Jarvis, John Wesley - portrait of a lady

Although this miniature portrait of a lady is unsigned, it has been tentatively attributed as an early profile miniature by John Wesley Jarvis (1780-1840) and was probably painted around 1805. At this stage he and Joseph Wood were in partnership. However, it is also possible it was painted by one of his contemporaries.

(In fact a kind visitor has subsequently commented; "Just came across the profile of a woman that you thought might be by Jarvis. It's possible but Jarvis signed most of his profiles. I think a better option would be William Sheys, a Jarvis contemporary." However, the following information may still be of interest for anyone researching Jarvis.)

Jarvis was born in England and came to the United States at the age of five. He trained as an engraver with Edward Savage and this profile portrait has some of the characteristics of engraved portraits of around 1800, such as those made by St Memin.

Blattel records Jarvis was noted for miniatures, profiles, and silhouettes. Jarvis worked in Philadelphia Pa, Charleston SC, New Orleans La, Richmond Va, New York City, and Baltimore MD. Blattel also records that Jarvis invented a machine for drawing profiles on glass.

As can be seen from the close up image, the hair has been painted by building up fine lines, rather than a block of color with added highlights. The use of fine lines supports an attribution to an artist who had been trained as an engraver, such as Jarvis, as engravers' create dark colour blocks by using closely cross-hatched lines.

Jarvis affected singularity in dress and manners, and his mots were the talk of the day. He was one of the earliest American painters to give serious attention to the study of anatomy. But his work deteriorated, and he died in great poverty in New York City. He was the father of the miniature painter Charles Wesley Jarvis.

Apart from his own son, John Wesley Jarvis apprenticed other miniature and portrait painters, including Thomas Sully, Joseph Wood from 1803-1809, Bass Otis around 1812, and Henry Inman from 1814-1821.

It has been recorded that John Wesley Jarvis made the death mask of Tom Paine. Also that "The gifted painter, John Wesley Jarvis, with whom Paine had formerly resided, testified that Paine on his death-bed reaffirmed the principles enunciated in his "Age of Reason." "

Jarvis painted fewer miniatures in the later years of his career, instead concentrating on oil portraits. For many years he was one of the foremost portrait painters in New York. There is a comprehensive account of his life and work at ABSTRACT Title of dissertation: PORTRAITURE AND POLITICS IN NEW ...

The rationale for the attribution of this miniature to Jarvis, is the close similarity of style to a profile portrait on card which was sold by Skinners in November 2007.

It was lot 147 and was described as follows; "Portrait Miniature of Mary Ten Broek. Signed and dated "Jarvis No. 122 Broadway 1807", sitter identified on inscription on reverse. Watercolor on card, 3 5/8 x 2 5/8 in., in a period embossed brass frame. Condition: Toning, foxing. Provenance: Peter Vorhees, New Brunswick, Erskine Hewitt sale 1938. Note: Mary Ten Broek was the wife of Cornelius Ten Broek, purportedly an Aide de Camp to George Washington. John Jarvis was born in South Shield, England, a nephew of theologian John Wesley. At the age of five he was brought to Philadelphia and apprenticed in engraving to Edward Savage. In 1801, he and Savage went to New York City, where Jarvis went into partnership doing miniature portraits with Joseph Wood. Estimate $400-600".

The Skinner portrait sold above the estimate and inclusive of buyer's commission the auction price was $2000.

In comparing the two portraits, the miniature acquired for this collection is on ivory, whereas the Skinner portrait is on card with toning and foxing, thus the colors of the ivory miniature appear bright by comparison. Against that the ivory miniature is unsigned and the sitter is unidentified. Both sitters have very long necks and their poses are almost identical. The background shading is similar, but the original background on the Skinner portrait is a little darker. 1296

Herve, Walter - portrait of Benjamin Leach Allen

This is a well documented miniature portrait of Captain Benjamin Leach Allen, but it is unsigned.

As has been mentioned on other occasions, unsigned miniatures represent both a frustration and an opportunity!

Initially many miniatures were added into this blog as "unknown artist of unknown sitter". That is now regarded as a bit defeatist, at least as far as the artist is concerned.

Thus the preference now is make a best guess at the artist, give the reasons for the choice and hope that further research or contact from visitors to the website, will enable correction or confirmation of the artist.

In this instance, it is best to start with the sitter. He is clearly identified on the reverse as "Capt Benj L Allen" (8 Mar 1803-24 Sep 1865). Additionally a number of his relations are identified, as shown in the image below. On another scrap of paper there is the comment "Benj L Allen, mother's Uncle Ben, one time Mayor of Boston."

A search of the Internet prior to the auction revealed no confirmation of this, but when the miniature arrived, it was accompanied by an extract from a book "The Memorial History of Boston, Including Suffolk County. Massachusetts 1630-1880" by Justin Winsor. The extract is from page 259 and reads;

"At the municipal election on Dec 12 1853, there were three candidates for mayor: Benjamin Seaver, the nominee of the Whigs, Jerome Van Crowninshield Smith, the nominee of the Native American Party, and Jacob Sleeper, the nominee of the Temperance men. Mr Seaver received the highest number of votes, but not a majority and on the third ballot, taken Jan 9, 1854, Dr Smith was elected. During the interval between the first Monday in January and the date at which the new mayor was sworn in (the sixteenth of that month) Mr Benjamin L Allen, the chairman of the board of alderman, acted as mayor."

There was also a typed note with more family history relating to a sampler, which reads;

"This sampler was embroidered in 1793 by Hannah Lee when she was twelve years old. She was the only daughter of Captain John Lee of Andover, Mass. and was the sister of Jeremiah. Hannah Lee married Major Israel Foster. Their daughter, Hannah Lee Foster married Benj Leach Allen 1st who was born 3/8/1803 and died 9/24/1865 in Manchester, Mass. He was Chairman of the Board of Alderman of Boston in 1853."

and "When Benj and Hananh's only child -Hannah Lee Allen - died in infancy, her parents asked that his brother's expected child - if a girl - bear the same name. Isaac and Harriet (Osborne) Allen's daughter was born 5/1/1837 and was so named Hannah Lee Allen as requested. She never married and died at the home of her sister, Harriet Eliza (Allen) Johnson (Mrs Hervey Shepard Johnson 1st) in Nahant. Their daughter Edith Osborne Johnson married Harry Colby Wilson 10/12/1897. Both were born on Nahant"

and "Their son, Major Royal Colby Wilson b. 7/15/1900 married Gladys Burbett b. 7/13/1906. They were married 9/11/1936."

and "Their daughter Lee Colby Wilson b. 1/14/1943 was named for her great aunt Harriet Lee Johnson b. 1/28/1879."

and "This sampler was presented to Lee Colby Wilson by her grandmother Edith Johnson Wilson Christmas 1953."

In conjunction with a kind lady who is researching the Allen family, we found an image of the sampler concerned on the Internet and it is shown here. It was apparently sold at auction for $1528 in 2005 and the size was 10 1/4 inches X 9 1/2 inches.

It is a little sad to know the sampler is separated from the miniature and to see that part of the wording on the sampler reads; "Hannah Lee, when this you see, remember me. Wrought in The Twelfth Year of my Age 1793".

It is now over 200 years since Hannah Lee sewed the sampler, but through the image we are still able to remember her, and via the Internet to link her sampler with her son-in law's miniature portrait.

Thus from all this information the family is well documented. The information has been transcribed in detail here, so that any person researching these names on the Internet should be able to find this reference.

From the information, we have established Benjamin Leach Allen lived in Boston in 1853 and, as be was born in 1803, the miniature probably dates to around the time of his marriage in 1824, or possibly a little later as his clothing may date to around 1835.

This suggests the artist was active in Boston around 1825/1835. One artist who may fit the bill is William Hudson Jr (1787-1861). Johnson comments "From 1829-1856 he worked in Boston ...Hudson's works are usually signed and dated. The few miniatures he is known to have painted, done early in his career, are competently executed; they show subjects with rosy coloring, often seated in a red chair".

Rosy coloring is apparent here and the date fits. Richard Morrell Staigg was another Boston miniaturist noted for rosy coloring, but he was not working in Boston as early as this.

However, since I wrote the above a knowledgeable visitor has advised the miniature is probably by Walter R Herve who worked in Boston in the late 1820's and probably into the 1830's. I am very grateful for this advice, which may help other collectors identify more of his work.

Little else is known about Walter Herve. Blattel mentions him as active in New Orleans, La and Norfolk Va between 1805-1812.

Although, I was wrong, I could clutch at a straw and say by choosing William Hudson, I was on the right track as he has the same intitials as Walter Herve, "W H"! 1285

Unknown - portrait of a lady

This interesting miniature is unsigned but was tentatively attributed to Jean-Francois Vallee who was active in America from 1785-1826. Vallee worked in Charleston, Boston, Philadelphia, and New Orleans.

I have now been contacted by a miniatures scholar who doubts that it is by Vallee. I readily accept that correction, but have left Vallee with the attribution in the meantime. However, another possibility is Henri Elouis. Pierre Henri was rejected, as he painted larger heads and placed them higher on the ivory.

The overall painting style of the miniature is of an artist trained in France. They tended to have solid backgrounds, whereas American and British trained artists tend to paint the background in watercolor. The background here being a solid maroon-brown color and painted in gouache. However, the artist has made maximum use of the ivory base for the sitter's bonnet, face, and shawl by the minimum use of color.

There were very few French trained artists working in America at the turn of the century, generally being people who had fled from the French Revolution. They included Joseph-Pierre Picot de Limoelan de Cloriviere, Jean Pierre Henri Elouis, Geslain, Pierre Henri, Phillippe Abraham Peticolas, Jean-Francois de la Vallee.

By a process of elimination from this group, Vallee was felt to be the most likely artist to have painted the miniature. However, other opinions are very welcome.

From the costume, the miniature has been dated as around 1800. The bonnet is very similar to two other early American miniatures in the collection. One of Mary Ball Gordon with a black ribbon in her bonnet and Mary Green Marshall with a blue and white ribbon in her bonnet.

There are very few American miniatures where the sitters are shown wearing bonnets like this and James Peale was one artist who did depict sitters in this manner.

Based upon its construction, the case is regarded as American for the following reasons. The reverse of the case is plain gold. The orignal hanger is missing, but there is a tiny loop at the top so it could be hung from a necklace or chain. The front bezel which is underneath the glass, is hand-worked in gold.

