Pa. German Wall Corner Cupboard c. 1938

Editor: This is Charlotte Angus’s “Pa. German Wall Corner Cupboard,” circa 1938. It seems to be a drawing or a watercolor… It gives off a very sturdy, practical vibe. The rendering is very crisp and technical. What draws your eye when you look at this? Curator: It does have a utilitarian feel, doesn’t it? I see something… grounding. The cupboard, simple as it is, feels like the heart of a home, a keeper of stories, of traditions passed down. That warm, almost honeyed tone, against the stark background...it's not just a cupboard; it’s a memory, a tangible link to Pennsylvania German craftsmanship and culture. I wonder, was it more than just furniture; could it have been considered an heirloom of cultural significance? Editor: An heirloom, yes! I can definitely see that, thinking of it as a keeper of something. Now that I look closer, what about its presence as a kind of ghostly, free-floating object here in the image. Curator: Good eye. Disembodied like that, floating, the image prompts reflection about the life *around* this object… who built it? What recipes were written leaning on its door? Were love letters stored within? A decorative piece perhaps, that whispers, "Remember." Does it inspire you to learn more about Fraktur artistry perhaps, which are decorative folk art designs, similar to illuminated manuscripts, from the Pennsylvania Dutch? Editor: Absolutely. The precision of the rendering coupled with the *ghostliness* make me want to fill in its imagined context, yeah! I never would have thought about this piece carrying so much meaning by itself! Curator: I guess that is the allure of art: seeing not just the surface, but the story waiting to be told. And sometimes, that story begins with a cupboard hanging alone on a wall! Editor: Exactly! So cool!