Morton House I

WLMD ID: aepq

Watercolor by Leroy D. Vandam, M.D.
© 1994, The Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology

William Thomas Green Morton (1819-1868), who was the first to successfully demonstrate ether anesthesia, was born in August, 1819 in Charlton, Massachusetts, reputedly in what is now known as The Morton House, a successor to the original edifice. This watercolor appeared on the cover of the Journal of the American Medical Association, August 14, 1987. Over the years, Dr. Vandam painted several watercolors of this historic house illustrating various seasonal perspectives.

Catalog Record: Morton House I

Access Key: aepq

Title: [The Morton house I] / Roy Vandam.

Author Vandam, Leroy D. (David), 1914-2004.

Publisher [198-].

Physical Descri: 1 watercolor on rough watercolor paper : color ; visible image 47.5 x 56 cm, in frame 70.5 x 78 cm.

Subject: Morton, W. T. G. (William Thomas Green), 1819-1868.

Form/Genre: Watercolors.
Form/Genre: Paintings.

Relationships: Host item
Title : Dr. Leroy Vandam watercolors.

Note type: Publications about
Notes: This painting was featured in an Anesthesiology Reflection, in the journal
Anesthesiology, by George Bause, MD (citation: Bause G. The Morton House I
by Vandam. Anesthesiology. 2010;112(6):1463.).

Note type: Reproduction
Notes: This painting’s image was copyrighted in 1994 for posters and greeting cards
published by the WLM.

Note type: Publications about
Notes: This watercolor appeared on the cover of the Journal of the American Medical
Association, August 14, 1987, as well as the August, 1989 cover of the ASA
Newsletter.

Note type: Abstract
Notes: Image of a sun-lit, red ‘Cape Cod’ style home with white trim. ‘Mudroom’ and
small carriage house or workshop to side. Dark green, light green, red, and
orange vegetation of summer. The house where Dr. Morton was born had burned
and the remains were torn down shortly after he and his family moved to the
Waters-Morton house. The house depicted in this painting is the replacement
house, built a little ways from the location of the original, on Prenier Rd.
Morton’s birthplace is supposed to have been “a large, square, old-fashioned
wooden house on a farm that was deeded to his mother.”

Note type: General
Notes: Selected for the WLM website, 2010.

Note type: General
Notes: One of 8 original watercolors by Dr. Leroy Vandam in the WLM collection.
Double matted, wood frame, with glass. Painting and frame in excellent
condition.

Note type: Citation
Notes: From Dr. Vandam’s excerpts in the ASA Newsletter, and email correspondence
with Cindy Cooper, President, Charlton Historical Society, 4/21/2009 (see
the Vandam Paintings file).

Note type: Reproduction
Notes: Photographed by Mr. William Lyle, 7/13/2010; A WLM print, that was framed
and displayed at the ASA building in Park RIdge, is located in the Warehouse
at 10 K 3.

Note type: General
Notes: Title from the WLM “Frame Your Heritage” pamphlet.