The miniature was slightly tilted to the right of vertical as it was framed. When these factors are taken together they give the impression of the case having been made in Philadelphia by an artisan unfamiliar with the techniques and skill required to make a case. This case being crudely made in some respects.

The sitter is unknown. 1286

Bridport, Hugh - portrait of a young lady

Although unsigned, this miniature portrait of a young lady has been attributed to Hugh Bridport (1794->1870). Bridport was born in London, England where he exhibited three miniatures at the Royal Academy in 1813.

He emigrated to Philadelphia in 1816, where he joined his brother George Bridport. Although Hugh Bridport is well known as a miniature painter, he was also a portrait and landscape painter, an engraver, a lithographer, and an architect. He was a founding member of the Franklin Institute, where he taught drawing from 1826-1833.

This miniature gives the tight appearance of a work by an artist trained as an engraver and the pose is similar to other miniatures by Bridport. If the attribution is correct, the miniature is likely to be one of his middle period works, as the quality is a little less than his later miniatures which are of very high quality.

Johnson describes him as; "Bridport's early brushwork was loose, with the paint applied in broad washes; later the execution became crisp, tight, and highly finished. Backgrounds often show clouds and sky".

For a later example by Hugh Bridport in this collection, see Bridport, Hugh - portrait of a man where the highly finished state of his later miniatures, as referred to by Johnson, is more apparent. This separate reference also includes more comment on his life.

The reverse of the portrait as shown here, includes a preliminary sketch of the miniature. It is interesting to compare the finished miniature with the sketch, the chin has been softened a little in the final version.

Several other miniatures by Hugh Bridport show a shadow at the lower right as appears on the finished miniature, where the white mark appearing on the shadow is a rub which has occurred during the life of the miniature.

A thumbprint shaped shadow is a feature which is also found on many miniatures by of John Wood Dodge, but they tend to be more prominent on his work.

The sitter is unknown. 1282

Saint-Memin - portrait of Christopher Grant Champlin

Although this miniature portrait is engraved (the diameter is 57 mm), rather than painted, it does represent an important example of a technique used to create miniature portraits in the United States between the years 1796 and 1810.

In 1793 Charles Balthazar Julien Fevret de Saint-Memin (1770-1852) emigrated to the United States, via Canada, after his family lost their land and possessions as a result of the French Revolution.

In New York City Saint-Memin taught himself engraving and in 1796 went into partnership with another emigre to introduce the technique of Physiognotrace, whereby a portrait was drawn using the device, then coloured, with multiple copies being made after the portrait was engraved.

The subject of this portrait was unknown by the vendor. However, by reference to the excellent biography and catalogue of Saint-Memin's work, prepared by Ellen G Miles, it was possible to identify the sitter (see the last image in this description). Ellen Miles deserves considerable congratulations for the book. Only very few other miniature portrait artists are the subject of dedicated texts, they include Malbone, Dickinson, and Fraser. This volume ranks ahead of them and is an example of the type of reference book needed to help cover the large gaps in available research on miniature portraiture.

Below the portrait there is an engraved imprint which reads "Drawn & engrd by St Memin Philada".

The sitter is Colonel Christopher Grant Champlin (1768-1840) who was educated in France and at Harvard. He served Rhode Island as a representative from 1797-1801 and as a senator from 1809-1811. He was the oldest child and only son of Christopher Champlin. By the 1790's he had graduated from Harvard, and was sent on a European tour to "refine" him and ready him for a merchant's life. He returned, settled to New York and lost a fortune in stock speculation, almost ruining his father. He returned to Newport, where he married Martha Redwood Ellery (1772- ) in 1793. He continued to assist his father in business, and in 1796, decided to run for Congress.

Like his father, CGC used opportunities for financial reward. For example, many of his friends he met while in Europe became contacts for trade, or financial partners. Also, to help his chances for winning a seat, CGC swore that he had not speculated in southern lands and would not use his office to help his investment. In reality, CGC had speculated heavily in the Tennessee Company with his Harvard College friend, Nathaniel Prince (Prime?). He was elected and served in Congress from 1797 to 180l. During his tenure, he participated in a duel with a South Carolina congressman, James A. Bayard. Various family papers are available at 1. Historical note 2. Scope and content 3. Provenance 4 ...

In 1815 he became Colonel of the Artillery Company of the town of Newport and after a disastrous storm the town council passed the following resoultion;"Voted and resolved that the thanks of the town Council be presented to Colonel C. G. Champlin and the officers and privates of the Artillery Company of the town of Newport under his command for the prompt attention they paid to the request of said town council to turn out and guard the property of the unfortunate sufferers in the late destructive storm, and for their good conduct while on duty." see Artillery Company History Circa 1889 He is buried at Christopher Grant Champlin (1768 - 1840) - Find A Grave Memorial

Records have established the portrait was paid for on May 12 1800. The cost was $37.00 for the picture in frame and two dozen small copper plate impressions. It also appears Champlin paid a further dollar for another dozen impressions. Preumably, the images were used an an early form of political advertising.

This particular portrait is also reproduced on page 139 in the 1898 book entitled "Heirlooms in Miniature" by Anne Hollingsworth Wharton. This book mentions many people from early 19C and is illustrated with many images of miniature portraits on ivory.

Wharton uses this particular Champlin portrait to illustrate the process, which she describes in detail. "A French engraver, named Queneday, had invented a machine for this purpose, and Saint Memin constructed his from his recollection of Queneday's physionotrace (sic). Saint Memin's profiles, as we are familiar with them today. have the effect of fine engravings made from miniature portraits. They were in reality first drawn life-size on flesh-tinted paper by the physionotrace, and were afterwards finished in crayon."

"The pantograph reduced the large profiles to the size required for the plate, the portrait being drawn in a perfect circle a little more than two inches in diameter. Having thus obtained a correct outline, the details were worked up by the graver, the shadows being finished with a roulette, which was one of M de Saint-Memin's inventions".

This image of Champlin is also depicted as part of an extensive article about "Heirlooms in Miniature" by Anne Hollingsworth Wharton, which is featured in the New York Times of Jul 3, 1898 see MINIATURES AS ARTWORKS AND AS DOCUMENTS.*

Christopher Champlin's daughter Margaret, "Peggy", was described by Wharton as one of a "distinct type of American beauty...which proved dangerous to the hearts of many British officers who were stationed in New York" and later to "our French allies". Wharton comments specifically, "Miss Peggy wounded her victims, foreign and domestic, with the ruthlessness which belonged to her age and sex before she finally bestowed her heart and hand upon her fellow-townsman, Dr Benjamin Mason."

Miss Peggy was also described by the Prince de Broglie, "the house of Mr Champlin, well known for his wealth, but much more known in the army for the lovely face of his daughter. It is useless to say that we examined her with attention, which was to treat her handsomely, for the result of our observations was to find that she had beautiful eyes, an agreeable mouth, a lovely face, a fine figure, a pretty foot, and the general effect altogether attractive. She added to all these advantages that of being dressed and coiffee with taste, that is to say in the French fashion, - besides which she spoke and understood our language."

Wharton also comments "Margaret Champlin, in addition to being a belle and a beauty, was a good patriot and was one of the original members of the "Daughters of Liberty".

By an uncanny coincidence, Margaret Champlin, was the mother of Elizabeth Champlin Mason, who married Oliver Hazard Perry and may be the lady in the watercolor miniature included in this collection and shown at Unknown - portrait of naval officer and wife 1278

Thomson, William John - portrait of a lady

Painted around 1820 is this miniature of an attractive young lady which has been attributed to William John Thomson (1771-1845).

Normally he signed the backing paper and sometimes added the name of the sitter. In this instance the backing paper is missing. Unfortunately, the probable reason for this is that at some stage the miniature was sold by a descendant who was embarrassed about selling the miniature with their ancestor's name on the reverse and so removed the backing paper.

Although the portrait was painted in Edinburgh, Scotland, Thomson was born in the United States in Savannah, Georgia and has therefore been classified as an American artist in this collection.

Most of Thomson's earlier like this portrait are oval, however as this one is oval on a rectangular plaque, it may mark his transition to a rectangular style as the fashions for miniatures changed. He tended to show a sitter with a solemn expression, but this young lady has a hint of a smile.

Attribution is assisted by a comparison of his style. In this miniature, as well as in another one signed by him and dated 1820 in this collection, and shown here for comparison, Thomson painted the irises, within the eyes, as inverted crescent moons, and without an obvious fleck of white to show the light reflection commonly seen in most paintings of eyes. The differing background colours for the two miniatures are probably intended to complement the differing colours of the sitters' eyes.

Thomson's father was a Government official who lost his position after the War of Independence and then retired to England on a small pension.

Thomson learned to paint portraits and miniatures in London but later moved to Edinburgh. There he married Helen Colhoun on 12 May 1797, He exhibited many times and was recognised as an accomplished artist. He became a member of the Royal Scottish Academy in 1829 and was even offered a knighthood, but this was declined.

Comparison of the colour and method of painting the dress for this miniature is also helpful in making an attribution, as it is quite similar to the other signed miniature of a young lady.

The sitter is unknown. 1276

McDougall, John Alexander - portrait of man with goatee beard

Unfortunately this miniature is unsigned, but it has been painted by a very talented artist. From the goatee beard and his costume, it would seem to date from around 1850/1860. Goatee beards were popular at different times, when there was also a moustache, it was usually referred to as the Imperial style, after the Emperor Napoleon III.

The detail of the sitter's head and clothing is painted with considerable skill. At first glance there appears to be some paint loss causing white splotches on his black neckchief.

However, as can be seen in the close up picture, the white marks are actually white stars that must be embroidered into the black material.

There are many miniatures in the collection from the mid 19C, where men are wearing black neckchiefs, but this is the only one where the neckchief is patterned.

From the close up image an interesting aspect of the artist's technique can be seen.

Instead of painting all of the collar white, the artist has left the collar area unpainted, so the natural ivory color shows through, and then he has used bright white for the highlights on the collar.

There were very few artists who could paint so skilfully that a painted miniature appeared to be a photograph.

John Henry Brown (1818-1891) of Philadelphia was the most famous of them and John Ramsier (1861-1936) of Kentucky was another. However, this portrait does not seem to be by John Henry Brown, as he usually signed his miniatures.

The date of this one does seem to be too early for John Ramsier, but John Ramsier did paint many copies of earlier daguerreotype and other images and when he did this, he seems not to have used a signature.

