The Eaddo H. & Peter D. Kiernan III Lecture

The 2025 Eaddo and Peter Kiernan Lecture with Preservation Society Fellows Isabella Hogan and Priscilla Bright

August 5, 2025

6:00 – 7:00 PM

Free in person or via Zoom. Advance registration required.

If attending via Zoom, you will receive your Zoom link 24 hours in advance.

“Decoding Davenport”

Conservation Fellow Isabella Hogan

Between 1893 and 1895, American architect and interior decorator Ogden Codman Jr. (1863-1951) commissioned A.H. Davenport and Company (1880-1914) to provide furniture for the second and third floors of The Breakers, the summer residence of Cornelius Vanderbilt II and his family in Newport.

Drawing on her recent survey of the third-floor furniture, Isabella Hogan will explore the design process, craftsmanship, materials and manufacturing methods employed in Davenport’s factories to illuminate the details of this important commission and explore how it relates to wider trends in production during the 19th century. Join us for a glimpse into the operation of one of the Gilded Age’s leading furniture manufacturers and learn what lies ahead for the preservation of the pieces at The Breakers.

Isabella Hogan

Isabella Hogan earned a BA in Archaeology: First Class from the University of Cambridge, King’s College, England, and was awarded the Glyn Daniel Prize and Scholar of the College status for distinguished academic performance. She further excelled at the University of Durham, where she earned an MA in Conservation of Archaeological and Museum Objects: Distinction.

Hogan has worked as a Project Conservator for the Maritime Museum in Liverpool, England, and as a Conservation Intern for the Mary Rose Trust in Portsmouth, England, and the Bevaringscenter Fyn in Langeland, Denmark.

“Treasures from the Collection”

Curatorial Research Fellow Priscilla Bright

Priscilla Bright has scoured the Preservation Society’s collection to highlight unsung gems and shed new light on old favorites, ranging from 16th-century manuscript cuttings to a pink suit worn by Robert Redford in “The Great Gatsby “(1974). Her research has enriched our understanding of the vast and complex collection The Preservation Society of Newport County cares for and revealed a few secrets along the way. Get ready to speak with statues, ponder paintings and be fascinated by furniture!

Priscilla Bright

Priscilla Bright earned a Master of Arts in Museum and Artifact Studies from Durham University, Durham, UK. While at Durham, Priscilla selected research projects with Newport themes, authoring successful papers on Alice Vanderbilt’s Electric Light gown and a Bernard Palissy earthenware platter with provenance linked to both Émile Gavet and Edward Berwind.

In addition to a successful summer working as a Museum Educator and Associate Tour Guide at the Preservation Society, Priscilla has experience working as a gallery assistant for Galerie Beauté du Matin Calme in Paris, The Guild of Boston Artists in Boston and Anchor Bend Glassworks in Newport.