Heraldry in courts

 
Joseph McMillan
 
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Joseph McMillan
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16 September 2009 18:53
 

John Reilly, a prosecutor in Delaware Co, PA, and apparently a follower of the rec.heraldry madhouse, sent me some pictures of heraldry used on and in courthouses in Pennsylvania, and gave me permission to share:

Quoting from his e-mail:

 

 

This is the Pa. Superior Courtroom in Pittsburgh:

http://www.superior.court.state.pa.us/images/SuperiorCourtJudges2008.jpg

 

This is the Pa. Superior Courtroom in Philadelphia:

http://www.superior.court.state.pa.us/images/phl_court.jpg

 

This is the new Harrisburg courtroom for the Pa. Commonwealth Court:

 

http://www.daylife.com/search/photos?q=pennsylvania+judicial

 

The painting in the Pittsburgh court is superb—the others are pretty much cookie cutter images of the standard emblazonment of the Pennsylvania arms, but it’s good to see their use in court (a continuation or at least revival of the pre-Revolutionary use of the royal arms) in any case.

 

He also sent a photo of the outside of the Delaware County courthouse with the arms of the Commonwealth and of William Penn carved in stone on either side of the entrance, but the link is broken.  I’ll repost if I find a new link.

 
Joseph McMillan
 
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Joseph McMillan
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16 September 2009 22:46
 

Here’s a long shot of the Delaware Co. courthouse, unfortunately too long to see the detail of the arms.  Pennsylvania to the viewer’s left, William Penn to the right.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/60/229628485_ba81c8c160.jpg

 
James Dempster
 
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James Dempster
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17 September 2009 01:39
 

It’s interesting that the Pittsburgh courtroom has two versions of the arms. The wonderful painting and what appears to be a cast metal version on the roundel below it.

It might also be interesting to see more detail of the portrait of the 17th or early 18th century gentleman on the left. Is he holding a seal purse(?). I can’t make it out from the image, but these were often heraldic.

 

This is the current purse of the Lord Chancellor

 

http://www.explore-parliament.net/nssMovies/09/0924/0924_02.jpg

 

And here is Archbishop Spottiswoode (Charles I’s Lord Chancellor of Scotland) with the Stuart arms on his purse.

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b2/Wenceslas_Hollar_-_John_Spottiswoode_(State_3).jpg/372px-Wenceslas_Hollar_-_John_Spottiswoode_(State_3).jpg

 

Archbishop Spottiswoode was apparently (per Wikipedia) gt-grandfather of Alexander Spotswood, Lt Governor of Virginia.

 

James

 
gselvester
 
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gselvester
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17 September 2009 09:01
 

Justices of the New Jersey Supreme Court hearing a case in Trenton. While it is a very modern chamber they sit below the State Seal which is armorial.

http://blog.nj.com/ledgerupdates_impact/2009/04/large_supreme court.JPG

 

http://www.theus50.com/images/state-seals/newjersey-seal.jpg

 
Donnchadh
 
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Donnchadh
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17 September 2009 11:02
 

all very cool. smile

 
Joseph McMillan
 
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Joseph McMillan
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17 September 2009 22:09
 

James Dempster;71925 wrote:

It might also be interesting to see more detail of the portrait of the 17th or early 18th century gentleman on the left. Is he holding a seal purse(?). I can’t make it out from the image, but these were often heraldic.


Unfortunately, it seems not to be a seal purse. The portraits are of William Penn (left, founder of Pennsylvania) and William Pitt (right, namesake of Pittsburgh). A close up photograph of the Penn painting (and pretty bad it is) can be seen on page 2 of the Superior Court’s annual report http://www.superior.court.state.pa.us/ar2003/SuperiorCourt_AR_2003.pdf. Some rotten imitation heraldry along the borders of the painting, too.

 

The portrait of Pitt is at the end of the report; it’s no better.

 

But the room itself is pretty impressive; here’s a wide angle shot.

 

http://www.superior.court.state.pa.us/images/pgh_court.jpg

 
James Dempster
 
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James Dempster
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18 September 2009 01:08
 

If the paintings are as bad as they appear in the report, they really need to get better ones. They let down the rest of the room, especially that ceiling. Never, Never, let Dan Brown see it or more trees will be pulped in the name of bad literature.

James