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A Piano for Entertainment
A parlor with a piano in an unidentified home. A piano provided entertainment for visitors and was a focal point in the room. Portraits are displayed on piano and on floor.
A Public Room of a House
A main room of an unidentified home where the family could relax. Mementoes are displayed throughout the room indicating that this is public space where visitors would be welcome. Light is provided by the fireplace and the table lamp.
A Room for a Wedding
The home of Alexander and Venetia R. Walker at 410 South Third Street. Possibly a sitting room. Blanche Walker and H. Stanton Burpee were married in front of the windows on June 9, 1897.
Andrew Family Gathering
An unidentified dining room. Decorations cover every surface including the ceiling, walls and windows. Seated around the table is a gathering of sisters and sister-in-laws of the Andrew family. Left to right are Jane Andrew (Mrs. John Picken), Janet…
Antimacassar
George Johnson on his Confirmation Day. The sitting room in in the house the Johnson family rented at 1412 Parmele Street. The furniture is draped at the head and arms with decorative fabric called antimacassar. The purpose was to prevent the soiling…
Arts and Crafts
An Arts and Crafts style interior. The Arts and Crafts style was popular from 1880 -1920, focusing on craftsmanship and the natural beauty of materials. It featured rooms and furnishings designed for efficient and simple living. The home floor plan…
Bedroom at the Wheeler Home
A bedroom in the Willard Wheeler home at 228 South First Street. Wallpaper used in a bedroom during the nineteenth century usually meant that it was the master bedroom.
Blanche Walker's Bedroom
Blanche Walker's bedroom at 410 South Third Street. Bedrooms were private rooms in the nineteenth century home. The curtains are not as fancy as the ones used in the parlor.
Blanche Walker's Bedroom
Blanche Walker's bedroom at 410 South Third Street. The walls are plain as wallpaper was generally used only in the public rooms of the house.
Brown Dining Room
Dining room at the William Brown house, 326 South Third Street. The room is set up for a large gathering. Lace curtains on the windows were a typical decoration in the late nineteenth century. Decorating with tassels and fabric in doorways was very…
Brown Dining Room
Dining room at the William Brown house, 326 South Third Street. Folding chairs are set up for a large gathering.
Conservatory
An unidentified home greenhouse. Owners of large homes in the United States built conservatories onto their residences during the late 1800s and early 1900s. A conservatory is a glass structure that served as living space as well as protecting…
Conservatory
An unidentified home greenhouse. Owners of large homes in the United States built conservatories onto their residences during the late 1800s and early 1900s. A conservatory is a glass structure that served as living space as well as protecting…
Cozy Corner
Native American cultures and decorative items were very popular with nineteenth century Americans. In the 1890s, many American homes had a "cozy corner" to display oriental arts. By the early 1900s, the corner became a place to display Native…
Cozy Corner at the Walker House
A room in the home of Alexander and Venetia R. Walker at 410 South Third Street. This may be a private sitting room for family members to relax. A cozy corner is against the wall. The Victorian cozy corner usually featured a couch or broad seat,…
Dining Room
Possibly the home of Mr. Charles Herrick at 420 South Third Street. A view of the staircase to the second floor and an open doorway to the dining room where the wall to wall carpet stops. The dining room has a bare wood floor.
Doorway Passages
Possibly the home of Mr. Charles Herrick at 420 South Third Street. The piano is out of view at the left near the door opening to the parlor. The center door leads to the front hall and the door at right leads to the dining room.
Emil and Martha Johnson Wedding Anniversary
Emil and Martha Johnson in their sitting room on their 25th wedding anniversary. Antimacassars are being used on the armchairs.
Emil Johnson
Emil Johnson sitting in a large wooden rocking chair.
Emil Johnson Family
Emil, Martha, and George Johnson in their sitting room of the house they rented on 1412 Parmele Street in Rockford.
Fireplace Mantel
Irl and Dorothy Martin with their children, "Huck" (Harold) and Mary Barbara (Mrs. Billy Bittle) in front of the fireplace.
George Johnson Confirmation Day
George and Emil Johnson in their sitting room on George's Confirmation Day. The house they rented was located at 1412 Parmele Street.
Harold Clark Library
The library in the Harold Clark home at 939 North Second Street. This home was designed by Rockford architect Jesse Barloga in 1933-1934. The home was designed for Lewis Harold Clark and his wife Effie. Harold Clark was the son of J. L. Clark, who…
Herrick Family Parlor
Possibly the parlor of Mr. Charles Herrick at 420 South Third Street. The fireplace screen protects the room from flying embers. The ceiling light is powered by gas. The paintings at each side of the fireplace are hanging from a picture rail, which…
House Porch
Two men with a little girl are seated in a porch attached to a house. The enclosed porch appears to be a place for the family to relax. A porch allowed for the viewing of the outdoors while enjoying the comforts of the house interior.