However, a more likely candidate is now thought to be John Alexander McDougall (1810-1894) who chiefly worked in Newark, NJ, but also worked in New Orleans, Charleston, SC and Saratoga Springs, NY. He also undertook portrait photography and was able to supply either painted or photographic miniatures.

Johnson comments; "McDougall remained active until about 1880, long after all the other well-known miniaturists except John Henry Brown had given up painting altogether in the face of competition from photography."

Johnson describes his work; "McDougall painted likenesses that were technically accurate, if somewhat dry and uninspired: they were typical of works of the mid-century in their deep, rich coloring, realism, and broad stippling. ...His works are rarely signed."

The sitter is unknown, but the miniature was acquired from Summerville, SC which is only 25 miles from Charleston, SC where McDougall had worked and so it is probable he received commissions from that area. 1275

Anderson, Alexander - portrait of naval officer and wife

Miniatures painted in watercolor on paper are less common than those painted on ivory, perhaps because fewer have survived for 200 years.

This interesting pair of watercolor on paper miniatures appear to be by a fairly well trained, but amateur hand. The previous owner acquired them in Erie Pa without any provenance, but naturally wondered if they represented Oliver Hazard Perry and his wife, Elizabeth Champlin Mason. This seems unlikely, but cannot be completely ruled out.

Although I am not an expert on uniforms, it does seem that the man is wearing a blue uniform jacket, such as a junior naval officer might wear, which has more buttons than an ordinary jacket of around 1805. There are three gold or brass buttons at the top of his waistcoat and the buttons on his outer coat go right up to the shoulder.

Two portraits of Oliver Hazard Perry are shown here. One is a miniature, probably painted by Joseph Wood and thought to date to around 1810. The other is an engraving, possibly of slightly later date.

Oliver Hazard Perry (1785-1819) was born in Wakefield, RI and was warranted a midshipman in the navy on Jul 7 1799 on the recommendation of his father, Captain Christopher Perry.

He was given his first command in 1809. He then had a brilliant, although sometimes controversial career, until he died aboard ship off Venezuela in 1819, a victim of yellow fever.

There is some likeness between the engraving and the watercolor portrait, but any likeness is less obvious when compared to the miniature by Joseph Wood.

Also shown here is a miniature portrait of his wife, Elizabeth Champlin Mason, believed to have been painted by Robert Fulton around 1811.

This may have been a marriage portrait, as Oliver and Elizabeth were married on May 5, 1811, having met each other at a dance four years earlier. There is a faint likeness between the watercolor portrait and the miniature of Elizabeth by Robert Fulton, but not enough to be relied upon.

Nevertheless, the pair of watercolors are good honest depictions from around 1805 and if not of Oliver Hazard Perry, may represent a brother officer and his wife, who could have been known to Perry.

The images of the miniatures of Oliver and Elizabeth shown here are copied from an exhibition catalogue dated 1957 when the two miniatures were privately owned. They have since been gifted to the MFA in Boston.

It is possible a scholar of early American watercolor portraits on paper may recognise the artist of this pair.

Update: Since the above was written about the pair of watercolors, this miniature portrait of Mrs Alexander Anderson by her husband Alexander Anderson (1775-1870) has been located in the collection of the NYHS.

It is 3 1/4ins by 2 1/4ins and there are several other miniature portrait by Anderson in the NYHS collection.

Given the similarity of style, an attribution of the pair of watercolor miniatures to Alexander Anderson seems to be a reasonable assumption, pending any closer attribution. 1272a, 1272b

Unknown - portrait of a boy

Although unsigned, this miniature was initially attributed to Thomas Story Officer (1810-1859). Unfortunately, the sitter is unknown.

However, a kind visitor has subsequently advised they believe the miniature is too late for Officer and is instead by an as yet unidentified revival miniaturist working around 1890-1900.

Additional helpful comments in support of that doubt about Officer include; "the boy is much softer and is dressed in theatrical costume, typical of many revival pieces and rarely, if ever, used during the 1840's and 50's, where the style was realism. Also, Officer did not use a solid grey background, in fact no American artist working in the 1840's did so, there is always some highlighting. "

To enable visitors to follow this logic and better understand the doubt about Officer as the artist, the earlier discussion on the attribution has been retained below.

Thomas Story Officer studied under Thomas Sully and exhibited frequently at the Artist's Fund Society in Philadelphia. He also exhibited at the National Academy of Design and the American Art Union from 1846 to 1850.

It is uncommon, but not rare for miniatures to be painted with the sitter in full or three-quarter length. Very few artists painted in this manner in the 19C. However, Officer seems to be one of the few 19C artists who did do.

In the Smithsonian American Art Museum there is one miniature by Officer, of a lady and it has some similarities to the boy in 18C costume, including being three-quarter length and with a lot of detail. It is also relatively large in size as size of 127 mm x 64 mm, see Portrait of a Lady

After visiting Australia, in 1855 Officer moved to San Francisco where he opened a studio and achieved great success. Johnson quotes a contemporary comment about a miniature Officer painted in 1858 which had earned a certificate of merit and was praised for its "delicacy of handling, force of character and expression, and exquisiteness of finish."

Officer also submitted a "photograph in oil" to a 1858 exhibition. This description sounds unusual, but is probably intended to refer to a miniature painted in so much detail, that it resembled a photograph. This effect can be seen in the miniature of two children shown below. In his obituary Officer was described as "in all probability, the best portrait painter ever in California."

Unfortunately, Officer died an impoverished alcoholic and was buried in a public plot. At the time, this was probably the major reason why he was quickly forgotten as an artist. If he had lived a full and sober life, no doubt he would have come to be regarded as a highly respected "elder statesman" painter of the 19C, as was the case with Nathaniel Rogers, Moses B Russell, John Wood Dodge, and John Henry Brown.

Johnson also comments, "To modern tastes Officer's early miniature portraits, painted from life, are more successful than his "fancy pieces", which are slick and overly sentimental. "During the mid-nineteenth century, however, works of this kind held wide appeal."

A description as "overly sentimental" seems to fit this miniature of a boy in 18C costume.

The boy is dressed in 18C costume, although the miniature is not 18C in artistic style. The boy's expression seems to be saying "Why do I have to wear this silly get-up?".

The miniature is expertly painted and the material covering the table has a lot of detail, as does his costume.The hands are well painted, usually the sign of a good artist. The detail even includes buckled shoes. As traditionally befits a miniature of a boy, the colors are sober.

This is however, also a reflection of the time when it would have been painted, when miniature painters were facing competition from photography. To combat such low cost competition, it seems that some artists tried to find a niche that was hard for photography to compete with.

John Henry Brown, went for even better quality realism, but with the addition of color. Moses B Russell and his wife, Clarissa Peters Russell tended towards a "folk art" effect with their miniatures, and Thomas Story Officer painted "fancy pieces", even using these words as part of his description on the rear of the miniature by him in the Metropolitan Museum in New York, see fig 140 in Johnson.

Within this collection are these two miniatures, both purchased at public auction without attribution, but since attributed to Thomas Story Officer. However, even so it is conceded there is more certainty about the attribution of the Hull portrait to Officer, than the one of the two children.

They are shown here but are described more fully at Officer, Thomas Story - portrait of Dr Amos Hull and Officer, Thomas Story - portrait of two children 1265

Folwell, Samuel - portrait of a man

This miniature of an unknown man has been attributed to Samuel Folwell (1765-1813) who worked in various east coast cities and died in Philadelphia. Folwell was trained as an engraver and the fine detail on this miniature, especially on the jacket buttons, supports an artist trained in this manner.

There is a miniature portrait which appears to be by the same artist in the Worcester Art Museum, see fig 68 in Strickler's "American Portrait Miniatures" although that portrait is unattributed.

It is also a profile portrait, painted around 1795, of a man (George W Tuckerman) with a queue tied with a ribbon. That miniature is on paper, but is housed in a similar ebonised frame with an identical hanger, which itself is of an uncommon and plain design.

The sitter in this miniature is unknown. 1244

Ramsier, John - portrait of Hon James Guthrie

Although this miniature looks like a photograph, it is a painting on milk glass and has been attributed to John Ramsier (1861-1936) of Kentucky. Ramsier was noted, in a similar way to John Henry Brown, for his ability to paint miniatures that imitated photographs to an amazing degree. He was also asked to copy many earlier images, both paintings and, as in this case, from photographs. His paintings tend to be on milk glass, rather than ivory, reflecting his earlier training as a photographer. There are three other miniatures by him in the collection.

Ramsier arrived in the USA in 1882 from Switzerland and was naturalised in 1897. He and his wife, Matilda lived in Louisville and had several children. In the census records, he usually describes himself just as an artist, but in 1910 stated he was a miniature painter.

The sitter is identified on a tag as Hon James Guthrie. James Guthrie (1792-1869) was a distinguished politician from Kentucky who held many important positions. Confirmation of the sitter's identity can be seen by comparison with a photo of Guthrie shown here as an older man which can be seen on the official Congressional website at GUTHRIE, James - Biographical Information and also at James Guthrie

The date of the image that this painting is made from is unknown, but as he was born in 1792 and looks to be aged in his 50's, it must have been copied from a photograph taken in the 1840's.

Comparison can also be made with an engraving showing here, which was made of Guthrie in 1852 for inclusion in a book entitled "Biographical Sketches of Eminent American Lawyers". This clearly shows him as older than the miniature and confirms the original image for the miniature must date from the early 1840's.

Guthrie was Secretary to the Treasury from 1853 to 1857. He was also a member of the Peace Congress in 1861 which tried to negotiate a means of avoiding the Civil War. As part of the process, on February 6 1861, a separate committee charged with drafting a proposal for the entire convention to consider was formed. The committee consisted of one representative from each state and was headed by James Guthrie.

He must have been one of the wealthiest men in Kentucky, as in the 1850 census he disclosed assets of $230,000 and in 1860 this had risen to $520,000. His fortune seems to have come from railroads and real estate. A city leader in Louisville, he invested in railroads, and served as president of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad and the Louisville and Portland Canal Company. He also helped found the consolidated University of Louisville and served as its second president.

He married Elizabeth Churchill Prather (1799-1836) on 13 May 1821 and they had three daughters, Ann Augusta Guthrie (1825-1872) , who married William Beverley Caldwell (1818-1892). Their second daughter was Mary Elizabeth Guthrie (1823-1901) who married Richard Henry Coke (1815-1845) and second Mr Caperton.

