Portland Cutter Sleigh to Grace Cape May’s Emlen Physick Estate in Time for a Victorian Christmas

CAPE MAY – The Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC) has an exciting addition to its Victorian Christmas decorations on the grounds of the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St. – a full-sized, restored 1890s Portland Cutter sleigh. The sleigh was transported this week from the Falls Church, Va. home of its owners, Ioanna Iliopulos and Tom Cataldo. It is through their generosity that visitors will enjoy viewing this authentic piece of Victoriana on the grounds of the estate throughout this holiday season and for seasons to come.
Pictured with the sleigh are MAC’s museum educators who portray, from left, Dr. Emlen Physick (Robert Heinly), the Cape May Lighthouse Keeper (David Yeager), John Philip Sousa (Rich Chiemingo), Dr. Physick’s mother Mrs. Ralston (Audrey Conant) and his Aunt Emilie Parmentier (Barbara Lamont).
The sleigh will be on display beginning with the annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony Nov. 19 when Santa Claus flips the switch on thousands of lights decorating the estate’s 60-foot Christmas tree. The cutter is a classic type of sleigh many people associate with old-fashioned Currier & Ives illustrations. The name – Portland Cutter – refers to a kind of sleigh, rather than a manufacturer, according to MAC Curator, Elan Zingman-Leith. “Many companies made them and they were a particularly American style. A cutter means that it is a lightweight sleigh used for fun rather than a heavier workaday model. Portland means that the seat-back is straight rather than curved – which would make it an Albany-style sleigh,” he said.
Iliopulos and Cataldo, who are MAC members, plan on retiring to Cape May in the near future. Cataldo bought the sleigh as a Christmas present for his wife a year ago and they agreed it would make the perfect addition to the 1879 Physick Estate – Cape May’s only Victorian house museum – at Christmastime. Cape May’s holiday season is seven weeks of special holidays tours and events through Jan. 1. The Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC) is a multifaceted, not-for-profit organization committed to promoting the preservation, interpretation, and cultural enrichment of the Cape May region for its residents and visitors. MAC membership is open to all.
For information about MAC’s holiday or year-round schedule of tours, festivals, and special events, call 609-884-5404 or 800-275-4278, or visit MAC’s Web site at www.capemaymac.org.