Hegeler Carus Foundation

You are here: Home / Archives for reception room

These (little) lights of ours

Let them shine. Let them shine. Let them shine.

With so many rooms, there is such a variety of lighting all over the Mansion. The crystal is beautiful and their many facets help radiate the light. We don’t know if Feng Shui was a thing then but there is definitely good energy throughout.

This is just a sampling. When you take a tour, you can see these lights (and more!) in person.

  • Sparkling in the Reception Room.
  • Looking up from below in the Reception Room
  • Main hallway between Reception Room and Parlor. This beautiful light greeted all visitors.
  • Multicolored in the Parlor
  • Light in the Children’s room for play and studying.
  • In the Family Room.
  • Lamp beside Mary Carus’ desk in the Family Room
  • Gracing the Dining Room
  • In the beginning light came from candles, lanterns and fireplaces.
  • Light in Camilla’s Bedroom (Second Floor)
  • Light in Paul and Mary’s Bedroom (Second Floor)
  • One of the early light bulbs in the gymnasium.

Twenty-two species of wood!

Someone asked about all the beautiful wood in the inlaid parquet floors. First of all, the Mansion has beautiful wood throughout. It has been reported that there are about 22 different species of wood used in the interior design. In the inlaid parquet floors alone, there are at least eight different species.

  • Parlor floor
  • Finished parlor floor leading into the hallway floor that needs to be restored.
  • Restored Parlor floor closeup. You can easily pick out 6-7 species of wood.
  • A great example of the different woodwork in the Mansion. This is the dining room, looking into the main hall.
  • Reception Room inlaid floor.
  • Sample of hallway floor that has been cleaned in order to determine restoration costs. The left side of the picture is our hallway as it is now.

Coming to call upon the Hegelers

If you came to call, you would come up the wonderful horseshoe stairs and ring the door bell. A staff member would greet you and take your calling card. You would then be shown into the Reception Room to wait until whom ever you called for came to the room.

If you were a man, this is as far as you would generally get. Your visit would take place in the Reception Room.

Reception room

Now, if you were a lady, you would be taken across the hall from the Reception Room into the Parlor and there you would visit and enjoy tea and sweet things.

  • Looking East in the Parlor
  • Parlor fireplace

Below is one of Edward Hegeler’s calling cards when he went to visit.

Edward Hegeler’s calling card.