WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
What happened to all of the wonderful things that were once associated with the Stotesburys? |
E.T. Stotesbury's Bed and Complementary Bedroom Furniture from El Mirasol |
Architect Addison Mizner designed El Mirasol in the Mediterranean style, and the interior decoration tended to correspond. Mizner acquired some furnishings on the buying trips he made to Europe. He made many others at his factory in West Palm Beach, where great care was taken to simulate the look of authentic pieces from past centuries. Mr. Stotesbury's bedroom at El Mirasol featured a very old, handcarved wooden bed with headboard painted in vivid colors. The pair of tall stands of drawers flanking the bed, as well as two matching bureaus (which are seen in the first photo below), were originally manufactured in about 1916 for the Stotesburys' townhouse at 1925 Walnut Street and painted black with gold accents to match the bed frames in the third floor attic bedroom where they were located. The two matching bureaus featured a sunflower carved in each door. After the Stotesburys built El Mirasol, they eventually removed the matching bureaus and tall stands from the Walnut Street house and had them painted to harmonize with the bed in Mr. Stotesbury's bedroom on the top floor of El Mirasol. The walls of the bedroom were decorated with paintings of bullfight scenes. |
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The original custom bedroom furniture in a third floor attic bedroom at 1925 Walnut Street Photo Source: House & Garden's Book of Interiors, 1920 |
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E.T. Stotesbury's bedroom at El Mirasol, showing the repainted custom furniture and the antique headboard Photo Source: Mattie Edwards Hewitt collection, Pennsylvania State Archives |
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![]() E.T. Stotesbury's bed at El Mirasol Photo Source: Mattie Edwards Hewitt collection, Pennsylvania State Archives |
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![]() Headboard of E.T. Stotesbury's bed at El Mirasol Photo Source: Mattie Edwards Hewitt collection, Pennsylvania State Archives |
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The bed and some of the furniture survive today in remarkably good condition, as shown below. |
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![]() E.T. Stotesbury's bed from El Mirasol as it looks today |
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![]() The headboard of the Stotesbury bed today |
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The furniture from E.T. Stotesbury's bedroom at El Mirasol as it looks today |
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One of the two bureaus from the bedroom of E.T. Stotesbury at El Mirasol |
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A sunflower carved on the bureau from E.T. Stotesbury's bedroom at El Mirasol |
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If you are aware of the current whereabouts of other similar items that were once associated with the Stotesburys, please feel free to add to our guest book. | |
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