The youngest daughter was Sarah Julia Guthrie (4 Mar 1827-24 Jul 1901) who married John Lawrence Smith (1818-1883), showing here, who was an eminent chemist of the times. He was president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (1872) and of the American Chemical Society (1877).

His collection of meteorites was the finest in the United States and on his death passed to Harvard. For more about him and the family, see Doctor J. Lawrence Smith

Smith adopted a scientific approach to meteorites, as shown in two 1867 papers by him at; American Journal of Science - Google Books Result

Also note that the National Academy of Sciences awards the J Lawrence Smith Medal for investigations of meteoric bodies. It was established through the Smith Fund, by gift of his wife, Mrs. Sarah Julia Smith. The medal showing here, was first awarded in 1888, but then there was a long gap until 1922. It has been awarded more often recently and is next scheduled for presentation in 2009. National Academy of Sciences: J Lawrence Smith Medal

Many family papers from these families may be found at the library of the Filson Society in Louisville, Ky. and the family headstones are gathered around the Guthrie monument there. For other miniature portraits in the collection related to Guthrie, see Eckardt, Otto - portrait of Jane Spottswood Keller...

[Thank you to the kind visitors who left the correcting comments, now incorporated above.]

James Guthrie died in 1869 and his grave can be seen at James Guthrie Gravesite and also at Guthrie, James 1255

Edwards, Thomas - portrait of John Webster

Although unsigned, this miniature has been attributed to Thomas Edwards (1792->1866) who was active as a miniature painter in Boston from 1821-1866.

The portrait is similar to fig 13 in Strickler. With reference to two miniatures by Edwards, Strickler comments "Stylistically, these two miniatures share a delicate stipple technique, most noticeable in the background and flesh tones, and softly modelled and rounded facial features". Those comments seem to apply here.

The sitter is identified by a note inside as "John Webster Sept 10th born 1804 died Salem". There is also an accompanying tag which is hard to read, but appears to state "I think Buffington - portrait over fireplace - John Webster only son of - Fabers (?) may have first wife Buffington - first line?".

These comments have enabled the identification of the sitter as John Webster (10 Sep 1804->1880) of Salem (which is 4 miles from Danvers, MA and 20 miles from Boston.) who married Martha Buffington (1 Jul 1805->1870) of Danvers on Mar 7 1832 at Salem. Thus it was probably a marriage portrait painted around 1832, with the date and location fitting with Thomas Edwards as the artist.

John Webster was the son of Elijah C Webster (27 Feb 1774-28 Jun 1848) and Sarah Dole (Sally Dole) (?-16 Dec 1842)who were married at Danvers on 13 Nov 1800. He had a brother Albert R Webster and a sister Almira W Webster who both died young in 1811 and 1814.

John was born at Salem on 10 Sep 1804. Martha A Buffington was born at Danvers on 1 Jul 1805, the daughter of James Buffington and Abigail Osborne who were married on Apr 14 1801. (There are references to a Capt James Buffington from this area who sailed as far as Ceylon.) John Webster seems to have initially been a company agent in the 1850 census, then in the 1860 census he described himself as a clerk, although he and Martha did already have one live-in servant. However, in the 1870 and 1880 census records, he was still employed aged 65 and 75, and gave his occupation as Treasurer of New Hampshire (?) Manufacturing Company and in 1870 he had assets of $18,000.

If this is the correct reading of the company name, there does appear to have been a New Hampshire Manufacturing Company of Dover that sold sheeting, shirting, calicoes etc. see OSV - Document Viewer - Doc # 677 which may have been where he worked. 1246

Unknown - portrait of girl in a pink dress

This is a very appealing portrait and painted by a very skilled artist. Unfortunately it is unsigned.

Judging by her clothing it would seem to have been painted around 1850. The vendor was unable to help with provenance as the portrait was found loose within the pages of a scrapbook previously belonging to a rare book dealer. It appearing just to have been put between the pages to protect it.

It has been hard to find examples painted in a similar style in any of the reference books.

There are some similarities with portraits by Charles Fraser, such as the miniature of Ann Dickinson LaBorde on page 64 of the CAA catalogue, where the body shape, pose, and quality of detail looks similar.

The pose is also similar to that of Mary Theodora Ford, color plate VI and page 65 in that catalogue, although without having the vegetation in the background. However, overall it seems a little too bright and cheerful when compared to most of Fraser's work.

Another possibility is Thomas Badger. An example by him can be seen as fig 211 in Johnson (although there that miniature is attributed to Mrs Russell).

The sitter is unknown. 1243

Peale, James - portrait of Rebecca Reynolds Maverick

This miniature was acquired as unsigned and unidentified. It was housed in a heavily American chased case from around 1830 that did not suit it. Additionally, the miniature is slightly too large for the bezel and thus sits below it when framed. This is usually a sign of a miniature having been reframed.

On opening the case the inscription shown was found inside. This looks to be by a later hand and suggests the miniature is by James Peale. However, there is currently some hesitation about confirming this attribution, as it does not really look like other examples of his work. It may be by another artist or is perhaps a copy of a miniature by James Peale. The most likely of other artists seems to be Pierre Henri (1760-1822) who was active in New York in 1788. However, this attribution is also tentative in the meantime.

The identification of the sitter seems clearer. Peter Rushton Maverick (1755-1811) was a noted engraver of New York. He was noted for his engraved pictures and book-plates. Silverware engraved by him is highly sought after.

He married twice, firstly in 1772 to Ann Reynolds and secondly in 1788 to Rebecca Reynolds (1756-19 Oct 1852) who was possibly the sister of Ann.

Judging by the clothing and hairstyle, this portrait is more likely to be of Rebecca Reynolds Maverick. Peter had several children with Ann, but with Rebecca had only one son Samuel Maverick, born in 1789. Rebecca appears to be living with Samuel in the 1841 census.

In 2001 a snuff box engraved by Maverick achieved a record auction price of $732,000 (premium included). It was the John Jay Freedom Box, which was made in New York and presented by the Corporation of the City of New York to John Jay.

The snuff box had the marker's mark of Samuel Johnson, New York, 1784, and was also signed by Peter Rushton Maverick as the engraver. The cover of the box is engraved with the seal of the City of New York and it measures three and a half inches long and three quarters of an inch high. 1227

Unknown - portrait of a young man

Unattributed so far, is this unsigned miniature, although it is believed to be American and to date from around 1820. The background has some similarities to the colours used by Raphaelle Peale, but it seems unlikely to be by his hand.

There is part of a trade card inside the case which refers to A Lindsley, Wholesale Grocers, 79 Water (St), N...... or M......

This may relate to Water Street in New York, but no reference to Lindsley as a grocer has yet been located. However, in 1828 there was a place called Lindsleystown, in Steuben Co,, NY.

The sitter is unknown. 1223

Bridport, Hugh - portrait of a man

Tentatively, this unsigned miniature has been attributed to Hugh Bridport, although it seems not to have the blue-green tinge of some examples by him.

Hugh Bridport (1794->1870) was born in London and moved to America in 1816. Immigration records suggest he made several trips back to England and he perhaps married while he was there, as the 1841 census seems to show him as single and his wife was also born in England. He was best known as a miniature painter, but worked in other branches of the graphic arts, including engraving and lithography. He was also an architect.

He moved around while in the United States, as the 1860 census records three daughters, each born in a different state; Julia (in 1860 aged 16) in Illinois, Rachel (14) in Pennsylvania, and Charlotte (11) in St Louis.

The literature only records him to 1869, but he was still alive in the 1870 census living in Philadelphia with his wife Rachel, daughter Julia and two servants. There he described himself as a retired merchant, with he and Julia disclosing combined assets of over $80,000.

The reasons for attributing the miniature to him are mainly the pose, see fig 2o in Johnson where the sitter also seems to be sitting on the same chair. His work was usually, but not always, signed on the edge, but that is not the case here. As shown here, Christine Archibald recently had a signed one by him for sale with a similar pose. For her current offerings see Christine Archibald Portrait Miniatures

The sitter in the miniature in this collection is unknown. 1024

Unknown - portrait of a young man

At present it has not been possible to attribute an artist to this American miniature. However, it is very well painted in an early type of frame with a beaded bezel and an uncommon hanger. The portrait probably dates to around 1835.

It is a little hard to see, but there is a lot of detail on his clothing and waistcoat with folds, buttons, and shading. Also the head is very finely painted.

Few artists showed the sitter's head so high in the frame, which enables the showing of this degree of detail on the clothing. Thus it should be possible to find comparative miniatures and determine the artist.

Although it is not by either of them, two other artists who did often paint clothing in a similar amount of detail, i.e. showing all the folds of the waistcoat, were James Peale and William Verstille.

The sitter is unknown. 1205

Gillespie, J H - portraits of Alexander H Niven and a member of the Biddle family

Although one of these two American miniature portraits is signed on the left Alexander H Niven, the name is believed to be that of the sitter, not of the artist.

The similarity of style is apparent for both miniatures, with the sitter in profile and distinctively coloured shrubbery on both the left and right.

Both portraits have been attributed to J H Gillespie who initially painted silhouettes in London, England from 1793 to the 1820's, but was then active on the East Coast of North America, including Halifax, Baltimore, New York, and Philadelphia around 1829-1838.

Gillespie tended to paint profile portraits in this style. For examples of several other works by Gillespie see
J. H. Gillespie on artnet

The frame of the Niven portrait dates to around 1835. This sitter is thought to be Alexander Hamilton Niven of New York who was born 31 Jan 1817 in Monticello, NY. He married Ann Wood (?-1884 ) on 1 Nov 1840 and had a number of children. Based upon a frame date of 1835, he would have been aged 18 in the portrait.

His father was Daniel Grossman Niven (born MacNiven in Scotland) who lived to be over 100 years old.

The second miniature is inscribed on the backing paper, "8-11-75 Boalsburgh, Pa. Reportedly from a Philadelphia carriage house, supposedly of the Biddle family. Q = Nicholas Biddle?".

Presumably this information came from the descendant who decided to sell the miniature. Taking this provenance at face value, in the absence of any reason not to do so, it seems the miniature is of a member of the Biddle family, possibly Nicholas Biddle. 1206, 1229

Sully, Lawrence - portrait of a man

Another unsigned miniature portrait, but this one has been attributed to Lawrence Sully (1769-1804). He was born in Ireland, but emigrated to the United States, probably around 1790. Not being a talented miniature painter, Sully had to move around looking for clients, but did spend quite a lot of time in Richmond, Va.

