the
emerging
upper middle class showing the lifestyles not of the rich, but of a successful
professional-class family.
The JHSH meets all of the
American Association of
Museums specifications of what defines a museum. There is a central
defining
purpose for the permanent collection, as well as several specialized
subsidiary
collection§. The museum advances education by organized display of
the
collection and interpreted tours, as well as special events and
exhibitions.
The curatorial and archival functions are met by a catalog, a library,
and
research opportunities. The JHSH serves the community through
membership in the
Convention and Visitors' Bureau.
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