Rights and reproductions]]> Interior of the Dining Room in the Governor's Palace, 1935. The painting on the wall may be a portrait of the young Prince William, Duke of Gloucester (1689-1700), son of the future Queen Anne. (This painting is possibly a former loan to the museum). Among the room's furnishings, a beautiful corner table (accession # 1930-227), made of mahogany, maple, and white pine, stands in the corner.

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 interiors of the Governor’s Palace have changed to reflect a more authentic and accurate view of the building’s likely contents and room arrangements.

]]> Rights and reproductions]]> The Raleigh Tavern opened in 1932 as one of the earliest exhibition buildings at Colonial Williamsburg. One of the rooms open to visitors was the Daphne Room, a private room offered to tavern guests for holding meals and meetings. Interior decor for the Daphne Room consisted of a dining room ensemble, patterned wallpaper, and brocade curtains. Later research led to a reinterpretation of the room with plain painted walls and curtainless windows.

Above the fireplace hangs a painting entitled Imaginary Landscape (accession #1931.101.3), a gift of Abby Aldrich Rockefeller.  In anticipation of guests' needs, a bottle case or cellaret (accession # 1930-58) is pictured to the left of the fireplace. Cellarets functioned as portable wine cellars for holding wine and bottled spirits at mealtimes.  

]]> Rights and reproductions]]>