[The following information has been transcribed from the Fall Twain
Symposium
brochure from The Mark Twain House and will be of interest to Mark Twain
Forum Members. For further information, contact The Mark Twain House at
(860) 247-0998 or FAX (860) 278-8148.--K.B.]
BENEATH THE EAVES: The Science and History of Recreating Mark
Twain's Historic Site.
1997 Fall Twain Symposium
Saturday, November 8, 1997
The Mark Twain House
Hartford, Connecticut
The Mark Twain House's 1997 Fall Twain Symposium, "Beneath the
Eaves: The Science and History of Recreating Mark Twain's Historic
Site" will present in detail the 1997 Historic Structures Report
currently guiding restoration of Mark Twain's Victorian home,
carriage house, and grounds. An architect, historian, and design
specialist will reveal the results of their 1995-1996 investigation
of The Mark Twain House. Their reports include extensive historical
data about the construction and ownership of the house and grounds,
as well as subsequent changes in the property. The Mark Twain
House's curator concludes the program revealing how these reports
are being put into action at The Mark Twain House in Hartford, CT.
The Mark Twain House is the author's Hartford home, his primary
residence from 1874 to 1891. A National Register Historic Landmark
since 1963, the house was commissioned by Mark Twain (Samuel
Langhorne Clemens), designed by Edward Tuckerman Potter and Alfred
H. Thorp and decorated in 1881 by Louis Comfort Tiffany and
Associated Artists. The Mark Twain House is open year-round, Monday
and Wednesday through Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and noon to
5:00 p.m. on Sundays. The museum is open seven days a week from
Memorial Day through October 15 and in December. The last tour
leaves at 4:00 p.m. daily. For tour information, please call (860)
493-6411; for program information call (860) 247-0998.
The conference will be held at
The Hastings Hotel and Conference Center
85 Sigourney Street (at Farmington Avenue)
Hartford, CT, just four blocks east of The Mark
Twain House.
Registrants showing their symposium admission ticket will receive
a 10% discount in The Mark Twain House Museum Shop during the
weekend of the symposium.
***
1997 Fall Symposium Program
8:30-9:30 Registration and coffee
9:30-9:45 Welcome
John Vincent Boyer
Executive Director
The Mark Twain House
9:45-10:45 Beneath the Foliage
Robert M. Toole
Landscape Architect
The Office of R.M. Toole
Samuel and Olivia Clemens envisioned their home
with the landscape in mind--landscape that
reflected their tastes and the aesthetics of late-
19th-century America. Reviewing letters,
photographs, and drawings of the historic site,
participants will travel back in time and discover
the landscape and the design sensibilities of the
Clemenses and their neighbors at Nook Farm.
10:45-11:00 Break
11:00-12:00 The Historic American
Buildings Survey (HABS)
Documentation of
The Mark Twain House
John P. White
Professor
Texas Tech University
College of Architecture
Through the HABS documentation project,
architectural plans for The Mark Twain House and
Carriage House were created as they existed in
1995. During the project Professor White and his
staff made several discoveries indicating
structural changes the Clemenses made that are now
hidden from view. In this presentation, Professor
White will detail for symposium participants the
survey team's work to create measured drawings,
large format photographs, and a written design
history of the interior and exterior structure of
the house and carriage house.
12:00-1:00 Lunch
1:00-2:00 The Paint and Finish History of
The Mark Twain House
Brian Powell
Senior Architectural Conservator
Society for the Preservation
of New England Antiquities
During recent examination of The Mark Twain House,
layers of paint and woodwork finish history were
uncovered. In this presentation, Mr. Powell will
introduce participants to the study of The Mark
Twain House in which he and his colleagues
reassessed the museum's earlier restoration efforts
and looked for the first time at service areas and
the carriage house. Participants will learn about
the late-19th-century polychrome paint scheme of
butler George Griffin's room, our new understanding
of the service wing floor plan, and some of the
most recent discoveries in the Billiard Room.
2:00-2:15 Break
2:15-3:15 From Reports to Reality
Marianne Curling
Curator
The Mark Twain House
Ms. Curling will present an overview of the
Historic Structures Report process from planning
and coordination through organizing the final
reports. Participants will learn how The Mark Twain
House intends to incorporate the Historic
Structures Report into its plans for ongoing
maintenance and continuing restoration.
3:15-3:30 Questions
3:45 Tours at The Mark Twain House
***
This program is sponsored by a generous
contribution by the Maximilian E. and Marion O.
Hoffman Foundation, Inc.
REGISTRATION
BENEATH THE EAVES: The Science and History of Recreating Mark
Twain's Historic Site.
Saturday, November 8, 1997, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
If more than one person is registering, please attach names,
addresses, phone numbers, and school/organizations on a separate
sheet of paper.
Name:____________________________________________________________
Address:_________________________________________________________
School/Organization (if any):____________________________________
Phone - Daytime:________________________Evening:_________________
You may charge your tickets
by completing the following: ____MC ___Visa
Name on card:_____________________________________________________
Account #:___________________________ Expiration Date: ___________
Signature (required):_____________________________________________
Symposium Registration Fee
(includes buffet lunch and garage parking)
***
General Public: $45
Number of persons: __________ Enclosed: $_________________________
***
Members of The Mark Twain House: $35 Number of persons: __________
Enclosed: $____________________
***
Full-time students: $25
(copy of current student ID is required for college students)
Number of persons: __________ Enclosed: $__________________________
Total Amount Enclosed: $______________________
***
Tickets and information packets will be sent upon receipt of
registration form and payment. For more information, call (860)
247-0998 or FAX (860) 278-8148. Tickets are non-refundable.
Reservations for the program must be received by Monday November 3,
1997.
Send your registration to:
Twain Symposium
The Mark Twain House
351 Farmington Avenue
Hartford, CT 06105
***
Become a member of The Mark Twain House.
Enjoy this and future symposia at a discount while supporting
programs at the restored home of one of America's best-loved
authors.
Mark Twain House Membership:
$35 Individual $85 Supporting
$45 Family $150 Sustaining
For information about membership, call (860) 247-0998. A reduced
rate of $79 for rooms at The Hastings Hotel and Conference Center
is available for Symposium registrants. Reservations must be made
by October 24.
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