Celebrity or Aesthetics: Interpreting the Billiard Room at the Mark Twain House in Hartford,Connecticut

Abstract

This article considers the third-floor Billiard Room at the Mark Twain House in Hartford, Connecticut, as a case study of a historic interior in which curators and educators have prioritized the occupant’s biography over the structure’s aesthetic or architectural merits. The presentation of the Billiard Room is grounded in scientific and material analysis, historical research, and visitor experience. Nonetheless, this approach prioritizes Twain’s reputation above the house’s architectural and aesthetic significance. Such an interpretation is well suited to the Billiard Room, the emotional climax of the house tour and a pilgrimage site for Twain scholars and enthusiasts. This article considers the ways in which the interior has been staged to emphasize atmosphere over authenticity while still presenting the room as a historically accurate restored interior, as well as how museumgoers understand and interact with the space.