Heritage, Volume 10, Number 1, Winter 1992 Page: 10
38 p. : ill. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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The mansion's main staircase is handsomely paneled in oak. On the landing is a fine stained-glass window
depicting a family in classical garb.ler III, archivist and curator of history;
Bradley Brooks, curator of collections; and
Killis Almond, architect and project
manager, to undertake the challenge.
Historic photographs from the archives
were a valuable asset in the restoration
process. W.L. Moody Jr.'s wife Libbie, received
a camera as a gift in 1897 and
dutifully recorded the affairs of the family.
One photograph of the parlor exhibited a
painting on the ceiling seen in the reflection
of a mirror. The painting had been
obscured by the water damage the house
suffered during Hurricane Alicia, yet the
photograph, coupled with additional research,
enabled an artist to reproduce the
painting and recreate the most impressive
feature of the room. Another photograph,
after being enhanced digitally by NASA,
allowed curators to determine and reproduce
the drapery pattern in one of the
rooms.The depth of the Moody collection is
most apparent in the interpretation approach
employed for the Museum tour.
The archive provided a thorough chronology
of the Moody family with particular
insight in to daily life. The Moody
"The Moody Mansion
and Museum provides
the perfect showcase for
such a collection and
serves as a wonderful
legacy to the history of
Texas. This legacy will
educate and delight ...
for years to come."Mansion's restoration and opening to the
public was not unlike a young woman's
introduction to society, so it was appropriate
that the oldest daughter's debut was
chosen as the focus of the Museum, and the
mansion decorated as it would have looked
the afternoon of Mary's debutante ball.
Historic photographs as well as entries from
Mary Moody's diary give a colorful and
accurate description of the flowers and
decorations in the house on December 12,
1911. Reproductions of crepe paper party
favors from other balls that season were
able to be fabricated from the actual mementos
in young Mary's scrapbook, and
these were displayed in her room.
The furniture in the mansion actually
belonged to the Moody's, although additional
research was necessary to properly
arrange the furnishings. Again, photographs
were critical. For example, the style
of one bed frame found in the collection
was described as art nouveau, popular in
the 1920s and 30s. While this might have
seemed like a mistake to the historians
trying to duplicate the early style of the
house, a photograph of the master bedroom
shows that actual bed was in place at
the time. Based on another photograph,
the curio cabinet in the parlor was filled
with the same items that were shown to be
there in 1911.
Oral histories from family members
supplemented the information ascertained
from photographs. In an interview with
Mary's younger sister Libby, curators learned
that she had a pickled snake on her dresser
in her bedroom. Although this was one
item not found in the vast collection, the
biology department of a nearby college was
pleased to furnish a specimen for the museum.
It is an odd but authentic attention
to detail.
Archival material, such as newspaper
articles and family letters, dramatically
introduce the visitor to family life through
remote control recordings in each room.
The audio presentations effectively bring
the family to life. Visitors can identify
with Lizzie Moody's explanation of her
shopping habits to her husband, or son
Shearn's request for news of home to comfort
his loneliness while away at school.
The size and variety of the Moody collection,
as well as the family's tendency to
add furnishings but not discard the previous
ones, allow for an interpretation approach
rare in historical museums. Ambitious
plans call for the interior to be redeco10 HERITAGE * WINTER 1992
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Texas Historical Foundation. Heritage, Volume 10, Number 1, Winter 1992, periodical, Winter 1992; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth45418/m1/10/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas Historical Foundation.