Thesis: Macdonald

Thesis: Nicola Macdonald

Analyzing the Architectural Finishes at Ivy Lodge: Examining the Influence of A.J. Downing

Esteemed American horticulturist and author of The Architecture of Country Houses, A.J. Downing, played a pivotal role in the emergence of the American Picturesque movement of the mid-19th century. His ideals are expressed in the minutiae of material usage and finishes and in the pattern books that resulted from his influence. Over time, his work has shaped scholars' understanding of the architectural color of the period. However, empirical understanding of the architectural paint color of this movement is limited to a few unpublished paint studies, most of which are not available.

Southeast Facade of Ivy Lodge in 2022, with white painted exterior woodwork. Courtesy of Joseph E.B. Elliott.

Interior floorplan of Ivy Lodge with original room names. Image and Plan by N. Macdonald, adapted from A.J. Downing’s publication The Horticulturist "Denwood" article, published in 1851.
To expand the knowledge of color of this period and test assumptions about Downing's actual influence, this paper examines the finishes of Ivy Lodge, the important 19th-century Italianate villa in Philadelphia's Germantown neighborhood built by prominent Philadelphian and proponent of the Picturesque, John Jay Smith.
This photomicrograph shows a sample of the original shutters exhibiting a series of monochromatic cream paint layers. The sample is captured using different light-passing imaging techniques - visible light on the left and UV visible with a DAPI filter (36

This photomicrograph shows a sample of an interior door jamb (INT.04) with wood-graining campaigns 1-4 (finish campaigns 8-11). The sample is captured using different light-passing imaging techniques - visible light on the left, UV visible with a DAPI fil
Using cross-sectional microscopy and polarized light microscopy to analyze paint samples, the paper illuminates the chosen color palette and offers perspective on the actual influence of pattern books in general and Downing's specific prescriptions for color during the American Picturesque Movement.
This table provides information on the first finish campaigns detected in each sampled element from the building's exterior. In column 4, the pigment particles present in the paints are identified through polarized-light microscopy, while the Munsell colo

This table provides information on the earliest finish campaigns detected in each sampled element from the building's interior entrance hall. In column 4, the pigment particles present in the paints are identified through polarized-light microscopy, while

Thesis: Nicola Macdonald

Analyzing the Architectural Finishes at Ivy Lodge: Examining the Influence of A.J. Downing

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