Subject
Raleigh Tavern (Williamsburg, Va.)
Block 17. Building 06.
Taverns (Inns) - Virginia - Williamsburg
Furniture - Virginia - Williamsburg
Description
Lantern slide featuring a photo taken by F.S. Lincoln of the Daphne Room in the Raleigh Tavern as it appeared in 1935. It is the thirtieth slide in a set produced by the Pacific Stereopticon Co. of Los Angeles, California, now defunct, to illustrate the story of Dr. W.A.R. Goodwin's dream to restore a portion of Williamsburg, Virginia to its 18th-century appearance as a shrine to early American ideals.
The family portrait on the wall, entitled "Family Group With Two Servants," was painted in England in 1790 (accession #1939-290). Under the portrait, two mahogany knife boxes (accession #1930-303, 1) are featured on either end of a sideboard table.
The Raleigh Tavern was the frequent scene of both jollity and consequence. Dinners and dances rivaled in elegance those at the Palace and burgesses reconvened at the tavern when they were dissolved by royal governors prior to the Revolution. Burned to the ground in 1859, it was reconstructed from published illustrations, insurance policies, and archaeology that uncovered most of the original foundations.
Interior furnishings and decor reflect curators' views in the 1930s as to how Williamsburg's historic interiors may have looked in the eighteenth century. Nevertheless, with new research advancements over the years, the Raleigh Tavern's interior furnishings have changed to reflect a more authentic and accurate view of each room's likely contents and arrangements.