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"What a lovely house and what a lovely welcome. We can't imagine a better
place to watch the snow melt and welcome spring."
- Dorthea, Harry & Ben.
Surry, named in honor of Sir Charles Howard, Earl of Surry, was first settled in 1764 and
incorporated in 1769 from parts of Gilsum and Westmoreland. It was an agricultural town with good farmlands.
To the east of the village rises Surry Mountain, where for some years small
amounts of mica, copper, lead, silver and gold could be found. Atop the mountain itself is
Lily Pond, more than 700 feet above the village and in some places 80 feet deep. The Surry House was built in 1865. It has always been a private residence that has evolved over the years.
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One of the most interesting and unique feathers of the home is found in the large living room. Over the mantle is a lithophane. Designed sometime during the civil war, it is most impressive at night. A light bulb became the light source in the early 1900s. The former owners say that the bulb has never been replaced and they had lived here for twenty years and never did find out where to access it. |
 A lithophane (or lithopane) (Greek "vision in stone") is a remarkable three dimensional image created by the thickness of porcelain. A picture is formed when there are different areas of light and dark. First invented in France in 1872, a lithophane was a porcelain engraving that virtually came alive when lit from behind. It was discovered that a could be produced by shining light through a carving of varied thicknesses in porcelain.
These beautiful transparencies are achieved by first carving the image into beeswax. The translucency of the wax allows the artist to see the result of his labor as he works. A plaster casting is taken from this masterwork, then a fine porcelain paste is pressed into this mold. After drying, the panels are kiln fired to 2300 degrees, to achieve their extreme density and amazing translucency.
The effect of the lithophane however, was entirely dependent on the transmittance of light through its varied-depth relief surface to illuminate the tonal range of the image. The lithophane became a popular novelty and decorative item in the early part of the 19th century. Lithopanes of European manufacture have been around for a long time and were popular. They still remain a much sought after collectors' item today.
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Innkeepers: Mary Anne Bonafair and Eileen Duffy
50 Village Road ~
Surry, New Hampshire 03431
Call us at: 603-352-2268 or Email us:
Innkeepers@thesurryhouse.com
www.thesurryhouse.com
Hosting & Web Design by
The DiTa Group, LLC
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