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 Decorator
Vol. 1 No. 1

Application

The Historical Society 
of 
Early American Decoration

Founded on May 27, 1946 in memory of Esther Stevens Brazer

Exhibitions ~ Education ~ Research

About HSEAD Benefits of Membership Membership Categories Our Address
The term Early American Decoration is applied to all decorated articles that adorned the homes of our forefathers:

Furniture, cornice boards, painted tin trunks, coffee pots, trays, bellows, glass panels in clocks and gilded looking glasses, as well as painted and stenciled walls and floors.


Members paint and work in many techniques individually, or in classes and workshops. They are taught by certified teachers in stenciling, Pontypool painting, gold leafing, Victorian flower painting, reverse glass painting, clock dials, Country painting, free hand bronzing and theorem painting.  The society has a program of awards for outstanding crafts-persons and teachers in the various fields - click here for details. 

What we do - Click here for a brief illustrated glossary of the various crafts.

The society continues to do extensive research to perpetuate the old patterns and techniques. Articles of lasting interest are constantly being written by our members, not only for THE DECORATOR, the official publication of the Society, but for other similar publications.

Books published by the Society include: American Painted Tinware, Decorative Arts: 18th and 19th Century, Theoremetical System of Painting, The Art of Theorem Painting, and Instruction Packets for Country Painting.  Please visit our HSEAD Store. 

 

The late Esther Stevens Brazer is the accepted authority on Early American Decoration.  For more about Brazer, please see our reprint of the first issue of the Decorator. 

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Benefits of HSEAD Membership, Join and Enjoy: 

  • Attending our Annual Meetings with exhibitions and programs that include demonstrations, tours, and lectures, as well as our three day Workshops called Working Seminars, held once a year with a variety of different class choices.

  • Receiving The Decorator, our Journal published twice a year, and the Newsletter, published quarterly.

  • Access and use of our Lending Library of Design. an extensive collection of beautifully reproduced historical decorative patterns.

  • Access and use of the HSEAD Photography Collection, photographs of member award winning design reproductions seen over the years at our Annual Meeting Exhibitions.

  • Access to the HSEAD Research Center, David Wight House, Old Sturbridge Village, Sturbridge, MA where you can conduct research on early American decoration and consult and study the large pattern collection located there.

  • Meeting others with similar interests and enjoying their camaraderie and fellowship. 

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The Historical Society of Early American Decoration

MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES
APPLICANT (those interested in studying the techniques of EAD and becoming a Brazer Guild Member)

ASSOCIATE (those interested in supporting research and writing on the Art of EAD)

Explanation of Categories  

HSEAD MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM

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The Historical Society of Early American Decoration, Inc.
c/o Ann Stewart, Administrative Assistant
PO Box 30, Farmer's Museum
Cooperstown, NY 13326
info@hsead.org
607-547-5667
Toll free: 866-30HSEAD (866-304-7323)
 

Thank you for your interest in HSEAD.

You can request an illustrated color brochure of this information, or additional details, by e-mail.

To get a list of teachers in your area, click here.

Officers and Advisors

The pictures on this page are from the covers of issues of our publication, The Decorator.

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