Bygone Era is a photograph by Ginny Schmidt which was uploaded on August 1st, 2012.
Bygone Era
Picture of a corner display in an upstairs bedroom at Lapham House in Thomasville, GA.... more
Title
Bygone Era
Artist
Ginny Schmidt
Medium
Photograph - Digital Abstract
Description
Picture of a corner display in an upstairs bedroom at Lapham House in Thomasville, GA.
The Lapham-Patterson House is a historic site in Thomasville, Georgia. The house, built between 1884-85 as a winter cottage for businessman C.W. Lapham of Chicago, is a significant example of Victorian architecture. It has a number of architectural details, such as fishscale shingles, an intricately designed porch, long-leaf pine inlaid floors, and a double-flue chimney. Inside, the house was well-appointed with a gas lighting system, hot and cold running water, indoor plumbing, and modern closets. Its most significant feature is its completely intentional lack of symmetry. None of the windows, doors, or closets are square. The house is a Georgia Historic Site and is also a National Historic Landmark, which also puts it on the National Register of Historic Places.[3]
The 3-story structure has a mellow-yellow exterior with brick-red roof and chimneys. At the core of the house is an hexagonal-shaped room. There are at least 50 exits; Mr. Lapham had been in the Great Chicago Fire and subsequently became paranoid about being trapped in a burning building.
The house was deliberately constructed slightly askew to take advantage of sunlight entering the third floor during the Spring and Fall Equinoxes. Within is a gentlemen's parlor with a small stage featuring a stained-glass window in the center. In the fretwork outside the room over the balcony are animal and amorpheous shapes cut into the wood. In the center is a cutout of what is presumably the head of Mrs. O'Leary's cow.
During the Spring and Fall Equinoxes the patterns are projected by sunlight onto the floor through the glass. The total effect is that, in the center of the stained glass window's colorful pattern on the floor, the shadow of the cow's head can be seen.
Uploaded
August 1st, 2012
