Sign for Warner's Hotel
Date1836
MediumPaint on pine board and moldings, smalt, gold leaf, copper leaf, iron hardware
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (height x width including hardware): 42 3/8 x 61in. (107.6 x 154.9cm)
Other (height x width of sign only): 36 x 60 1/8in. (91.4 x 152.7cm)
ClassificationsPainting
Credit LineMuseum purchase
Object number1998.77.0
DescriptionImages: None.
Text: On both sides, inside top of oval outline, "WARNER'S" over "SMITH'S"; inside bottom of oval outline, "HOTEL"; centered in oval outline, "1836."
Construction: Two boards, grain oriented horizontally. Signboard is set within channels of applied moldings, mitered at corners, and nailed to outer edges of boards (moldings are not contoured to allow movement, the usual Rice practice). Original hanging hardware wraps around top and bottom.
Text: On both sides, inside top of oval outline, "WARNER'S" over "SMITH'S"; inside bottom of oval outline, "HOTEL"; centered in oval outline, "1836."
Construction: Two boards, grain oriented horizontally. Signboard is set within channels of applied moldings, mitered at corners, and nailed to outer edges of boards (moldings are not contoured to allow movement, the usual Rice practice). Original hanging hardware wraps around top and bottom.
Collections
Label TextUnlike most of Rice’s other signs, this one has no picture to catch the eye of passers-by. The bold colors and lettering, however, make it stand out, as does the use of ‘smalt’, coarsely-ground glass particles embedded in the paint to give the surface of the sign a bit of sparkle.
NotesSurface notes: Lettering was laid out within scribed guide lines. Coarsely ground iron oxide was used to create the sparkly effect in the black areas. Both sides were overpainted at some time, evidently replicating the original design.Status
On view
about 1823
