Mirror, Mirror, On the Wall

Installed in 1870, this mirror was custom ordered by Robert Knight Remington (1826-1886) for his new Rock Street residence for the price of $1,400.00. As of this writing, that would equate to just shy of $33,000. When Mr. Remington sold the property to David Anthony Brayton in 1878, he also sold furnishings and fixtures. The mirror was priced at half the original cost.

If you have had the opportunity to stand in front of this beautiful giant, you already know that there is much to be admired. The detailed craftsmanship of the mirror’s American Walnut casing is adorned with spindle-like hooks to hang hats and coats. Additionally, there are scallop shells on the base that were used for holding umbrellas, as they would catch the rainwater. They could later be removed and emptied. The mirror is full of complexity and depth; one could easily get lost staring into it. The clarity and richness of the mirror can be explained due to the manufacturing process, during which it was backed with a mixture of silver and “diamond dust.”

The composition of the photograph – taken c. 1938 by Boudreau, a commercial and portrait photographer of Fall River – is interesting. If you look closely, you will just barely see the edge of the doorbell box hanging on the wall to the left of the mirror. Looking towards the front door, it appears one is anticipating a long-awaited guest. You can almost hear the reverberating beat of the clock’s pendulum, tick, tick, tick. The etched glass beautifully diffuses the day’s setting sun; as the light enters the home, the reflection in the mirror illuminates the stairway directly across the hall.

Located between the front and side entrances of the stone mansion, this mirror has seen every person that has walked through those doors since 1870 – astounding!

If mirrors could talk, this one would have quite the stories to tell. Think you not so?