Upon looking at the inventory of Joseph Rosseel’s furniture and books one gets a peek inside the lifestyle and possessions of a wealthy man in the early 19th century. From the value of a 55$ headboard or 24$ dining table to the modest price of a wedding ring of about 5$ one can ascertain what Rosseel believed was the market price for any assortment of household objects. Also one can understand the lengths to what a wealthy man had to go to, to estimate their net worth. Rosseel did this through meticulous calculations from every single piece of cloth in his house to his copper kettle. Rosseel estimates that he is worth well over $100,000 which is a considerable fortune even today. One can also look at Rosseel’s personal book collection to understand what kind of man and literature he was interested in. One such book Thomas Reid’s Inquiry on the idea of geometry and realism suggests that Rosseel was a man of some intellect. Other such works such as Joseph Addison’s Spectator daily paper suggests that Rosseel was interested in moral discussions and philosophy which this paper focused on centering on middle class Londoners. Rosseel’s inventory is a key insight into the culture of the time.
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