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1880-1973, undated
GUSN-310957
This series consists of 205 sketches rendered in pencil. Drawings depict a wide variety of furnishings manufactured by A. H. Davenport Co. A few of the drawings are more developed and contain information such as measurements, order number and customer name; however, the vast majority of the drawings are very rough sketches. Some of the sketches are quite small, measuring one by two inches. Some are also in fragile condition. Types of furnishings shown include case furniture such as cabinets, china cabinets, and bureaus; support furniture including a wide variety of tables; seating furniture including chairs, sofas, settees, and settles; and an assortment of other items such as pedestals, cheval mirrors, and beds. Some are fragments of larger drawings. Also included are one black-and white photograph and one cyanotype depicting chairs. Four customers are named: Earle Perry Charlton (Westport Harbor, MA); Mrs. Emilie L. Heine (Cincinnati, OH); C. A. MacGregor; and Henry Miller.
sketches
photographs
black-and-white photographs
cyanotypes (photographic prints)
8 folders containing 205 pencil sketches; ca. 1.3 linear feet
The donor found the drawings in an outbuilding on his property which he purchased in the 1980s. The property had previously belonged to a cabinetmaker employed at one time by Irving and Casson - A. H. Davenport Co.
CC011
Irving and Casson - A. H. Davenport -- Collection II
1995
CC011.004
Gift
Possibly A. H. Davenport Co. (American furniture manufactory, active late 19th-early 20th centuries)
sketches
photographs
black-and-white photographs
cyanotypes (photographic prints)
Series
John Battista Frongillo (1884-1973) was born in Italy and immigarated to the United States in 1909. A cabinetmaker by trade, he worked for a number of years for Irving and Casson - A. H Davenport Co. at their East Cambridge, MA factory. After leaving the firm at an unknown date, he set up a shop at his home in North Cambridge. The donor of the drawings purchased the property in the 1980s, approximately a decade after Mr. Frongillo's death. In the outbuilding where Mr. Frongillo had conducted his business, the donor found the sketches. While some of the sketches may have been made by Mr. Frongillo, others are clearly recognizeable as being the work of Irving and Casson - A. H. Davenport Co.
This series is arranged in folders by general type of furniture depicted in the drawings.
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