Burnett Family Homes

Description

Large blue bound album of 140 black-and-white photographs. On front page is written Francis S. Burnett, Madeira, January 10, 1897. Titles on photographs refer to the Burnett family. References throughout the album indicate these photos are homes and places related to the Burnett family. Photographs include a large selection from Madeira where the Burnetts had a home. They show a Spanish type villa called Quinta Esperanca. There are photos of its exterior, interior and gardens. Also many street scenes from Funchal showing daily life, native dress, shops and street life. There are several panoramas of the Bay of Funchal and Madeira mountains. Several interesting photographs show girls dressed in white gowns in the garden at Quinta Esperanca. The photos are labeled with the months of the year and appear that the girls are acting out a story or some theme. Handwritten notations appear next to many photos with names of people and places. Included in this album are 19 photos of historic places in England, including Westminster Abbey, Hampton Court, Salisbury Cathedral, Stonehenge, Stratford, Kenilworth Castle, and Warwick. One shows the grave of Frances Dunlap Lowell in England. There are additional references to the Lowell family throughout this album. These references indicate that the Burnett family is related to James Russell Lowell, the writer. At the end of the album are 38 photographs of Cambridge and Boston. Boston photos show the exterior and interior of West Church, where Charles Lowell was the minister. The Cambridge photographs show the home of James Russell Lowell, "Elmwood." Elmwood is shown in the summer and in the winter. The photos show the interior and exterior of the house and gardens including a very nice one of James Russell Lowell in his library with Leslie Stephens. One photograph shows a walk through the woods and the notation reads: "JRL's favorite walk - He used to tell his Burnett grandchildren he met the fairies here."