Emma Nevada in Paris circa 1880 from Nevada Magazine March-April 2020
26 November 1885 Nevada State Journal
Emma Nevada has several connections to the Hurd family, oddly enough. She was born Emma Wixom February 7, 1859 in the Alpha Mining camp near Nevada City, California. The Hurds were living in Nevada City at the time. Emma's father moved to Austin, Nevada a few years later where Emma's singing talent was discovered when she was just 5 years old. She went on to study voice and language at Mills College in California. Her beautiful soprano voice took her from Oakland to Europe. In 1880 she changed her name to Emma Nevada and began an illustrious European career singing in prestigious operas and performing for royalty. In 1885, she returned to the US and performed in Austin and Virginia City. In 1902 she performed at her Alma Mater Mills College, as well as in Nevada City. She died in 1940 at the age of 81, the pride and joy of Nevada. (excerpts taken from Nevada Magazine March-April 2020 issue by Eric Cachinero).
An article written in the Reno Evening Gazette 31 July, 1943 gives some insight into the other connection to Emma Nevada. The family piano is part of the story, and I am sure the Meacham and possibly the Hurd families were in attendance at the opera house on November 26, 1885 to hear the great Emma Nevada. The family must have been very proud of this event, as it comes up in several stories related through the years. The article also gives us a glimpse of what kind of art and furniture was found in Hattie Powers' home! It is a long, flowery article, and I have condensed it a bit, but is worth the read.
ARTS AND ARTISTS
"A relic of historic import and many sentimental treasures which whisper of yesterdays on the Comstock lend special interest to the home of Mrs. Hattie L. Powers, 120 Stevenson Street, Reno."
"Strains of 'Tis the Last Rose of Summer', 'Home Sweet Home', and other loved old-time melodies stir one's mind while viewing an impressive large square Steinway piano whose solid ivory keys still gleam their whiteness. In the early days of Nevada's history, it was shipped from New York, traveling the long distance around Cape Horn to grace the home of James G. Fair, one of the 'Big Four' on the Comstock. Later when Fair's household furnishings were being sold, it was purchased by Mr. Powers' step-father, Robert S. Meacham, pioneer lumberman of the Comstock, who began supplying lumber to the mines in the late 60's and lived there until 1912."
"The piano was once used on the stage of Piper's Opera House for it so happened that when Emma Nevada came to Virginia City to sing, those many years ago, there was no Steinway piano for her accompanist. Since this famed Nevada singer would have none other than a Steinway, Meacham's piano was moved into the opera house for her performance."
"In the Powers' parlor are old time paintings by Mrs. Meacham and by another member of the family, Carrie A. Hurd, sister of Mrs. Powers. There is also a flower study in watercolor by Kate Mansfield, a Comstock painter of the Gay Nineties. We remembered reading in the Comstock's famous newspaper, 'The Territorial Enterprise', under the date of November 27, 1895, an item which read, 'Miss Kate Mansfield has opened a studio on the corner of B and Taylor streets in the Mallon building and is prepared to give lessons in all kinds of art work, also a special class in drawing for children. All kinds of decorative work done reasonably. Portraits in oil, watercolor and crayon. For particulars, call at the studio.' "
"........Attracting attention in the dining room is a very interesting oil painting by Mrs. Meacham painted under the tutelage of Kate Mansfield..it depicts a dining table spread with embroidered white cloth and laden with various fruits and dainty cakes."
"In the bedroom is a sturdily constructed marble-topped dresser of the Civil War period, brought down from the Comstock, which boasts a secret drawer. A fine desk in the dining room is a Virginia City relic which has happily withstood the wear of many years."
"Adorning a bedroom in the Powers' home is a large plate glass mirror whose very wide silvery frame displays the joint artistry of Kate Mansfield and Mrs. Meacham in the form of a lovely spray of chrysanthemums painted in oil, a few of whose autumn tinted blooms extend onto the mirror. It is a charming example of home decoration in the Gay Nineties."
"In those 'oil-lamp' days, it was the mark of a lady to follow some artistic pursuit and Grandmother Meacham painted on china as well as canvas. Her many fine articles of hand-painted china attest to her marked aptitude for the work. Whole sets of decorative china, some of which are the exquisite, fragile 'egg-shell' have been handed down to her granddaughters, Miss Alta Powers of Reno and Ina Powers Sample of Pasadena, California. Unique indeed to the present generation is a kidney-shaped set of 'bone' dishes used to receive bones from meat courses and there is a score of butter pats bearing charming decorations by this pioneer Comstock mother who sought beauty for her home in this frontier community."
"Mrs. Meacham devised a design which included the Meacham monogram and this was used on a set of silverware made at Schreve's in San Francisco from bullion she had sent down from the Comstock Lode."
"Mrs. Powers possess a necklace whose pendant is a five-dollar gold piece marked on one side with Grandfather Meacham's monogram R S M."
"Still another heirloom which has descended to one of the granddaughters is a quaint heart-shaped locket on which is pivoted a gold nugget taken from the Ophir Mine on the Comstock and it is surrounded by tiny turquoise stones and chip rubies. A token of affection, it was presented years ago by Grandfather Meacham to Grandmother Meacham."
According to Alta Powers in her memoirs (previous post) the piano was handed down to first Alta, and then went to Ina's house in Pasadena. After Ina's death, Alta sold the piano to a "Pasadena lady whom I knew would treasure it and take care of it". I hope she did.
Schreve and Company is still in business in San Francisco on Post Street. They have been in business since 1852. By the 1860's they had established their reputation as the finest silver and goldsmith in America, and became one of the more elite jewelry businesses in San Francisco. Their building on the corner of Post and Grant was a brand new "earthquake proof" building which opened in March of 1906, and was one of the few buildings to survive not only the earthquake, but the fire on April 18, 1906. After the earthquake the company reopened and eventually introduced their first line of flatware, as well the publication of their first series of illustrated catalogs. (shreve.com/our-story). Grandma Meacham died in 1912, so she could have devised her design for the set of silverware from Schreve's after 1906.
 |
If you have lived in or visited Reno or Sparks you may remember this Golden Rooster from John Ascuaga's Nugget. It is solid (not hollow) 18 carat gold. Weight is 15 pounds. Newman's Silver Shop of Reno and Schreve's of San Francisco teamed together to create this masterpiece for the Nugget Casino. It was auctioned off in 2014, selling for $234,000. (Reno Gazette Journal 27 July, 2014).
What a unique connection to the treasures of Grandma Meacham!
No comments:
Post a Comment