Benjamin Schneider

Joint Essay Session Two Assignment

Professor Fessler
11/21/11

If you take a stroll around Eau Claire, you can find Victorian houses much like the one we

discussed in our bundled class session. I can always identify a home of this style by the circular towers

and various balconies. They share a slight resemblance of European castles. Victorian style homes

were made as a contrast against the symmetrical plantation-like homes of the Colonial period. I also

find it interesting how students came to interpret and perceive an historical artifact like the blueprints

and accompanying text handed out to us. The artistic eye may immediately be drawn to the floor plan

or artist's sketch of the finished home. The historian may be looking to date the artifact by looking

through evidence like King's Windsor Cement Plaster. I know I was instantly focused on the language

within the “Description of Design No. 714.”

As we joined together to discuss—from different disciplinary schools of thought—multiple

concepts and social theories were discussed. The first concept we began talking about was

social/economic class. Our group tried to decide rather this house was of the middle or elite upper

class. A group member brought up the fact that if they have a servant, they must be somewhat well

off. I initially figured that because of the grand nature of the home, it must be an upper class living

space. However, after discussion, it seemed our class came to a conclusion that the home more

attempted to appear to be upper class. We agreed that home of true elite wealth would not have been

mass produced.

We also talked about the idea of form (style) versus function. In the previous picture of the

Amish farmstead. The house shows little to no sign of elegance or style. In fact, if the Amish farm

house fell into a category it would almost be “non-style.” Style, in that instance, had been replaced
with function almost completely. But when we look at the Victorian house, it is easy to see that there

are dimensions that are aesthetically pleasing. It may be the octagonal tower or terra cotta paneling,

but there are signs of artistic expression within the artifact. Even the fact that there are rooms like the

parlor, which are only used for leisurely activities, show that the intended buyers of this house must

have been at least somewhat wealthy. They can afford the extravagance of refined architecture.

Another conversation that our group had was about the influence of public image the blueprints

of the house displayed. There were parts of the house, like the servant's room, that were closed off

from the other parts of the home. As you enter the first floor of the home, those are the rooms in which

company or neighbors may have been situated on a visit. The upstairs, which has the bedrooms and

servants quarters, were meant to be more private. The servant had their own set of stairs, so that they

could move within the house and not be seen by the public. It seems that the family would've projected

a sort of public image about themselves, while still living behind a veil of privacy.

The final topic that our group discussed was the idea of the role of the woman in this house. If

the family hires a servant and/or butler, many of the household duties that we historically associate with

women are done by hired work. I believe that this artifact is from an era, before pioneers like Rosie the

Riveter, which ushered women into the workplace. An interesting thought that Professor Vogeler said

to me, is that at this time it was very common for a husband and wife to sleep in different beds. I had

never really realized that there was a time in history in which marriage contained such parameters.

This is depicted by the fact that the two largest bedrooms shown on the blueprints are separated.

However, if you look carefully, the blueprints suggest that a door could be opened to connect them.

The most important insight I have gained from the various perspectives that each discipline

provides, is that the act of interpretation is unique to the individual. During Professor Vogeler's rotation

from group, he stopped and noticed that I was focusing on the text included on the later page. It made

me realize that my education and tendency towards evaluating subjects by their language, has

influenced my way of perception and understanding. Other classmates were glancing over the
blueprints or sketch of the building. They were interested in the layout of the floor or location of the

stairs. At the same time, I was reading through the text word for word. I remember thinking, that at

time, the language of the text didn't seem natural. It made me question if English was the author's first

language. I recognized the descriptions of each material, like blue Amherst and cream colored pressed

brick. These adjectives allow me to relate the constructs of the home to something I already know. I

also feel like these different perspectives generated by various disciplines work together in a mutually

beneficial relationship. The methods of interpretation that each school uses—English, Art, Geology,

and History in our case—are not superior or inferior amongst each other, but equally important.

In hindsight I realize that even though I fell strongly upon my use of the English language to

comprehend the historical artifact, I also used other points of view. It wasn't that I solely relied on the

description provided by the text, but that it was instinctual for me to read it first. You could say I

“borrowed” the artist's eye for style and form. That the visual aid provided a representation of what the

“finished” product will look like. I see the contrast created by towers and balcony. I also attempt to

date the era of the text and place it in an era. If I can figure out exactly what year it was, I can look at

the average family's annual income. I can compare that figure with the proposed prices advertised for

this Victorian style house. In the end, I can attempt to reason if the family was truly elite or middle

class. This revolving way of thinking makes up what a liberal education tries to promote: the ability to

think critically about a topic in multiple angles.

Our group generated a plentiful array of topics when we met to discuss this cultural artifact. We

discussed things like: social class, family relations and public image. It was the combination of

differing schools of thought that all played an important role in our ability to relate this advertisement

to each other.