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When Isham began his career there were many 17th century houses still standing. As a young and inquisitive student of art and architecture, and with only horse and buggy as means of transportation, he traveled up and down dirt roads investigating every old house he could find. He crawled through them, studied them, measured and drew them. But not as an antiquarian whose interest was in family connections or as an art historian studying examples of style. Instead, Isham's interest was in their construction. Consequently his research reveals the innermost secrets of New England structures now gone.
Framing.
Roger Mowry House
Measured and drawn by Norman M. Isham
Although Isham's main interest was the 17th century, by the 1900's he had become attracted to the work of John Holden Greene (1777-1850), a noted master builder and architect who had designed a number of Rhode Island houses in the early 19th century. An important part of the Isham's collection includes his research and monograph on Greene. It is interesting to note that for twenty years Isham lived directly across the street from the house that Greene had designed and built for himself in 1809 (now known as the Governor Elisha Dyer House, 154 Power Street). Perhaps Isham's interest was sparked by his daily exposure to Greene's talent and to his sensitive use of shadow and light.
A typical John Holden Greene design.
Truman Beckwith House. 1826
Providence, R.I.
If you have comments or suggestions, email me at awb02@sprynet.com
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