| The walls of the Chaffey-Garcia
House are adorned with a growing collection of Chaffey art and photographs.
Above the organ in the front parlor now hangs an oil on paper painting of Emma
Chaffey's sixteenth birthday party. The joyful scene depicts family and friends
gathered on the shore of Lake Ontario in July 1878, enjoying an outing on an
uncle's steamboat, a cookout, row boating, and picking wildflowers in a quiet
cove. Shortly after this event, George Sr. departed with his wife, daughter
Emma, and son Charles for a new life in Riverside California. |
Copper Wyvern KettleWarmer, from the early
1800's used by Emma and Annia, George's sister and mother for afternoon tea in
the Etiwada House.
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|
 The
"camper" the Sally Brown
|
Emma's daughter, Isobel McLaren, showed more than a modest
amount of artistic talent. Isobel's Uncle George (Jr.) along with wife Annette
paid for Isobel's art lessons. In previous years we have received a donation of
Isobel's watercolor of the San Juan Capistrano Mission (family parlor) and a
small watercolor sketch of a single rose (master bedroom). Recently Frances Rowe
(Isobel's daughter) donated a 1920 watercolor on paper of Lake Tenaya in
Yosemite. Isobel painted this scene while traveling with Uncle George in his
"camper" the Sally Brown. |
| Isobel's talent must have been inherited from her
father, Peter McLaren. Frances has also donated a watercolor by her grandfather,
Peter, of water carriers at a desert stream in Egypt. Peter, an irrigation
engineer, married Emma Chaffey while working for her brother George, Jr. in
Australia. Later Peter, Emma and the children traveled the world a Peter found
work on various foreign irrigation projects. This watercolor was painted in 1907
while Peter worked in Khartoum and the family lived in Cairo. |
Many antique agricultural tools are on display at the Chaffey Garcia House &
Barn.
|
A small delicate artwork is the 1880's photograph on paper
of Palm Canyon. Beautifully reframed and donated by Francis, this sepia toned
scene may have actually belonged to George JR's parents. We are pleased to have
the picture hanging in the hallway.
Our Chaffey photograph collection includes an
Australian picture of George, Jr., wife Annette, and their three sons in
Adelaide. The photograph was copied from an original belonging to Peter Kreider
(great nephew of George Chaffey Jr.) and the copy was donated by Bob Ellingwood
and hangs in the front parlor.
In January, Frances Rowe donated three more original
photographs adding to the daguerreotypes she gave us several years ago. These
later acquisitions will eventually hang in the Isle House (Emma's home) but for
now grace our walls. A tintype photograph of Emma and two friends was taken on
her sixteenth birthday, shortly after the Lake Ontario excursion. Another
photograph depicts Emma at 21 years of age during the Etiwanda years. The
photograph was taken in December 1883 at the Tyler Photographers Studio in Los
Angeles.
We remain grateful for all of these donations. The
Chaffey family pictures give faces to the names. |
| Emma's Friends
Emma's Friends will hold a rummage sale on August 8, 1998 during the August
Open House. Search your attics and cupboards for castoffs. Remember
clothing (other than children's) and large appliances don't sell.
We've already received a donation of a Madame Alexander baby doll and Suzanne
Gibson baby doll, both in their original boxes, which should interest
collectors. Two matching Casablanca fans of a discontinued Victorian
style, in mint condition, will be for sale. We have also been given twelve
place settings with serving pieces of Royal Doulton china in the Alexandria
patterns. But we need more donations. You may drop off items
by August 1 at the Chaffey-Garcia House. |