As mentioned by Dale Johnson, "Sully's miniatures rarely arise above the level of the primitive.... Pale skin tones and light-colored backgrounds make for a blond tonality overall."

The reason for the attribution is largely by comparison with the portrait of Abraham Alexander by Lawrence Sully, which is illustrated in the book "Miniatures and Silhouettes of Early American Jews" by Hannah R London.

The portrait shown here is not at all well painted, but if the attribution is correct it does provide a reference point for Sully's work. As there is a lack of detail and the reverse has a central blank space, it may well be that this miniature was never completed.

The frame is a little unusual. As can be seen here, the reverse has a small opening which is filled by a smaller ivory plaque with a wreath type decoration around the edge. Johnson comments that William and George Richardson who were silversmiths in Richmond, probably made the miniature cases for Sully. Thus, this case may well be their work.

The sitter is unknown. 967

Howes, Samuel P - portrait of a young lady

This miniature is not signed. Initially, it was tentatively attributed to Mrs Moses B Russell (1809- 1854), who is also known by her maiden name of Clarissa Peters. She was active as a miniature painter in Boston between 1836 and 1854.

However, after emails from a kind visitor, and comparison with reference sources, it is now more likely thought to have been painted by Samuel P Howes (1806-1881) who moved to Lowell, Massachusetts in 1835 and remained there for the rest of his life.

Miniatures by Samuel P Howes are rare and hence, there are very few published examples to make a comparison with. However, there is a 1986 exhibition catalogue of his larger portraits on oil which does include one miniature by him.

It is difficult to generalise, when comparing miniatures and large oils, but in his work of around 1845, there are several examples showing large draperies painted in a similar manner to this miniature.

The 1986 catalogue also contains the following comments on his style, which were written by Paul D'Ambrosio. As the catalogue is very hard to obtain, the comments are repeated in detail below.

"Howes rendering of anatomical features is distinct. His sitter's faces are particularly recognisable as the product of his hand. They are invariably shown in a three-quarter view with an awkwardly turned nose and thick, full cupid's bow lips. All but a few of his first known sitters have elliptical irises. Young children are sometimes depicted with chubby, rounded cheeks. In all of the portraits, the shading of the face and neck is convincingly rendered, giving the sitters a naturalistic appearance."

"Many of the adult sitters have one hand draped over the arm of a chair or sofa, slanting diagonally downward. Often the hand is marked by a pointed thiumb and the slightly extended position of the index and middle fingers. Howes adult sitters of the late 1830's and 1840's also have attenuated arms that, in the male portraits, have a rubbery bend at the elbows. Some of the women's portraits of this time have slim stylized torsos."

"Howes female sitters are frequently adorned with a variety of jewelry including earrings, necklaces, brooches, and rings. There are a variety of background treatments that characterize Howes' work. Drapery, typically a rich red shaded in black, begins to appear in 1839 and is handled in a number of ways. ..... An array of objects used as props can be seen in the various portraits, the most common of which is a book."

By chance, another kind visitor has suggested another miniature which I had previously attributed to Mrs Russell, may instead be by Samuel P Howes. More about that miniature can be seen at Howes, Samuel P - portrait of a young lady

Based upon the above comments, an attribution to Howes of this miniature of a lady also with a book, seems reasonable, however the original reasons for attributing it to Mrs Moses B Russell have been retained below, in case there are differing opinions.

Although the portrait initially appears different to those she painted of small children, the reasons for attributing the miniature to her are as follows. Firstly, the overall somewhat naive style, together with the great detail on the dress. Other typical features are the small mouth, the pale skin tones, and the way the hand is painted, cf fig 210 in the Manney Collection.

Secondly, the size of the ivory which is 5 inches by 4 inches. Other works by her are known of this identical size including the portraits of a lady with a closed book (which is by Mrs, not Mr Russell), and of the Starbird children, these two being figs 210 and 212 in the Manney Collection. Also the portrait of Christina Tuffs Barnes illustrated in the Magazine Antiques article of December 1999 by Randall L Holton and Charles A Gilday, although this latter example is on paper.

Thirdly, although the pose and the drapery are a little different, the aforementioned article includes illustrations of four miniatures painted by Mrs Russell where she uses as part of the background, a large draped red cloth of similar colour and apparent size to that appearing in the miniature shown here.

However further expert comment on the alternative attributions are welcome. The sitter is unknown. 1160

Thomson, William John - portrait of young lady

Painted in 1820 is this charming miniature of an unknown young lady by William John Thomson (1771-1845).

Although the portrait was painted in Edinburgh, Scotland, Thomson was born in the United States in Savannah, Georgia and has therefore been classified as an American artist in this collection.

Most of Thomson's portraits are oval and show the sitter with a solemn expression, but this young lady has a hint of a smile. In this miniature, as well as in another one attributed to him in this collection, Thomson painted the irises, within the eyes, as inverted crescent moons, and without an obvious fleck of white to show the light reflection commonly seen in most paintings of eyes.

The portrait is dated 1820 and thus, along with other dated miniatures in the collection, becomes a very useful source in dating 19C costume.

Thomson's father was a Government official who lost his position after the War of Independence and then retired to England on a small pension.

Thomson learned to paint portraits and miniatures in London but later moved to Edinburgh. There he married Helen Colhoun on 12 May 1797, He exhibited many times and was recognised as an accomplished artist.

He became a member of the Royal Scottish Academy in 1829 and was even offered a knighthood, but this was declined.

In 1820, the date of this portrait, he was living at 20 Dundas Street, Edinburgh.

The sitter is unknown. 1213

Benbridge, Henry - portrait of A T

The sitter in this miniature portrait is unknown, although the rear of the locket case is engraved with two letters that appear to be one of AT or AS or AJ.

However, the artist has tentatively been identified as Henry Benbridge (1743-1812). Benbridge was from Philadelphia and went to Rome and London in Europe to study painting. When he returned to the United States, he spent most of his painting career in Charleston.

Benbridge concentrated on very small miniatures. This miniature is 1 3/8 inches by 1 1/8 inches (34 mm x 28 mm), which is a typical size for miniatures by him in the Gibbes Collection and in the catalogue of the 1971 exhibition of his work at the NPG.

Apart from size, the other reasons for attributing it to Benbridge, are similarities to the style of his work as recorded in Severens. That is, it appears to be a typical pose for his work, where he tended to place the head towards the top of the ivory. Features are strongly contrasted, blemishes are shown and men often tend to show a five o'clock shadow.

As with this miniature, Benbridge often showed a black line for the mouth and the shape of the chin looks to be consistent with his other miniatures. The case is a front opening locket, although the bezel appears to be a replacement. Especially from the early 19C, front opening lockets or pendents are often the sign of an American artist. Thus if the original locket with fixed glass was broken, it is not surprising for a front opening bezel to have been made. 1200

Clark, Alvan - portrait of a man

This miniature portrait must have been destined to join the collection! He was first seen at a Garths auction in November 2006 as an unattributed artist, but went to another buyer. However, another portrait at the sale did join the collection and she is believed to be his wife. She appears here, but was featured as a January addition.

Anyway, two months later the portrait of the man appeared by chance on an Internet search without an attribution, but when the dealer was contacted, he said he had already sold the portrait. A month later again, the man's portrait again appeared by chance on an Internet search at another dealer's site, again without an attribution. This time he was still available and was purchased, so it was third time lucky and nice to be able to reunite the couple!

The miniature has now been attributed to Alvan Clark (1804-1887) who initially worked in New York and in 1836 moved to Boston, where this miniature was painted. The reasons for attributing the miniature to Alvan Clark are partly on quality and style, his highly skilled portraits of men tending to be three-quarter length, subdued, and nearly monochromatic. However, the attribution is also partly based on the case maker's label inside, which reads "Made at / Smith's / No 2 Milk St / Opposite Old South / Boston".

In Johnson's book on the Manney Collection, there are three examples of miniature cases with labels with wording identical to the one shown here. Two, figs 207 and 208, are attributed to Moses Russell, but a well respected authority on American miniatures advises that neither of these are by Russell. They are more likely to be by Alvan Clark. The third miniature in Johnson with a similar label is fig 38, which is by Alvan Clark.

Unfortunately, neither of these two sitters are known. However, in the American 1 Gallery of this collection is a signed portrait of Ruth Morrison by Alvan Clark from his New York period. 1207

Bradley, John - portrait of a man

This miniature portrait is by an artist who is recorded as a miniature portrait painter, but so far no other example of a miniature by him has been located. The signature appears to read "I. Bradley Fecit 1834" which must be for John Bradley of New York. Unfortunately the small glass at the rear of the case must been lost a long time ago and hence a dark mark accumulated from a hundred years of dirty fingers has partially obscured the date.

His treatment of the sky, especially at he very top is very distinctive, as the blue and white almost has a sideways grain effect of ivory. There is a little rubbing around his ear, but the condition is better than the photograph shows.

John Bradley is believed to have been born in England and arrived in New York around 1826. Then he was active as a portrait painter between 1832 and 1847, painting residents of Staten Island, then known as Richmond Island. New York City directories list him as a portrait and miniature painter working in an area that would now include Houston Street. One address given for him is 128 Spring Street, New York. Most of his works seem to have been large oil portraits.

The hanger on this miniature is unusual and has not previously been seen on a chased miniature case such as this. The sitter is unknown. 1212

Staigg, Richard Morrell - portrait of Colonel William Parsons Winchester

This unsigned miniature portrait of Colonel William Winchester has been attributed to Richard Morrell Staigg (1817-1881). Staigg was born in Leeds, England and arrived in the United States in 1831. He lived in Boston between 1841 and 1852 when this portrait was painted. While there he was in demand by a distinguished clientele. One of his best known works is a miniature of Daniel Webster.

In discussing Staigg's work, Johnson comments "Staigg's mature palette is a medley of luminous pastel hues for the flesh and rich, deep tones in the clothing and background. His miniatures have the richness of small oil paintings."

The sitter, Colonel William Parsons Winchester (9 Nov 1801 - 6 Aug 1850) was born in Boston and was the son of a wealthy merchant Edmund Winchester. In the 1850 census William was living in Boston with his wife Eliza aged 46 and his children Emily aged 17, Ellen 15, Thomas Bradlee 13, and six servants, including two waiters and two coachmen. Colonel William P Winchester disclosed real estate assets of $48,500, but some sources suggest his total worth was upwards of $500,000 and he was one of the wealthiest men in Boston. Unfortunately, he died of typhoid shortly after the census was taken.

