Workstead has long turned to place and history as a way to inspire and frame the objects we create. The studio’s relationship with the city of Charleston, SC provides so much of both. Immersed in a rich and important history, palms and lush flora fill the between-spaces of this storied city.  It is in this spirit that we chose to contextualize the LANTERN collection in one of Charleston’s oldest structures; a grand contemporary gesture suspended in time.

These photos reflect the series of days spent documenting LANTERN at the Aiken Rhett House. With the light ever changing, we installed the fixtures on a series of discreet armatures - with LANTERN representing a contemporary luminosity within the shell of each room of the house. Like the mission of the Historic Charleston Foundation to preserve without severe interruption or intervention, we aimed to carefully frame our work within the stillness of this important House.

The Aiken-Rhett House is an ‘as found’ museum, meaning it has been largely untouched since it was purchased by the Foundation in 1975, with the last living member of the original family departing in 1968. Built in 1820, it is a ‘Charleston Double’ house, and the most original antebellum domestic structure in Charleston. Importantly, the house exhibits that rare quality of being both grand and humble, due to the revered deterioration of the interior. A perfect setting for LANTERN, where one can see, feel, and grasp the passage of time.