51_____________________

The Ridgelys owned at least two tall case clocks and one may have been placed in this
hallway. The tall case clock on exhibit is not of Ridgely provenance, but is a Baltimore
clock, c.1820, with works by John Lynch, who was also a Baltimore silversmith working
1786-1848. This clock is very unusual and, although the cabinetwork is not entirely suc-
cessful in terms of proportions or technique, the painted dial commemorates a patriotic
motif: the battle of the Hornet vs. the Peacock during the War of 1812.

Paint analysis has not yet been conducted in this room, although the significant
architectural features of the area make it a promising project for the future.

Other Rooms

The Southeast Bedchamber, later a nursery and bath, and the two portico rooms are
not furnished for exhibition. Plans are underway, however, to open the North Portico Room
for an exhibit on the farm property and
the South Portico Room for an exhibit
related to the gardens. Additional furnish-
ings and decorative objects may also be
displayed in these rooms.

Master Bedchamber

The Master Bedchamber at Hampton
is being furnished to the early period of
Ridgely occupancy from 1790 when the
Mansion was completed until about 1814,
the year Priscilla Dorsey Ridgely, second
mistress of Hampton, died.

The furnishings are based in part on
Charles Carnan Ridgely's inventory, and
to complement the documented paint
colors for the 1790-1814 period which
included blue woodwork and a poly-
chromed overmantel. Window treatments
and bed hangings will be selected using
a "blue and flowered" fabric, one of those
listed on the inventory. Hangings were
commonly used on the high post beds of
the period, which were constructed so
that they could be covered with a canopy
and draped. This enclosure provided peo-
ple with warmth in the winter, some pro-
tection from insects in the summer, and

a measure of privacy in an era of large	Night table, Maryland, c.1800, owned by Charles
families and many servants. Bed cover- Carnan Ridgely. The design for this night table
. . , , i u • j was probably derived from Plate 82 of George
ings are rotated on a seasonal basis and Hepplewhite's The Cabinet-Maker and Uphol-
each bedchamber will display quilts and sterer's Guide, 1794.