“The Latest Glory”

In the opening address celebrating the completion of the Brooklyn Bridge in 1883, former U.S. Congressman and New York City Mayor Abram Hewitt rhapsodized: “It stands before us today as the sum and epitome of human knowledge; as the very heir of the ages; as the latest glory of centuries of patient observation, profound study and accumulated skill, gained, step by step, in the never-ending struggle of man to subdue the forces of nature to his control and use.” When Bowen redecorated Roseland Cottage in the late 1880s, this lantern was a suitable celebration of Bowen’s own achievements. It also served as a reminder that this was a Brooklyn family that summered in Woodstock. The lamp, originally fueled by gas, was adapted to oil or kerosene–Woodstock and Roseland Cottage never had access to gas–and later adapted for electricity.