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Collection of Morgan B. Brainard. Gift of Mrs. Morgan B. Brainard, 1963.61.13  Photograph by Wi…
Sign for Caulkins's Inn
Collection of Morgan B. Brainard. Gift of Mrs. Morgan B. Brainard, 1963.61.13 Photograph by Williamstown Art Conservation Center © 2009 The Connecticut Historical Society.

Sign for Caulkins's Inn

Original Owner (American, 1746 - 1790)
Original Owner (American, 1749 - 1839)
Original Owner (American, 1789 - 1869)
Dateprobably about 1790s
MediumPaint on pine board, gold leaf
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (height x width including hardware): 43 1/4 x 28 1/2in. (109.9 x 72.4cm)
Other (height x width for sign only): 43 1/4 x 28in. (109.9 x 71.1cm)
ClassificationsPainting
Credit LineCollection of Morgan B. Brainard. Gift of Mrs. Morgan B. Brainard
DescriptionImages: On both sides, landscape scene with tree on left, rising sun on right, possibly underlying versions of the same composition.
Construction: Single board, grain oriented vertically, hand-sawn at top only to create decorative pediment profile; no skirt and no structural frame. Applied moldings, mitered at corners, are nailed to the outer edges of board on the sides and bottom, and across the faces of both sides at the top.
Surface: The 1769 date and the lettering are executed in gold leaf, using a stencil. The 1839 date is yellow, as is the trim on the black frame and an earlier version of the lettering. The ground layer seems to be gray; the sun may originally have been gilded, as were the stars arcing overhead. Side 1 is heavily weathered, with 25-30% paint loss. The tree and sun are well raised above the background, with evidence of repainting guided by the raised outlines. The extent of wear suggests that the sign hung outdoors for many years, consistent with the inn's long operation by the same family. Side 2 had been obscured by a layer of black, possibly spray, paint.

Object number1961.63.13
NotesHistorical Note: Original location. The Caulkins family chose its property well, and the inn's enviable site may in part explain its longevity. Not only was it located in the Flanders town center, on the New York to Boston post road, but also at the crossroads of the Niantic road (now Connecticut Rt. 161), at the head of the Niantic River. It was thus convenient for both local and traveling customers, and both land and water-borne traffic. Although the house itself is gone, the site retains part of its original function as a McDonald's restaurant.
On View
On view
Collection of Morgan B. Brainard. Gift of Mrs. Morgan B. Brainard., 1961.63.47  Photograph by D…
Unknown
about 1826-1842
Collection of Morgan B. Brainard. Gift of Mrs. Morgan B. Brainard, 1961.63.42  Photograph by Wi…
Joseph Read III
1768
Collection of Morgan B. Brainard. Gift of Mrs. Morgan B. Brainard, 1961.63.35  Photograph by Da…
Ebenezer Marsh Jr.
about 1785-1810
Collection of Morgan B. Brainard. Gift of Mrs. Morgan B. Brainard, 1961.63.7 © 2008 The Connect…
Captain Aaron Bissell Sr.
Gift of George Bruno, 2012.496.19, Connecticut Museum of Culture and History collection, No Kno…
Edward McLauren Caulkins
1865
Gift of George Bruno, 2012.496.21, Connecticut Museum of Culture and History collection, No Kno…
Eliza Guild Caulkins
1865
Sign for Blatchly's Inn
Moses Blatchly Jr.
1788
Collection of Morgan B. Brainard. Gift of Mrs. Morgan B. Brainard.  1961.63.32  © 2011 The Conn…
Ariel Lawrence
about 1797
Gift of Rufus S. Mathewson, 1841.110  Photograph by Williamstown Art Conservation Center.  © 20…
General Israel Putnam
about 1768
Collection of Morgan B. Brainard. Gift of Mrs. Morgan B. Brainard  1961.63.2  Photography by Da…
Richard Angell
1808