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Drawing, Perspective and Plan View of a Spiral Staircase
This is a Drawing. It was model maker: Adolph Bordeaux. It is dated January 1887. Its medium is graphite, pen and black ink, brush and yellow, pink, and grey watercolor on cream laid paper. It is a part of the Drawings, Prints, and Graphic Design department.
Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw’s generous gift of their collection of architectural models for staircases will be the subject of a forthcoming Cooper-Hewitt exhibition.
This is one of 10 meticulous staircase schematic drawings from the Thaw collection, presented as a gift to accompany the staircase models. The drawings are by Adolph Bordeaux, a journeyman of the compagnonnage movement doing his master tour in the 1880s.
Bordeaux’s rigorous training is evidenced by the accuracy and precision of these scale drawings. Initially, the journeyman candidate worked for five to seven years perfecting all aspects of the craft—in this case, the joinery associated with constructing spiral staircases—from the planning and drafting to the construction of the models. He would then continue his education with travel to various cities in France to study specific details from master craftsmen. This cycle of travel from city to city was known as Le Tour de France. In each city, the candidate would desig
This object was
donated by
Eugene V. Thaw and Clare E. Thaw.
It is credited Gift of Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw.
- #426 Child's Chair
- bent enameled steel, woven wool upholstery.
- Gift of Mel Byars.
- 1991-59-55
- Articulated Toast Rack Toast Rack
- silver plated, metal.
- Gift of Miles Lourie.
- 1985-105-1
- Staircase Model
- mahogany, oak.
- Gift of Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw.
- 2007-45-7
Our curators have highlighted 7 objects that are related to this one. Here are three of them, selected at random:
- Drawing, Double Spiral Staircase Elevation and Plan View
- pen and black ink, brush and light blue, grey watercolor, graphite on cream....
- Gift of Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw.
- 2007-53-6
- Staircase Model (France)
- fruitwood (pearwood?), ash (base).
- Gift of Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw.
- 2007-45-5
- Wallet (Austria)
- leather, gilding, silk.
- Gift of Martha Landman.
- 1978-142-3
Its dimensions are
56.8 x 41.8 cm (22 3/8 x 16 7/16 in.) Mat: 71.1 x 55.9 cm (28 x 22 in.)
It is signed
Inscribed in black ink, upper left: Perspective d’un Ecalier / formant a le demi rond / dans le you[?] Signed in black ink, lower right: Fait a Marseille / en Janvier 1887 / Adolph Bordeaux Signed in black ink, lower right: Fait a Marseille / en Janvier 1887 / Adolph Bordeaux
It is inscribed
Inscribed in black ink, upper left: Perspective d’un Ecalier / formant a le demi rond / dans le you[?]
Cite this object as
Drawing, Perspective and Plan View of a Spiral Staircase; Model maker: Adolph Bordeaux (French, active 1880–1890); France; graphite, pen and black ink, brush and yellow, pink, and grey watercolor on cream laid paper; 56.8 x 41.8 cm (22 3/8 x 16 7/16 in.) Mat: 71.1 x 55.9 cm (28 x 22 in.); Gift of Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw; 2007-53-2
This object was previously on display as a part of the exhibition Made to Scale: Staircase Masterpieces—The Eugene & Clare Thaw Gift.
