American Museum
Encyclopedia
The American Museum in Britain is based at Claverton Manor
, near Bath, England, in a house, designed by Jeffry Wyatville and built in the 1820s on the site of a manor bought by Ralph Allen in 1758. It is now a Grade I listed building.
The museum was founded by two antique collectors, an American, Dallas Pratt (August 21, 1914 – May 20, 1994) and a Briton, John Judkyn (1913 – July 27, 1963) and opened to the public for the first time on July 1, 1961.
The exhibits cover every period of American history. Because John Judkyn was a peace-loving Quaker, the museum contains no militaria
.
Included are 200 quilt
s and coverlets, and several pieces of Shaker furniture.
and has fine views over the valley and the Kennet and Avon Canal
. The American Museum employed Lanning Roper
to design a mixed border. There is a Colonial Herb
Garden and a Mount Vernon
Garden, which is a re-creation of George Washington
's garden. The arboretum
has a collection of American trees.
The collection of portraits includes works by John Brewster, Jr.
, Ammi Phillips
and William Matthew Prior. There are also carved eagles by Wilhelm Schimmel and Frederick Myrick.
Claverton, Somerset
Claverton is a small village and civil parish about east of Bath at the southern end of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, in Somerset, England...
, near Bath, England, in a house, designed by Jeffry Wyatville and built in the 1820s on the site of a manor bought by Ralph Allen in 1758. It is now a Grade I listed building.
The museum was founded by two antique collectors, an American, Dallas Pratt (August 21, 1914 – May 20, 1994) and a Briton, John Judkyn (1913 – July 27, 1963) and opened to the public for the first time on July 1, 1961.
The exhibits cover every period of American history. Because John Judkyn was a peace-loving Quaker, the museum contains no militaria
Militaria
Militaria are artifacts or replicas of military, police, etc., collected for their historical significance. Such antiques include firearms, swords, knives, and other weapons such as; uniforms, helmets, other military headgear, and armour; military orders and decorations; challenge coins and...
.
Included are 200 quilt
Quilt
A quilt is a type of bed cover, traditionally composed of three layers of fiber: a woven cloth top, a layer of batting or wadding and a woven back, combined using the technique of quilting. “Quilting” refers to the technique of joining at least two fabric layers by stitches or ties...
s and coverlets, and several pieces of Shaker furniture.
Garden
The garden is set into the valley of the River AvonRiver Avon, Bristol
The River Avon is an English river in the south west of the country. To distinguish it from a number of other River Avons in Britain, this river is often also known as the Lower Avon or Bristol Avon...
and has fine views over the valley and the Kennet and Avon Canal
Kennet and Avon Canal
The Kennet and Avon Canal is a waterway in southern England with an overall length of , made up of two lengths of navigable river linked by a canal. The name is commonly used to refer to the entire length of the navigation rather than solely to the central canal section...
. The American Museum employed Lanning Roper
Lanning Roper
Lanning Roper was an American landscape architect and writer who studied and lived in England.-Life:Born in West Orange, New Jersey, Roper received an honors degree in Fine Arts from Harvard University in 1933....
to design a mixed border. There is a Colonial Herb
Herb
Except in botanical usage, an herb is "any plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavoring, food, medicine, or perfume" or "a part of such a plant as used in cooking"...
Garden and a Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon
The name Mount Vernon is a dedication to the English Vice-Admiral Edward Vernon. It was first applied to Mount Vernon, the Virginia estate of George Washington, the first President of the United States...
Garden, which is a re-creation of George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
's garden. The arboretum
Arboretum
An arboretum in a narrow sense is a collection of trees only. Related collections include a fruticetum , and a viticetum, a collection of vines. More commonly, today, an arboretum is a botanical garden containing living collections of woody plants intended at least partly for scientific study...
has a collection of American trees.
Artists in the collection
- Susan PowersSusan PowersSusan Powers is a self-taught American artist who began painting in 1979, encouraged by a friend and fellow painter who had seen her expressive pencil drawings. Only a year later, her work had been accepted for display by the prestigious Jay Johnson Folk Heritage Gallery in New York City...
The collection of portraits includes works by John Brewster, Jr.
John Brewster, Jr.
John Brewster Jr. was a prolific, deaf itinerant painter who produced many charming portraits of well-off New England families, especially their children...
, Ammi Phillips
Ammi Phillips
Ammi Phillips , a self-taught New England portrait painter, is regarded as one of the most important folk artists of his era.Phillips was born in Colebrook, Connecticut, and began painting portraits as early as 1810...
and William Matthew Prior. There are also carved eagles by Wilhelm Schimmel and Frederick Myrick.