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Date
8-16-1895
Personal Name Recipient
Allison, James W., 1833-1898
Description
Letter from T. Henry Randall to James W. Allison discussing ceiling treatments.
Transcription
Aug. 16th ’95. James W. Allison Esq. Richmond. Dear Sir, Your favors of the 14th and 15th are both before me, and I shall reply to your inquiries about the treatment of the ceilings first and afterwards in regard to Purdy’s work. My idea is that in each of your rooms the ceilings should be tinted with kalsomine a paler tone of the prevailing color, or of the back-ground of the paper on the walls. That is in the Hall, pale grey-blue; Library, pale buff or pale green; Dining Rm, cream, pale buff, or pale green. Such greens should be grey-greens, of course. If you use yellow in the Reception Rm, a pale buff or cream color would look well. In the same way a pale grey green would go with green walls in Music Room. You need not be afraid of using the same colors on the ceilings of several rooms, because they will look different on account of the reflection of the walls and hangings. Furthermore the main point is to make the ceiling so quiet that it will harmonize with the walls but have no individuallity of its own. I did speak of using ceiling papers in some of the rooms, but I now believe the [the canceled] kalsomine will make the best effect. Papers are ordinarily used on ceilings that are cracked or stained. The heavy [next two words interlined with a caret] old gold Japanese paper which I suggested for the Dining Rm. ceiling would be very rich; but I am afraid it would lower the ceiling too much. At any rate, for the present the tinting will answer. I have suggested several colors for some of these rooms, because I can not tell at this distance which would give the best effect. I should advise your having each of them put up in place to sample and to judge the effect. If you hang temporarily some of the papers in position and have the ceiling above tinted, you can get the effect. The best way, however, is to put on the paper first and then try the ceiling with different colors and shades of the same color; but the walls have to be protected while the work is under way. The walls above the wainscoting in the Vestibule, I think had better be the same color as the Hall walls, in fact you will probably cut off from each peice of the Hall paper about three feet, as it should measure eleven feet; and this peice will just fit above the wainscoting in the Vestibule. I can be in Richmond about the 4th of September to assist you in any of these matters. In the meantime I shall be at Childwold Park. N. Y. (in the Adirondacks). Purdy’s and Newcomb’s estimates and accounts I can then bring with me. Your’s truly, T. Henry Randall. [ALS, T. Henry Randall to James W. Allison, August 16, 1895, on letterhead: T. Henry Randall Architect 52 Broadway. New York.] [edited by VR]
Personal Name Subject
Randall, T. Henry, 1869-1905 -- Correspondence; Randall, T. Henry, 1869-1905 -- Travel -- Virginia -- Richmond; Randall, T. Henry, 1869-1905 -- Travel -- New York (State) -- Adirondack Mountains; Allison, James W., 1833-1898 -- Correspondence
Corporate Name Subject
E.H. Purdy M.F.G. Co.
Topical Subject
Architecture, Domestic -- Virginia -- Richmond; Architects and builders; Decoration and ornament, Architectural -- Virginia -- Richmond; Architecture -- Details; Ceilings -- Decoration; Colors; Building -- Estimates -- Virginia -- Richmond
Geographic Subject
Richmond (Va.) -- Historic houses, etc.; Richmond (Va.) -- Buildings, structures, etc.
City/Location
Richmond (Va)
Genre
letters (correspondence)
Local Genre
text; archives
Type
Still Image; Text
Digital Format
application/pdf
Language
eng
Rights Statement URL
Rights
This material is in the public domain in the United States and thus is free of any copyright restriction. Acknowledgement of Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries as a source is requested.
Collection
Building VCU’s President's House
Source
Original letter: Letter from T. Henry Randall to James W. Allison, 1895 August 16, James W. Allison papers, M 1, Special Collections and Archives, James Branch Cabell Library, Virginia Commonwealth University.
File Name
pre099.pdf