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The homeplace of a British lord with Ancient Egyptian doodads sprinkled around. Not as odd as the lord who managed to illegally purchase a sarcophagus that had been buried in a desert tomb so he could be interred in it later, however. Imagery from the privately published 1851 work “Ædes Hartwellianæ: or, Notices of the manor and mansion of Hartwell.” Written by W. H. Smyth and found in a back corner of the Internet Archive.

Ædes Hartwellianæ: or, Notices of the manor and mansion of Hartwell. Captain W. H. Smyth, Royal Navy, author. Printed in London in 1851 for private circulation by Jobn Bowyer Nichols and Son, Parliament Street. Title page. Collections of the Getty Research Institute. In the public domain due to age via https://archive.org/details/deshartwellianor00smyt/page/n10/mode/1up
Hartwell House, Reduced from a large view painted in 1749. James Basire, Engraver. Image 61, Plate III of Ædes Hartwellianæ: or, Notices of the manor and mansion of Hartwell. Captain W. H. Smyth, Royal Navy, author. Printed in London in 1851 for private circulation by Jobn Bowyer Nichols and Son, Parliament Street. Collections of the Getty Research Institute. In the public domain due to age via https://archive.org/details/deshartwellianor00smyt/page/n61/mode/1up
Lees of Cheshire (left) – Lees of Hartwell (right). Coat of arms. James Basire, engraver. Page 98, Image 126 of Ædes Hartwellianæ: or, Notices of the manor and mansion of Hartwell. Captain W. H. Smyth, Royal Navy, author. Printed in London in 1851 for private circulation by Jobn Bowyer Nichols and Son, Parliament Street. Collections of the Getty Research Institute. In the public domain due to age via https://archive.org/details/deshartwellianor00smyt/page/98/mode/1up

The Muniment Room at Hartwell House. James Basire, engraver.Page 101, Image 128 of Ædes Hartwellianæ: or, Notices of the manor and mansion of Hartwell. Captain W. H. Smyth, Royal Navy, author. Printed in London in 1851 for private circulation by Jobn Bowyer Nichols and Son, Parliament Street. Collections of the Getty Research Institute. In the public domain due to age via https://archive.org/details/deshartwellianor00smyt/page/101/mode/1up
Three statues carved in oak (out of a total of twenty-four) that decorate the staircase leading to the main apartments at Hartwell House. James Basire, engraver. Page 111 image 140 of Ædes Hartwellianæ: or, Notices of the manor and mansion of Hartwell. Captain W. H. Smyth, Royal Navy, author. Printed in London in 1851 for private circulation by Jobn Bowyer Nichols and Son, Parliament Street. Collections of the Getty Research Institute. In the public domain due to age via https://archive.org/details/deshartwellianor00smyt/page/111/mode/1up
Two Ancient Egyptian mummies included as illustrations although it appears from the text that these two mummies were not in Dr. Lee’s Hartwell House Collection. James Basire, engraver. Page 170 image 199 of Ædes Hartwellianæ: or, Notices of the manor and mansion of Hartwell. Captain W. H. Smyth, Royal Navy, author. Printed in London in 1851 for private circulation by Jobn Bowyer Nichols and Son, Parliament Street. Collections of the Getty Research Institute. In the public domain due to age via https://archive.org/details/deshartwellianor00smyt/page/170/mode/1up
Ancient Egyptian women wearing headresses (left) – female of the Tlascaltecas (Mexican) right. James Basire, engraver. Page 182 image 211 of Ædes Hartwellianæ: or, Notices of the manor and mansion of Hartwell. Captain W. H. Smyth, Royal Navy, author. Printed in London in 1851 for private circulation by Jobn Bowyer Nichols and Son, Parliament Street. Collections of the Getty Research Institute. In the public domain due to age via https://archive.org/details/deshartwellianor00smyt/page/182/mode/1up

The Egyptian Structure over the Hartwell Fountain. After a drawing by Cleghorn. James Basire, engraver. Page 222 image 259 of Ædes Hartwellianæ: or, Notices of the manor and mansion of Hartwell. Captain W. H. Smyth, Royal Navy, author. Printed in London in 1851 for private circulation by Jobn Bowyer Nichols and Son, Parliament Street. Collections of the Getty Research Institute. In the public domain due to age via https://archive.org/details/deshartwellianor00smyt/page/n259/mode/1up

ENCKE’S COMET. As seen at its re-appearance on the 22nd of September 1848, At the Hartwell Observatory. James Basire, engraver. Page 385 of Ædes Hartwellianæ: or, Notices of the manor and mansion of Hartwell. Captain W. H. Smyth, Royal Navy, author. Printed in London in 1851 for private circulation by Jobn Bowyer Nichols and Son, Parliament Street. Collections of the Getty Research Institute. In the public domain due to age via https://archive.org/details/deshartwellianor00smyt/page/n385/mode/1up

“Dollhouses and other Miniature Worlds” for May 29th in the 2026 spring show . . .

my series post for today published to my Substack at the link if you’d like to see it

https://sarahbguestperry.substack.com/p/dollhouses-and-other-miniature-worlds-36f

View of a house in Los Angeles, California looking past the courtyard towards the living room. June 2025 image. Faux miniature. Derek Swalwell, photographer. Rob Kennon Architects. via @newfielddesign on Instagram. From their Instagram.

Visions of mid century luxuriousness by Albert Van Luit who dressed up Hollywood. Born in Cleveland Ohio, Albert Van Luit relocated himself to southern California at a youthful age. His wallcoverings defined mid century luxury interior design from the 1950s to the 1970s. These images are in the Huntington Library and were shot by Maynard Parker.

