The grand house of William Morrison Tallman, a renowned lawyer and abolitionist is now a museum in Janesville Wisconsin that once hosted a short stay from Abraham Lincoln in 1859.
My next door neighbor Vickie, who works at the museum, dressed in period costume and allowed a private tour and photo shoot. More images can be seen in previous posts. HERE and HERE
Vickie, seated on the front porch.
The ellipise seems to provide ventilation and allowed heat to rise to the unheated 2nd floor.
When the Tallmans built the house they installed gas lighting even though it would be 12 years before gas became available in Janesville. Today the house and the gasolieres have been wired for electricity.
William Henry did not follow in his father’s political footsteps, instead purchasing a stake in a local drugstore business. By 1857, Tallman was running the company and took on Collins as his new partner. Initially, Tallman and Collins was a wholesale business, selling medicine, d chemicals, toothpaste, plasters and scented oils . By 1864, Tallman expanded the business to include manufacturing a new line of perfumes and extracts, eventually focusing solely on perfume manufacture. Tallman perfumes and colognes were incredibly popular in the 1870s, but the company closed in 1883 due to William’s poor health.
After the tour, back in the parking lot, Vickie hitched up her skirt and untied the hoops that allowed women to achieve the fashionable fullness of their skirts with fewer layers of petticoats, making them lighter and more comfortable... But not conformable for climbing up into her pick up truck and driving home! A man stopped at a nearby traffic light seemed rather astonished by the sight, even though her pantaloons discreetly covered her legs!
All content belongs to me. Please do not republish on other social media sites