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In addition to the suite of painted furniture, there are two side or pier tables in
the recesses of the south wall. These are also attributed to the Finlay shop as are
the two window settees or couches, c.1825, although the couches are not Ridgely family
pieces.
The small Chinese export black and gold gaming table, c.1840, is another Ridgely
family piece. Its top is reversible with a chess board on the under side. Below is a built-in
backgammon board. The surface of the gaming table is lacquer work veneer, compara-
ble to papier-mache, and a popular decorative treatment of the period.
The fluted gilt pier mirrors, still in their original location, would have handsomely
reflected the light from the gilded and patinated candelabra on the pier tables. These
candelabra with classical motifs were made in France, c.1820, and were imported by the
Ridgely family, as was the set of four Italian gouache (opaque watercolor) paintings in
gilt frames. Two of these gouaches are of Neopolitan street scenes and two illustrate the
eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, a popular classical revival theme.
The carved and gilded pairs of wall brackets, made in America in the 19th century,
are also Ridgely furnishings.
The high style gilt and cut-glass chandelier in the Drawing Room is an early 19th
century English fixture, purchased by the Ridgelys. Similar in design to one illus-
trated in Thomas Hope's Household Furniture and Interior Decoration, published
in London in 1807, it was converted to a gas burning fixture c.1850 and to elec-
tricity c.1929.
The "Large double branch Lamp with Gilt Bracket" on the pier table was used by Colonel
John Eager Howard in his drawing room at "Belvidere." The lamp was purchased with
a pair of matching single ones by Charles Caman Ridgely in 1828. The lamps would have
cast a magnificent glow by reflecting light off the many angles of their cut glass surfaces.
They were referred to as Argand lamps, which provided a brighter, relatively smokeless
light enclosed within a glass chimney. The principle, involving fluid drawn to a wick by
gravity and air combustion drawn from inside and outside the tubular wick for burning,
was developed by Aime Argand in 1783, historically, the first significant lighting
improvement over candles or crusie lamps. There are many lamps of this type in the
Ridgely collections.
The classical marble busts of Nerva, Emperor of Rome, 96-98 A.D., and Sophocles,
Greek dramatist of the 5th century, B.C., are not original to Hampton. However, they are
typical of the types of decoration recommended as fashionable during the Empire period.
The portrait over the mantel is of Nicholas Greenbury Ridgely, father of Eliza Ridgely,
and is attributed to Rembrandt Peale, c.1797.
The painted furniture in the Drawing Room was initially upholstered in red damask
with matching curtains. The yellow silk seen today was not selected by the Ridgely fam-
ily and will someday be replaced. The windows in the 19th century also contained painted
window shades opulently decorated with fanciful birds and flowers.
The floor of the Drawing Room was always carpeted, which is why the wooden floor-
boards are in excellent condition. The carpet in this room was a room size English Brus-
sels carpet, one of the most fashionable types of 19th century floorcoverings. Later 19th
century photographs show the original Drawing Room carpet replaced by a Victorian
Brussels, which was heavily decorated with large floral repeats.
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