Dining room and wallpaper: Wallpaper setups in the Robertson store decorated by Mary Jane Carson, and at a decorator show. In an envelope labeled “Robertson window by Mary Jane Carson/Booths at Sports arena”. Los Angeles, California, where the Albert Van Luit and Company Complex was located. June 1964 image. American. Maynard Parker, photographer with this image being part of a photo shoot for Albert Van Luit which is archived at the Huntington. Originally under copyright. Fair use license. via https://hdl.huntington.org/digital/collection/p15150coll5/id/17906/rec/24
Wallpaper Setups. Presumably photographed at the Albert Van Luit and Company Complex in Los Angeles as a different location is not given. California, USA. March 28, 1961 image. American. Color transparency. Maynard Parker, photographer with this image being part of a collection of photographs and color transparencies shot for Albert Van Luit that is archived at the Huntington. Originally under copyright. Fair use license. via https://hdl.huntington.org/digital/collection/p15150coll5/id/17869/rec/25
Cannell and Chaffin. Display booth and Wallpaper: Wallpaper setups at decorator’s show at Hollywood Palladium. Hollywood, California USA. June 24, 1962 image. American. Photographed by Maynard Parker for Albert Van Luit and Company. Part of a Van Luit and Maynard Parker archive at the Huntington Library. Originally under copyright. Fair use license. https://hdl.huntington.org/digital/collection/p15150coll5/id/17913/rec/28
Ruth Brand: Display booth and Wallpaper: Wallpaper setups at decorator’s show at the Hollywood Palladium. Hollywood, California USA. June 24, 1962 image. American. Photographed by Maynard Parker for Albert Van Luit and Company. Part of a Van Luit and Maynard Parker archive at the Huntington Library. Originally under copyright. Fair use license. https://hdl.huntington.org/digital/collection/p15150coll5/id/17911/rec/30
Newport Bluffs Model Apartments (Living Room). Newport Beach, California USA. June 1965 image. American. Photographed by Maynard Parker for Albert Van Luit and Company. Part of a Van Luit and Maynard Parker archive at the Huntington Library. Originally under copyright. Fair use license. https://hdl.huntington.org/digital/collection/p15150coll5/id/20089/rec/60

Learn a bit more about Albert Van Luit, the business he created and the people who worked for him here https://www.lapl.org/collections-resources/blogs/lapl/discover-lgbtqia-los-angeles-albert-van-luit-complex

Dollhouses and other Miniature Worlds, for May 19th in the 2026 spring show . . .

my series post for today posted to my Substack at the link if you’d like to see it

https://sarahbguestperry.substack.com/p/dollhouses-and-other-miniature-worlds-ca7

Optical shop, Children’s Nebraska Specialty Pediatric Clinic. Omaha Nebraska USA. Image ca. 2026. Faux miniature. Photo credit and © 2026 Children’s Nebraska. Taken from their website.

Images of ornamental granitic tile, but from 1898 and in fire engine red not that dreary beige Home Depot pushes for kitchen countertops today. From a commercial catalogue put out by the Threlkeld Granite Company Ltd. located in Cumberland County, England.

Album of ornamental granitic tiles, 1898 edition. Front cover, Image 1 of a commercial catalog put out by the Threlkeld Granite Company Limited, Keswick, Cumberland County England. J. Broadley, Accrington, Lithographer. Collections of the Winterthur Museum Library. In the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/albumofornamenta00thre/mode/1up
Numbers 104 – 107. Size 7 7/8 x 7 7/8, Sheet 2. Image 13 of the 1898 edition of Album of ornamental granitic tiles, a commercial catalog put out by the Threlkeld Granite Company Limited, Keswick, Cumberland County England. J. Broadley, Accrington, Lithographer. Collections of the Winterthur Museum Library. In the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/albumofornamenta00thre/page/n12/mode/1up
Number 109. Size 7 7/8 x 7 7/8, Sheet 3. Image 14 of the 1898 edition of Album of ornamental granitic tiles, a commercial catalog put out by the Threlkeld Granite Company Limited, Keswick, Cumberland County England. J. Broadley, Accrington, Lithographer. Collections of the Winterthur Museum Library. In the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/albumofornamenta00thre/page/n14/mode/1up
Number 125. Size 7 7/8 x 7 7/8, Sheet 9. Image 26 of the 1898 edition of Album of ornamental granitic tiles, a commercial catalog put out by the Threlkeld Granite Company Limited, Keswick, Cumberland County England. J. Broadley, Accrington, Lithographer. Collections of the Winterthur Museum Library. In the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/albumofornamenta00thre/page/n26/mode/1up
Numbers 154-157. Size 7 7/8 x 7 7/8, Sheet 23. Image 54 of the 1898 edition of Album of ornamental granitic tiles, a commercial catalog put out by the Threlkeld Granite Company Limited, Keswick, Cumberland County England. J. Broadley, Accrington, Lithographer. Collections of the Winterthur Museum Library. In the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/albumofornamenta00thre/page/n54/mode/1up
Borders. Numbers 144-163. Size 7 7/8 x 3 15/16. Sheet 24. Image 56g of the 1898 edition of Album of ornamental granitic tiles, a commercial catalog put out by the Threlkeld Granite Company Limited, Keswick, Cumberland County England. J. Broadley, Accrington, Lithographer. Collections of the Winterthur Museum Library. In the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/albumofornamenta00thre/page/n56/mode/1up

A post from someone else’s blog with a bit more information and some of the other tiles in the catalogue here https://kottke.org/23/04/19th-century-ornamental-granite-tiles

The Threlkeld Quarry initially opened in the 1870s to supply ballast for the Penrith to Keswick railway line. In the 1890s, the operation expanded under the banner of Threlkeld Granite Company Ltd, eventually producing decorative colored granite floor tiles. The quarry closed in 1982 and there is a museum there now.