Beginning in the 1700s, Pierre Deyo began constructing a humble stone house on the Historic Huguenot Street located in New Paltz, N.Y. Today, viewers quickly recognize that this small stone house is now the famous Deyo House and the same location where Gertrude’s mirror can be found. Pierre’s modest three-room house was transformed dramatically when the descendants of Pierre Deyo: Abraham Deyo Broadhead and Gertrude Bogardus Deyo, married and took it for their home in the late 1890s.  The wealthy newly-wed couple did not hesitate to greatly modernize this farmhouse to have it reflect their status in society. This dramatic transformation introduced to the community of Huguenots the start of the many changes that were taken place in America at the time. These significant changes in appearance and ways of living were strongly recognized by the couple’s society in a negative light and the Historic Huguenot Street websites states: “Newspapers were critical of the destruction of a colonial “relic” and urged residents to organize in order to prevent this fate for any of the other stone houses. This outcry led to the creation of the Huguenot Patriotic, Memorial and Historical Society — the beginning of a preservation movement that continues today.” Clearly, the changes created by this family onto this “relic” had a phenomenal impact on their society and produced preservation movements that have existed for over a century. Similar to these movements the Deyo House and the many modernizations put into it still stands today in New Paltz. The house represents this significant shift in history from the old world to the new world as immigration, technological advances and modernity were pouring over the United States.

 The woman, Gertrude Deyo stood for these changes and her charming physique can be signified in a unique way. Through this silver mirror Gertrude could see the woman she was and the woman she made herself out to be for acceptance into society. The mirror serves to show Gertrude’s reflection of a physical appearance that she took much pride in and viewed with great importance. In Gertrude’s room, viewers not only see the mirror, but several accessories, perfumes and photo frames accompanying her mirror. Objects and accessories were a part of Gertrude’s character as they had the power to make her beautiful and showed a high-status in her community. For example, in an actual letter documented by the Historic Huguenot website, Gertrude writes to her cousin about the material possessions her family purchases on a casual shopping day: “Mama, Papa, and I went to Pougkeepsie yesterday. Papa got a coast, mama a silk waist, and I, a spring coat like this: It is very long but it doesn’t look much like these pictures, I have a new hat too…” Gertrude discusses material items she purchased in this letter to her cousin and even attached photos of these newly acquired items. These possessions played a large role in Gertrude’s character because during the time of the historic Huguenots, a woman’s physical appearance was an integral representation of herself.  Moreover, it is believed that women took at least two hours to prepare themselves for public viewing because they were judged tremendously by the outer layers of their personality. Gertrude’s mirror and other accessories depict the ideal Huguenot woman and, although her house was fairly modernized, it was her obligation to create both an astounding house and astounding woman. She accomplished this by dressing in her best clothes, wearing her finest perfume and styling her hair in the most fashionable way. The mirror, one could say was the judge and the final factor to determine her loveliness. If the reflection was satisfying, Gertrude was content and able to step out of the Deyo house and into society. One could say Gertrude aimed to be exactly what her house represented: wealth, power and originality. She was fortunate enough to establish this through her appearance.

In conclusion what can be said of the description of Gertrude Deyo looking back at herself through her mirror’s reflection? Gertrude Bogardus Deyo appears to be a woman who held herself well and obtained a respected status in Huguenot society. Her objects serve to illustrate her inner-being which appear to be rich, beautiful and even one of a kind. The restructured house along with the objects found within her room display this woman’s urge for modernization and exquisiteness which after a substantial amount of effort and time were completed.