A Study in Contrasts: Renaissance Revival and Aesthetic Design under One Roof

Part of why the Gibson House Museum serves as such an integral part of Boston’s historical landscape is its ability to capture, under one roof, the shifts in decorative and sociopolitical trends in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Upon visiting the museum, you will likely notice a distinct change in decorative moods depending on which room you are in. The entrance hall, for example, is primarily decorated in the 1860s Renaissance Revival style that would have been popular in Gibson matriarch Catherine Hammond Gibson’s time. The console table and matching mirror to your left as you walk into the museum are both carved in ebonized black walnut, which would have been an expensive and highly desirable material. Placed in the first room the Gibsons’ guests would see, this Renaissance Revival furniture would have showcased the family’s knowledge of, and appreciation for, an older, revered age of artistic innovation and achievement.

Glory in the Garden, Folly in the Common: The Gibson Family’s Presence in Boston’s Public Parks

The 1868 Ether Monument

Charles Gibson's Convenience Station

Last month, museum docent Timothy Spezia wrote his final blog post on Dr. John Collins Warren, grandfather of Rosamond Warren Gibson, and his groundbreaking use of ether in 1846. Coincidentally, while walking through the Boston Public Garden a few days ago, I happened to notice a monument in the northwest corner. I had seen it before but never thought anything of it; compared to the grand equestrian statue of George Washington amongst the flowers nearby, this monument is more subdued under the shade of trees. Upon further inspection, and much to my surprise, the structure revealed itself as the 1868 Ether Monument.

The Ether Monument does not memorialize one person, but rather the historic MGH operation when dentist William T. G. Morton assisted John Collins Warren in using ether as an anesthetic for the first time. Atop the granite tower kneels the Good Samaritan aiding a wounded stranger. The tower’s four sides feature an assortment of scenes and inscriptions illustrating medically relevant themes. The monument’s status as the oldest in the Garden—preceding the George Washington statue by one year—makes it evident that Bostonians highly valued this medical advance and took pride in the historic operation.

The Ether Monument, which is not far from the Gibson House, commemorates a valued contribution made by a Gibson relative to Boston, the United States, and the world. On the other side of Charles Street, on the Boston Common, stands another Gibson family–related structure: one that became shrouded in controversy despite its planners’ good intentions.

The Gibson Family in the Civil War: Part II

Today, we continue with Rosamond Warren Gibson’s recollections of her time in New Orleans during the American Civil War:

“We reached New Orleans on March 29th, and found that friends had secured a delightful little house for us in the Rue Conti, run by a madame and her daughter. The rooms were filled with flowers, and a delicious breakfast greeted us. Our visit was a curious and interesting one, as the city was filled with Northern officers and their wives, and the few Southern women remaining there drew aside their skirts as we passed. Governor N. P. Banks (formerly Governor of Massachusetts, but at that time Military Commander of New Orleans) was the reigning king, and Admiral Farragut the hero. One evening we went to a large reception at the Governor’s where I was introduced to the Admiral and walked about on his arm. When I begged him to give us a gunboat to go home by the Mississippi River, as our passage through the Gulf had been such a horrid one, he said, “Oh yes, you can have two. Just ask Admiral Palmer,” (James S. Palmer) who was a friend of Mr. Hammond’s. As the pilot of one boat arrived next day with the top of his head shot off by sharp-shooters, we decided we had better stick to the Gulf! There were many of our friends there from Boston, and others who were in and out all day long, bringing flowers and news of the fighting up the river. In the evenings we sat talking and singing with the windows open."

The Gibson Family in the Civil War: Part I

Catherine Gibson and her son Charles moved into the Gibson House in 1860. One year later, the American Civil War began. Enquiring minds sometimes want to know: How was the Gibson family involved in the Civil War, if at all?

The answer is somewhat dissatisfying. We aren’t really sure. Charles didn’t enter the war. And that’s pretty much the extent of our knowledge. Years later, Charles married Rosamond Warren, who included some notes about the Civil War in her memoirs. She was born in 1846, so she was only about 15 when the war began. Here’s what she has to say:

“The war continued for four years, and it seemed to us as if it was going on forever. As we were so young, and had no immediate relatives concerned in it, I have no vital recollections in connection with it, save possibly a visit of General McLellan [sic] to Boston, and later a trip to New Orleans.