Dunham Home, Inside & Out
Few things delineate a particular historical era more graphica1ly than do its homes.
These v1ews of the Samuel Dunham home at 6448 Lexington Ave., Chicago, are rather a rare pair, as they provide a sort of double view of the house.
The family group at right (Edna Dunham, Samuel, Mrs. Dunham at the rear, Rosa seated on the floor, & Miriam
Dunham Ferriss, holding baby Lillyn & her doll) is posed in front of the sane bay window shown, in part, at the right edge of the exterior shot bottom right, which shows Frank taking Lillyn (& perhaps the same doll) for a walk.
The inside picture was taken in 1898 & the exterior in 1900. Edna (later Mrs. Robt Willard) is sitting in "the conversation chair," a quite unique piece of furniture that consisted of 2 chairs, facing in opposite directions, & which shared one arm rest, rather like Siamese twins.
Two people seated in the chair/chairs were close together & could talk, or whisper, confidences &
face each other by 1ooking over their right shoulders.
DD’s editor, Mrs. Kitson, remembers this conversation chair very well, as it was for a long time a fixture in her grandmother (Miriam’s) home. Unfortunately, it was sold at some time over the long years.
