Thomas E. Marr (Nova Scotia, 1849 - 1910, Boston)
Teobaldo "Bolgi" Travi in the North Cloister, Fenway Court, 1904
Gelatin silver print, 25.4 x 20.3 cm (10 x 8 in.)
This vertical gelatin silver print shows a light-skinned, mustached man who is wearing a light-colored majordomo’s uniform. He sports a floor length, double-breasted coat with a shoulder cape. On top of his head is a dark, tall tricornered hat with an emblem at the front and lighter trim at the edges. In his bent left arm, he is holding a vertical staff topped with an orb. His left arm is straight by his side. He is standing with his left side next to a metal door with ornate grillwork and between two lanterns, all taller than he is. Other architectural features are visible, including a vaulted brick ceiling and wooden benches with high backs.
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A native of Italy, Teobaldo “Bolgi” Travi (1863-1944) immigrated to Boston and first came to the Museum to work on its construction. Isabella Stewart Gardner was impressed with the care that Bolgi handled the sculptures and architectural elements integrated into the building. Once construction was complete, she hired him to be her “majordomo,” chief supervisor of the museum’s staff. This photograph shows Bolgi in his majordomo’s uniform, custom designed by the artist Joseph Lindon Smith (1863-1950).