He was a third cousin of Oliver Winchester (1810-1880) who manufactured and marketed the Winchester repeating rifle. There is much more about Colonel William Winchester at Town of Winchester

Colonel Winchester agreed that his name could be used for the town now known as Winchester, Massachusetts and in recognition of this he donated $3000 to the town for the erection of a civic building or other municipal use. However, his premature death meant he never visited the town.

Winchester town records note that in 1900 his son, Thomas Bradlee Winchester gifted to the town a posthumous oil portrait of his father, painted by Albert Gallatin Hoyt (1809-1856).

At the time of the gift in 1900, the oil portrait was said to have been painted from memory, presumably because the existence of this miniature had been forgotten and the artist himself had died many years previously. However, it seems much more likely the miniature was painted from life and later became the source for the large oil portrait, which can be seen can be seen here by very kind permission of the Trustees who own the oil portrait.

As can be seen there is little doubt they both are of the same person. The oil is also displayed at the town website http://www.winchester.us/communityconnection/townname.html
One interesting point in comparing these two portraits, is that without separate visual cues, it is not possible to tell their relative sizes. The pupil to pupil distance on the miniature is approximately 1cm and for the oil it is estimated to be 6.5cm.

There are precedents for miniature portraits being used as sources for posthumous oil portraits. Another example is the two portraits of Christopher Colombus Baldwin (1800-1835) held by the American Antiquarian Society. The first is a miniature painted by Sarah Goodridge in 1835 which was later used as the source for the second, a large oil portrait commissioned by the Society from Chester Harding in 1836, the year following Baldwin's death. (For these portraits see "Portraits in the Collection of the American Antiquarian Society" by Lauren B Hewes.) 1199

Peticolas, Edward F - portrait of Samuel R Guy

Although, this miniature is unsigned, it has been attributed to either Philippe Abraham Peticolas (1760-1841), or more likely his son Edward F Peticolas (1793-1853). They were two of the few recorded miniature artists who worked in Richmond. The background is painted in opaque colours, which suggests an artist trained in a Continental style such as Philippe had been. Johnson refers to "strong dark hatches which have a peculiar splotchy effect" and that is the case here.

There is a record of Edward F Petticolas, aged 37, returning to Philadelphia on the ship Ann from London on 24 Sep 1831 and giving his occupation as portrait painter. With him were, his wife Jane P Peticolas and son Arthur E Peticolas aged 6. By the 1860 census Arthur E Peticolas was a physician living in Henrico, Va.

Johnson comments that both of Philippe Peticolas' sons were musicians and artists. Theodore, the other son seems himself to have had a son, Charles Peticolas (1830-?) who was a successful music teacher (by 1880 he was a Professor of Music and had three servants) and it therefore seems possible Charles may have, at some stage, continued the family tradition of painting miniatures.

The miniature is accompanied by an old handwritten note that states in part "This is the great-grandfather of Richard D Guy, and the grandfather of Samuel R Guy, deceased....."

From research, it is believed the Samuel R Guy referred to in the note is the Samuel Richard Guy (1888-c1920?) who filled in his draft card for WWI as born 30 July 1888 in Durmid, Lynchburg, Va, gave his occupation as machinist, and stated he was married. His marriage has been located to Mary Mildred Deyerle on 25 Nov 1914 in Salem, Roanoke, Va and also his death in Salem on 14 Dec 1918. There is a record in the 1920 census of Mary M Guy, aged 25, a widow with a son named Richard Guy aged two and a half. Thus this should make the sitter the grandfather of Samuel R Guy (1888-1918) and the great-grandfather of Richard Guy (6 Apr 1918-Feb 1988).

The portrait is backed by part of a trade card from "Henry Bodeker - Boedecker & Da... Wholsesale and Retail Druggist No. 1444 Main Str... Corner above St Charles Hotel, Richmond Va." It is framed in a daguerreotype case marked "Littlefield, Parsons & Co. Manufacturers of Daguerreotype Cases --- L.. P. & Co., are the sole Proprietors and only legal Manufacturers of UNION CASES, with the Embracing Riveted Hinge. Patented October 14 1856, and April 21, 1857."

The case also contained behind the portrait a newspaper cutting of a poem entitled "The Motherless". The author of the poem has not been identified, but the second half of the poem is included in the book "The Christian Home" by Rev. Samuel Philips A.M. published in 1865. The reverse of the cutting has references to Thos Anderson & Co. Auctioneers. (Thomas Anderson & Co were auctioneers in Louisville, Kentucky.)

Despite the above information, it is difficult to date the portrait. The case suggests 1860-65, but the clothing suggests a date closer to 1835-45, so it may have been reframed around 1860. The earlier date would fit with Edward Peticolas, although not the 1860 date, but if Charles Peticolas had also painted miniatures, there could be a fit for that date. By 1860 most portraits were daguerreotypes, which itself suggests the 1835-45 date is more likely.

From all this an attempt has been made to identify the sitter (this is also complicated by transcription errors such as Gay for Guy). Based upon the two dates, he would seem to be either Samuel R Guy (1847-?), or his father Samuel R Guy (1803-?) of Goochland Va. The choice of Samuel R Guy (1803-?) fits with both the handwritten note and a Peticolas attribution.

In the 1860 census, the Guys lived together with the rest of their family in Goochland Va, where the elder Samuel R Guy was a farmer and disclosed assets of $66,000. In the 1860 slave census he reported owning 35 slaves (20 male slaves and 15 female slaves, including children and babies), compared to a total of 14 slaves in the 1850 census.

The disruption caused by the Civil War has made it difficult to be sure of the sitter's identity. It may even be that Samuel R Guy (1847-?) was killed during the Civil War, but left a young son named Samuel R Guy (c 1865?-?) who was the father of Samuel R Guy (1888-c1920?). Certainly, there does seem to have been a tradition of naming the eldest son Samuel R Guy. 1194a

Unknown - portrait of Henry Carvill

Although this miniature is unsigned, the sitter is identified on the reverse as "Henry Carvill 1825". The portrait is in a black ebonised frame.

He is thought to be the Henry Carvill listed in the 1850 United States census as living in Philadelphia and aged 50. He was born in England and living with his wife and daughter at the home of Thomas Hulme, gentleman, and thus appears to be reasonably well off. This seems to fit with the portrait as he appears in that to be aged around 25 and the portrait was painted in 1825.

This may also be the same person as the Henry Carvel a farmer aged 40 who arrived in Philadelphia from England in 1833.

The artist is currently not known, and he could be either American or British. 1178

Unknown - portrait of man in profile

It is relatively unusual to find American profile miniatures painted on ivory. This example came from New Jersey and is in a typical American front opening case, with a rear glass covering woven hair, and was painted around 1830.

However, the artist has not yet been determined. One of the few American artists who did paint profile portraits on ivory was J H Gillespie (active 1792-1838), but he tended to have a pale background. Nevertheless, it is possibly by him.

The sitter is unknown. 1194a

Clark, Alvan - portrait of lady in pale lilac dress

This unsigned miniature is in a mother-of-pearl case (shown below in reduced size), which is catalogued as by Paul Berg as Very Rare. His reference book advises that less than 60 examples of this case are known. Most of these examples were used for daguerreotypes and thus its use for a miniature is most unusual.

Since this description was first written, the attribution of this miniature has now been changed to Alvan Clark.

The miniature was initially attributed to Moses B Russell, as he was painting in Boston at this time. It is similar to his later style and he is noted for his use of pearl gray with subtle hues of pink.

Visitors familiar with Johnson's book on the Manney Collection should note that a well respected authority on American miniatures has advised that fig 209 and fig 210 in Johnson are in fact by Mrs M B Russell.

The main reason for the change in attribution is that since the description of this miniature was first written, two signed miniatures by Moses B Russell have been acquired. They are felt to be different in style to this portrait. Additionally, the companion miniature to this portrait has been attributed to Alvan Clark, see Clark, Alvan - portrait of a man

Although the sitter is unknown, her husband was originally offered at the same auction, but at that time went to a different buyer. He was framed in a plain leather case, but which had a frame maker's label "Made at Smith's/No 2 Milk St./Opposite Old South/Boston." This was a label common to cases containing other works by Clark. However, an opportunity arose to acquire him several months later and thus he has been reunited with this portrait. 1190

Pollock, Henry - portrait of S S Wheeler

This miniature portrait is signed "Pollock, Balt." for Pollock of Baltimore.

Although he appears to be unrecorded as a miniature painter, it seems highly likely that the artist is the Henry Pollock of Baltimore who was a highly regarded daguerreotypist and photographer. He was born in 1810 and is listed in Baltimore city directories from 1849 to 1889. For more about him see Baltimore Daguerreans, K-R

As an indication of what a threat daguerreotypes were to miniature painters, Pollock claimed an output of 5,500 likenesses per annum. For an example of his work, see POLLOCK, HENRY,

The sitter is stated to be S S Wheeler and the portrait was probably painted around 1840-1850, although the frame dates from closer to 1830. 543

Unknown - portrait of a Brigadier-General

This miniature portrait is unusual in that it is three-quarter length, most portraits are head or bust only. An authority on American uniforms has suggested that it is most likely a state militia uniform. The uniform appears to have eight equally spaced buttons on each side which normally designates the rank of Brigadier-General.
The officer is wearing a medal ribbon on his chest. It is hard to tell exactly what colours the ribbon is, but it appears to be green in the centre with dull red or purple on either side. 1176

Unknown - portrait of a young lady

This miniature portrait of an unknown young lady is unsigned, but is well painted, with better detail than appears in the photo.
It is framed in a typical American chased frame with a lock of her hair under the small rear glass. It probably dates from around 1830 to 1835. 1171

Ellsworth, James Sanford - portrait of a lady

Although it is unsigned, this miniature portrait is in the distinctive style of James Sanford Ellsworth (1802-1873). He was born in Lancaster PA and worked mainly in Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington.
In 1974 there was an exhibition of over 250 of his portraits at Williamsburg, VA and they are all depicted in the excellent exhibition catalogue "The Paintings of James Sanford Ellsworth" by Lucy B Mitchell (102p).
Most of his subjects are posed in a seat similar to this one and have a dark cloud around their head.
This portrait is a more recent discovery and hence does not appear in the catalogue. The sitter is unknown. 1169

Savage, Edward - pair of military portraits

This pair of miniature portraits are unsigned, but have been attributed to Edward Savage (1761-1817) who worked in Boston, Philadelphia, and New York. This attribution is based on the example shown in Johnson and the characteristics of his work noted there.