Living Room
A living room with lace curtains at the window. A slant top desk is in the back corner. The slant top is hinged at the bottom allowing it to be pulled downward to serve as a writing surface. This type of desk uses a small amount of space and keeps…
Miss Pearl Biller's Room
Miss Pearl Biller's room in the Nordstrom home at 218 West Street. Room walls provide a large surface for decorating. The flower swag border at the top of the wall adds color to the room. During the mid to late 1800s, homes were highly decorated to…
Monday Club
The Monday Club 65th Birthday Luncheon, held at the home of Mrs. E. P. Lathrop at 105 Douglas. Identified are Mrs. Walter Green, Mrs. Webb Stevens, Mrs. Harold Walcott, Mrs. William E. Hinchcliff, Miss Louise Smith. The Monday Club was founded in…
Nordstrom Dining Room
Possibly a dining room at the Gust Nordstrom home, 218 West Street. An animal skin rug is on the floor in front of the fireplace. As heating technology changed fireplaces became nostalgic and a focus point of the room. As a focus point, the…
Nordstrom Home
Nordstrom home at 218 West Street. A view of the arrangement of public rooms in the house. Doorways are draped with fabric and bead curtains which can be closed to provide some privacy to the room.
Nordstrom Victorian Cozy Corner
A cozy corner at the Gust Nordstrom home, 218 West Street. A couch lined with tassels and large throw pillows is at the left. Lace curtains at the windows were typical of the late nineteenth century. Mass produced machine made lace was available,…
Parlor
A parlor in a late nineteenth century home. Parlors were public rooms where guests were entertained. A piano provided music during a visit. Artwork was chosen for display to impress visitors and provide status to the family.
Parlor
Looking through the parlor doorway from what may be the front hall. Nineteenth century homes had a parlor located near the front door. It was a public room of the house for visiting with guests. Locating public rooms near the front door kept guests…
Parlor
Two children posed in a living room. The cabinet displays various mementos and books.
Parlor Fireplace
A parlor with a fireplace. By the 1840s fireplaces were no longer the main heating source for the house. Fireplaces became a decorative focal point in the room. The curtain at the doorway could be closed to provide some privacy when visiting with…
Parlor Fireplace
Possibly the home of Mr. Charles Herrick at 420 South Third Street. The parlor features a highly decorative fireplace. The mirror over the fireplace helps to make the room seem larger.
Piano for Entertaining
Possibly the home of Mr. Charles Herrick at 420 South Third Street. The piano is in a room between the parlor and the dining room. The ceiling light is powered by gas.
Public Space in a House
The home of Alexander and Venetia R. Walker at 410 South Third Street showing the intersection of three rooms, possibly the parlor, sitting room and front hall.
Radio Console
Living room furnishings indicate use of this room for visiting with guests. A radio console popular in the 1930s is by the window next to the door. Radios of this time were in cabinets so large that they were considered decorative furniture as well…
Sitting Room Decorations
An unidentified sitting room. A sitting room was public space within the house where guests were entertained. Artwork chosen for display provided an identity for the family living in the home. The choice of art reflected the family's beliefs. On…
Spafford Sitting Room
The Spafford House at 501 North Prospect, Rockford. Above the sitting room fireplace is a portrait of Mrs. Jessie Spafford.
The Entry Hall
Possibly the home of Mr. Charles Herrick at 420 South Third Street. The front hall staircase with the parlor to the right.
The Wheeler Home
The parlor or dining room at the Willard Wheeler home at 228 South First Street.
Victorian Cozy Corner
Cozy corner at the Willard Wheeler home 228 South First Street. Cozy corners were popular 1880 - 1920 as oriental patterns and items became more easily available in America. The cozy corner has a broad seat or couch and many large pillows covered…
Victorian Decorating Style
An unidentified sitting room and parlor. The tassels in the doorway are decorative and serve to divide the space from one room to another. The use of animal skin rugs was a way to bring nature into the domestic setting of the home.
Walker Dining Room
Dining room in the home of Alexander and Venetia R. Walker at 410 South Third Street. The highly decorative fireplace indicates that this is a public space. The cabinets store and display serving dishes.
Walker Front Hall
Front hall of the Alexander and Venetia R. Walker home at 410 South Third Street. The parlor opens off this room, keeping guests in the public areas of the house.
Walker Parlor
The home of Alexander and Venetia R. Walker at 410 South Third Street. The parlor with a highly decorative fireplace, gas light fixtures, a picture rail to support framed art, and lace curtains at the window. The mirror over the fireplace calls…
Walker Sitting Room
The home of Alexander and Venetia R. Walker at 410 South Third Street. Possibly a sitting room next to the parlor. The parlor is the more formal of the two rooms. An animal skin rug is laying across the threshold between two rooms.
Walker Sitting Room
The home of Alexander and Venetia R. Walker at 410 South Third Street. Possibly a sitting room. The doorway at right leads to the front hall. It is possible that a large mirror is at left with the same woodwork frame as the doorways.