Decorative object: Set of girandole candlesticks featuring Jenny Lind
mantelpiece garniture
Jenny Lind (associated with)
1860 (Date manufactured/created)
Lighting Device
18 in H
Measurement Notes: W = 16 in. and 5 in
Girandole set or mantelpiece garniture, consisting of a three-arm candlestick and two single candlesticks which feature the opera singer Jenny Lind, known as "The Swedish Nightingale." P. T. Barnum brought Lind to America in 1850, where she became immensely popular, both because of her exceptionally beautiful voice and her generosity to charities. Manufacturers capitalized on her popularity with items touted as being in the Jenny Lind "style," or like this set, featuring her image. The candlesticks are one-sided (the figures are hollow on the backside) because they were designed for use on a mantelpiece. During the mid-1800s, it was fashionable to have a very large mirror on the wall behind the mantelpiece so the reflection of the candlelight, enhanced by the glass prisms, greatly increased the light output. The subtle brilliance added greatly to the room's decor and ambiance. The candlesticks are made of cast brass or bronze, and the bases are marble. The upper portion of the candlesticks is probably oromolu, or gilt-bronze (a thin layer of gold on top of the bronze). The Jenny Lind figure, depicted in a long, full-skirted gown and holding a bouquet, stands in front of a tree, with curved vines of leaves and flowers on either side. One hand rests on a lyre, an instrument like a small harp. The set was almost certainly made by the firm of R. E. Dietz in New York City. The Dietz catalog of 1860 lists a Jenny Lind set, and a visual comparison with other girandole sets made by this company show the same style of base and other elements. Dietz and their competitors produced a variety of girandole sets featuring characters from literature, appealing figures ("Wood Nymph," "Boy and Girl," "Girl, Dog, and Deer" etc.) or scenes of nature ("Bear and Beehive," "Squirrels," etc.), and patriotic representation ("Spirit of '76"). Jenny Lind, who was so universally admired and fondly remembered in America long after her year-long tour in 1850-1851, was an obvious choice. Jenny Lind (October 6, 1820 - November 2,1887) was a Swedish opera singer whom P. T. Barnum made famous in America. The exceptional quality of her voice, was recognized when she was young, and she received training at the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Sweden, and the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. She was a coloratura soprano who reached high acclaim in Europe. P. T. Barnum engaged her for a year-long American tour though he had never heard her sing. Barnum promoted her arrival months in advance, knowing that Americans knew little of opera but would appreciate her "angelic" voice and equally kind, philanthropic nature. The advertising campaign created an insatiable demand for concert tickets and spurred the creation of innumerable consumer products with her name. Halfway through the American tour, Lind married Otto Goldschmidt, who had replaced her previous pianist. The couple had three children. Lind became a professor of singing at the Royal College of Music in London. She is buried at the Great Malvern Cemetery in Malvern, Worcestershire, England.
2014.004.001 AC