The frame is unusual in that there is a solid fixed metal divider between the front and rear. Unfortunately, the rear glass is missing and the rear portrait is rubbed.

It almost seems as if the two portraits are of the same person or two brothers, possibly dressed in American and British uniforms of the War of Independence. 1128

Unknown - portrait of a man

This unsigned miniature portrait is of an unknown sitter. It looks to be American, but may be British. 354

Wood, Joseph - portrait of a man

This unsigned portrait is in a front opening case, with a plain gold backing, which is typical of American case work and uncommon with British miniatures.

The miniature has been tentitively been attributed to Joseph Wood (1778-1830). He was born in Clarkston, New York. Wood's portraits are more sharply defined than Malbone's, showing stronger contrasts and deeper shadows, with dark outlines around the eyes. The hair is brilliantly and airily rendered. These characteristics seem to fit this portrait.

Wood worked in partnership with John Wesley Jarvis after he had met Malbone around 1803. They were both instructed by Malbone. In 1811 Wood took Nathaniel Rogers on as an apprentice in New York, but later moved to Baltimore and Washington.

However, another possible attribution is to Archibald Robertson (1751-1815) who arrived in New York in 1791 and remained there for the rest of his life. This is based upon a comparison of the pose and style, with that of the portrait of Mary Craigie Foster owned by the American Antiquarian Society (Hewes fig. 50) which appears to be by the same artist, but has been attributed to Archibald Robertson.

This sitter is unknown. 252

Trott, Benjamin (?) - portrait of a navy officer

This unsigned miniature portrait is in a front opening case, similar to the following portrait.
It is possibly a later work by Benjamin Trott, having a clear backgound and the sitter displaying disheveled hair in the style fashinable at the time. Johnson observes "Subjects have elongated necks and wear coats with extremely high collars". That all seems to apply here.

The unknown sitter is a Navy officer. 909

Unknown - portrait of a lady

Neither the artist nor the sitter are known. The case is a typical front opening American type case. 880

Champlain, Elizabeth Way - portrait of a young lady

This miniature portrait is unsigned and the sitter is unknown.

However, the detail is excellent and the portrait has been attributed to Elizabeth Way Champlain (1771-1825) (also known as Betsey Way) who was born and lived in New London, Ct. She was the sister of the miniaturist Mary Way and also the mother of the artist Eliza Champlain.

The reasons for the tentative attribution are some similarities with a profile miniature by the artist offered for sale by Elle Shushan in 2007. Although that was a profile portrait of a young lady, it was of similar proportions, with the head in the same position on the ivory and a clear space below the bust. For her current offerings, see Elle Shushan - Antique Portrait Miniatures - American, English ...

Both portraits show a great attention to the details of the sitter's hair and clothing. In addition, the frames are almost identical, being of relatively crude craftsmanship, but with beaded bezels front and rear and of a similar copper metal. The only discernible difference in the frames being minor differences in the hanger.

However, it is possibly by her sister Mary Way, or her daughter Eliza Champlain. For a comprehensive article about the Way sisters see an article by Catherine E Kelly at Common-place: Object Lessons: Miniature Worlds 1065

Robertson, Archibald - portrait of a man

Although the attribution is tentative, this miniature is thought to be by Archibald Robertson (1765-1835). The miniature is believed to have been painted in America, as it is housed in a front opening case which is more typical of American miniatures.

However, it also has hair and pearls on the reverse, which is often more characteristic of British miniatures. Thus for it to be by a British trained artist such as Archibald Robertson, who arrived in New York in 1791 and remained there for the rest of his life, seems to make the attribution a reasonable one.

The sitter is unknown. 429b

Unknown - portrait of a man

Neither the artist nor the sitter are known. 861a

Trott, Benjamin - portrait of a man

This miniature is in a front opening case and may be by Benjamin Trott (c1770-1843). In describing Trott's technique, Johnson notes "an assured, dashing, fluid brushwork applied in clear colors. Backgrounds with a sky motif were created by floating on thin washes of white and blue and leaving large areas of the pure ivory unpainted".

The portrait is quite similar to figure 242 in Johnson, but the sitter is unknown. 1050

Harvey, George - portrait of a man named "E B"

The artist and sitter for this miniature are unknown. However, the reverse of the case is engraved with the initials "E B" in script. The miniature did come from Dedham MA and so is likely to be by a Boston artist. The clothing suggests a miniature painted between 1825 and 1830.

With quite some hesitation, the miniature has been attributed to George Harvey (1800-1878) who painted many hundreds of miniatures in Boston between 1827 and 1845. However, Harvey usually signed his work, whereas this is unsigned.

It ought to be possible to more confidently attribute this miniature to an artist, as the case is distinctly American and the artist demonstrates considerable skill.

Other artists have been considered. One is Thomas Edwards, but his miniatures do not seem to display the distinct blue tones on his subject's faces, as shown here.

It is hoped followers of Eliza and Sarah Goodridge will forgive a comment, that the quality of this miniature is really too good to be by them, as their work tends to be a little folksy by comparison.

Similarly, the quality is too good and the date too early to be a work by Moses Russell. Henry Williams is another possible attribution, but again the artist's skill in painting this miniature appears to be better than most miniatures painted by Henry Williams. 666a

Edwards, Thomas - portrait of a man

The sitter is unknown, but based upon a comparison with a more recently acquired portrait of John Webster elsewhere in this Gallery, this miniature is now attributed to Thomas Edwards (1792->1866) of Boston.

The pose in both portraits is similar and the frame is the same size. 915

Unknown - portrait of a man

Neither the artist nor sitter are known. 656

Unknown - portrait of a man

Neither the artist nor the sitter are known. 495

Verbryck, Richard - portrait of a lady

Although unsigned, this American miniature portrait has been attributed to Richard Verbryck (Richard Verbrick)(Richard Verbrike) (1783-1867) and was probably painted around 1835.

In his younger days Verbryck was a cabinetmaker, afterwards a sailor and ships carpenter, until he commence painting portraits when he was about 33, see1879 Menard & Mason Counties--AW VER BRYCK

Verbryck married Elizabeth Whitenack (1808-1861) in Warren Ohio on 19 Feb 1844 when he was 60 and she was only 35. They had two sons, Richard and Abraham. In the 1850 census he called himself a miniature painter and disclosed assets of $2000. In the 1860 census Verbryck is living in Franklin, Indiana and states his place of birth as New Jersey. He gives his occupation as painter and discloses assets of $5,700. He widened his painting beyond just miniatures, and so was able to accumulate more assets at a time when photography was making inroads.

In 1853 he won prizes for Best Animal painting and Best Fruit painting at the Warren County Fair, see1853 Warren County Fair from Western Star 30 Sep 1853

The reasons for the attribution are the similarity of pose with the portrait of a lady by Verbryck on page 311 of Aronson and Wieseman. The way the costume is painted is strikingly similar and both ladies are wearing almost identically painted gold brooches.

The way the face is painted in this example is a little more life-like, more like that of a man by Verbryck, fig 1 on page 312 which was painted in 1836 with the way the mouth and eyes are painted are very similar in all three examples.

The sitter is unknown. 741

Unknown - portrait of navy officer and child

Painted around 1815, this double-sided miniature portrait shows a naval officer and a child. The uniform has not yet been identified, so it may be American or British. 774a, 774b

Unknown - portrait of a man

The artist and sitter are unknown. 425

Unknown - portrait of a man

Neither the artist, nor the sitter are known. 583

Unknown

The artist and sitter are unknown. However, it is quite possible they are both from South America, as the frame design is a little different to those more commonly used in the United States. 715

Seng Yuen - portrait of a missionary

This miniature portrait was painted in Hong Kong. The sitter is probably an American missionary. This example is especially uncommon in that the artist is identified. There is a printed label reading "NOTICE - If this ivory miniature gets damp or spotted, take out the glass and place the picture in the sun for 10 minutes, and afterwards clean it with a feather or dry handerchief. SENG YUEN, painter, No, 64 Queen's Road Hongkong". 220

Unknown - portrait of missionaries

This pair of miniature portraits would have been painted in Hong Kong or Shanghai. The sitters are most likely American missionaries. The ornate carved ivory frames are mid 19C. 1000

Unknown - portrait of missionaries

This pair of miniature portraits would have been painted in Hong Kong or Shanghai. The sitters are most likely American missionaries. The portraits are housed in ornate carved ivory frames from the mid 19C. 61, 62

Unknown - portrait of a navy officer

This miniature portrait was painted in either Hong Kong or Shanghai, by an unknown artist. The sitter is a navy officer, probably American, but possibly British. 224

Unknown - portrait of Captain Dorsey

This miniature portrait is inscribed on the reverse "Captain Dorsey, Shanghai, China - Painted by a Chinaman". Thus this is one of the uncommon miniatures painted in Shanghai or Hing Kong. Also shown is a metal example of the insignia he is wearing. It was issued for use on a visored 1895 Pillbox Hat. Nothing more is known about Captain Dorsey. 828

Unknown - portrait of John Renniger

The painter of this miniature portrait is currently unknown.

The sitter is identified by very indistinct writing on the reverse that appears to read "Miniature of uncle John Renniger - Adalph (?) Inslee (?)" .

Although the significance of the second portion of the inscription has not yet been worked out, the sitter is believed to be the John Renniger (1787-1820) who lived in Douglass, Montgomery, Pa. Although he died quite young, he had married Elizabeth Gilbert and they had five children.

The reference to "uncle" suggests the inscription was written by a child of one of the four sisters and three brothers who were siblings of John Renniger. 1062

Dawson, Thomas - portrait of a man

This miniature portrait of an unknown man, has been attributed to Thomas Dawson based upon a comparison of style with the portrait of a gentleman fig 48 in the Manney Collection. 540b

Goodridge, Eliza - portrait of Sophia Rebecca Burnside

Occasionally, an unidentified sitter can be named if they are famous, or perhaps tracked down via a special item, such as military medals. But normally, it is impossible to determine the identity of an average sitter, where there is no identification with the miniature itself.

However, this miniature portrait may be the exception that proves the rule.

The black and white image here is from the collection of the American Antiquarian Society. It has their catalogue number, 16, and is a portrait of Sophia Dwight Foster Burnside (1787-1882).

In the collection the portrait is described as a miniature on ivory painted around 1830 by Eliza Goodridge (1798-1882).

The two poses shown here, are so similar that they would seem to be by the same artist. The physical size of the one in color is a little less at 80mm x 60mm, compared to 95mm x 73mm for the other. It is not so obvious from these scanned images, but when the two originals are compared, the sizes of the painted heads are exactly the same.

Further, the likeness and dress of the two sitters is so similar, one might at first think they are both the same person, painted at two different ages.

However, it is unlikely the same person would wear such similar costume at such different ages. That leads one to try and determine whether the two miniatures are of a mother and a daughter.

Similarities appear to include; the pose, the hairline, the bonnet, the mouth, the nose, the face shape (excluding the double chin), the way the black dress is painted, the way the lace is painted where it extends over the black of the dress, and the way the eyes are painted.

Available family trees on www.rootsweb.com do show Sophia Dwight Foster who married Samuel M'Gregore Burnside (1783-1850) in 1816, but the family trees there do not show they had any children.

A search of the 1850 census, however, shows Samuel and Sophia living in Worcestor, MA with two daughters; Harriet P F Burnside aged 23 and Elizabeth D Burnside aged 21. Samuel is a lawyer with assets of $52,000 and the family lives next door to Sophia's brother, Alfred Dwight Foster and his family. Alfred is a farmer with assets of $78,500.

Harriet and Elizabeth's full names can be determined from www.familysearch.org as Harriet Pamela Foseter Burnside (25 Aug 1825-?) and Elizabeth Dwight Burnside (22 Jan 1829-1899).

That website also records an elder daughter, Sophia Rebecca Burnside (3 May 1823-17 Jun 1836) who had died when she was aged only 13 years. The sitter in this miniature portrait looks to be quite young and could well be aged 13.

Putting all the parts together, my belief is that the miniature represents the elder sister, Sophia Rebecca Burnside and was painted in 1836, either just before her death, or just afterwards as a post mortem miniature. The miniature of her mother being painted at the same time, possibly with her pose assisting the artist to paint a post mortem miniature of her daughter in a more lifelike manner.

If this is correct, it would mean the miniature of Sophia Dwight Foster Burnside was painted a little later than the date of 1830 assumed by the American Antiquarian Society. If painted in 1836, it would mean the sitter was aged 49, instead of 43. The slightly greater age does seem to be a reasonable age for her in the AAS portrait.

It is possible the miniature here is of Harriet or Elizabeth, but that would necessitate their mother being older in her portrait.

One possible complication is that the miniature cam from Asheville NC, rather than MA, but it is possible the miniature moved south over the intervening 170 years.

AAS attributes their miniature to Eliza Goodridge and so I have made the same attribution, although I do a little uncertainty about the attribution. 677

Seager, Sarah - portrait of a man

This miniature portrait is in an American frame and is signed "Seager 1824". Thus it is thought to be by Sarah Seager or her daugher Miss Seager, both of whom were active in New York around 1833-1840. However, it may be by a British artist called Sarah Seager active in London in 1827, but who may be the same person as the American Sarah Seager.
The sitter is not known. 572

Unknown - portrait of Thomas Lake

This unsigned miniature portrait is housed in a hand carved wooden frame. It may be American or British. It is inscribed on the reverse
"probably Thomas Lake". 138

Malbone. Edward ? - portrait of Jos. Camp

This miniature portrait is unsigned, but the backing paper is inscribed "Jos. Camp Boston, Painter E. G. M.". The writing may not be as old as the portrait and hence may be incorrect. Edward Greene Malbone did work in Boston for a while early in his career, so it is possible that it is an early work on paper by him. 925

Unknown

This miniature portrait is unsigned and the sitter is unknown. 926

Unknown - George and Martha Washington

These wax miniature portraits of George and Martha Washington are 19C examples by an unknown wax modeller. 206,207

Unknown

Neither the artist, nor the sitters are known. 268,269

Unknown

Althought the painting style of this pair of miniature portraits is distinctive, the artist is unknown, as are the sitters. 411a, 411b

Unknown

Artist and sitter are unknown. 788

Unknown

Neither the artist nor the sitter are known. 1008

Officer, Thomas Story - portrait of two children

The portrait is unsigned and the sitters are unknown. The portrait is quite large at 115 mm x 90 mm, on a rectangular ivory plaque which is 130 mm x 115 mm. Being of this size and having two sitters, it would have been an expensive portrait when it was painted. The main image has been enhanced to pick up the color of the boy's shirt, but the other image shows the delicacy of their facial features.

Although the portrait was acquired in the New York area, the packing inside the frame includes some newspaper from San Francisco dated January 11, 1861. Thus it could have been painted in either area.

The most famous miniature portrait painter in San Francisco around this time was Thomas Story Officer (1810-Jan 1860) (aka Thos S Officer and Thomas S Officer). He worked on the East Coast until around 1850 when he moved to Australia. He then moved to San Francisco in 1855, where he worked as a miniature painter, but died as an impoverished alcoholic. Despite this, he was highly regarded in San Francisco and his obituary described him as "in all probability, the best portrait painter ever in California".

Even though the newspaper packing is dated shortly after his death, the portrait has been tentatively attributed to him. Officer did paint miniatures on larger sized sheets of ivory than most other artists, hence the large size of this portrait is also a pointer towards him as the artist. He also did tend to paint three quarter sized portraits, rather than bust portraits. In the Smithsonian American Art Museum there is a miniature of a lady that has some similarities, including its large size of 127 mm x 64 mm, see Portrait of a Lady For a large portrait by him in this collection, see Officer, Thomas Story - portrait of Dr Amos Hull

Johnson observed "To modern tastes Officer's early miniature portraits, painted from life, are more successful than his "fancy pieces", which are slick and over sentimental. During the mid-nineteenth century, however, works of this kind held wide appeal". For more about him see Thomas S. Officer

Another less likely alternative, is that they are children of a missionary, who were painted in Hong Kong or Shanghai by a local artist, as there are some stylistic similarities with items in the collection painted in those cities. 1158

Unknown

Artist and sitter are unknown. 1026

Unknown - portrait of Patrick Grey

The artist of this miniature portrait is unknown, but the sitter is described as "Patrick Grey, bachelor brother of Philip J Grey, who was grandfather of Alice Grey Leaming". The previous owner lived in Mt Laurel, NJ. 1032

Unknown

Neither the artist nor sitter are known. 671

Unknown

The artist and sitter are unknown. 854

Russell, Moses B - portrait of a man

This miniature portrait of an unknown man, has tentatively been attributed to Moses B Russell. 714

Unknown

Artist and sitter unknown. 464

Unknown

The artist and sitter are unknown. 561

Unknown

The artist and sitter are unknown, although it may possibly be by Antionio Meucci. 836

Unknown - portrait of Mr Davidson

The artist is unknown, but the sitter in this miniature portrait is a Mr Davidson from New England. 728

Unknown

The artist and sitter in this miniature portrait are unknown, but the reverse contains a hair pattern and the initials S. G. F. 498

Lewis, William - portrait of Mary Winthrop

Although this miniature is unsigned, it has been attributed to William Lewis (1788-c1838) who is recorded as having been painting in Rhode Island in the early 1820's when this miniature was painted and where the sitter seems to have been living. Johnson comments "Lewis produced miniatures executed in a naive, slightly stilted style. Heads are placed high on the ivory.... they smile faintly .... backgrounds are of a neutral shade .... costumes are meticulously depicted".

Inside the case there is one note which says "when taken - 64 years old" and also a second note which reads "Miniature of Mrs Richard Parkin, daughter of John Still Winthrop. She was my father's mother, John Still Winthrop Parkin".

Some research has revealed that Mary Winthrop (31 Jan 1758 - 30 Aug 1848) married Richard W Parkin on 9 Jul 1786. Mary Winthrop was born in New London, Ct. and died in Newport RI. As she was 64 when the miniature was painted, it must have been painted in 1822, but then later reframed, as the blue velvet case is somewhat later in origin.

Research also shows that her son, Dr John Still Winthrop Parkin (25 Mar 1792-2 Nov 1866) was born in New London. He married Sarah E Thurman in 1834 and they had several children. Thus it is not possible to determine which child wrote the inscription. As an example, one child was Henry Hitchcock Parkin (1837-1922). Prior to the Civil War, Henry lived in New York with his parents and siblings, where in the 1860 census his father described himself as a "Gentleman" with assets of $46,000, but the 1860 census does not show Henry's occupation. During the Civil War, Henry was enlisted in the 71st New York Infantry Regiment as a Sergeant. By the 1880 census Henry was living in Kings, NY married to Cora, had two daughters, Rollie 12, and Ethel 3. He described his occupation as 'broker in paints". 326

Page - portrait of a lady

On the reverse of this portrait is written "Page - Artist". However the artist appears to be unrecorded unless it is the Eliza Ann Page recorded in Blattel.

The sitter is unknown. The miniature would have been painted around 1820, judging by the frill around the sitter's neck. However, it has been later reframed in an oval daguerreotype case with a Littlefield, Parsons & Co label inside, which is dated 1857. Paul Berg gives this case the reference 3-409 Geometric and comments it is Scarce, which ranks between Common and Rare. 324

Unknown

Artist and sitter unknown. 507

Unknown

Artist and sitter unknown. 619

Unknown

Artist and sitter unknown. 819

B...., Harriet, A - portrait of her husband

The painter of this miniature portrait has not yet been identified. On the reverse there is an inscription which is very faint, but appears to read as follows "Painted by Harriet A B........ for her dear husband (two more lines are illegible, but they do include the date 18??". 591

Dickinson, Daniel - portrait of a man

Artist and sitter unknown. However, it is possible that the portrait was painted by Daniel Dickinson (1795-1840), the brother of Anson Dickinson.
Daniel Dickinson was noted for painting portraits where the faces are strongly modelled, with deep contrasts between illuminated and shadowed areas. 219

Unknown - portrait of a man

Artist and sitter are both unknown.

Although this miniature appears from the front to be enamel on copper, it is actually on the normal ivory base.

However, it has been covered all over with varnish or gum arabic. This is a most unusual finish and it is not known whether this was done by the artist or a later owner. 510

Unknown - portrait of Mr Moore

The artist is unknown, but the sitter in this miniature portrait is a Mr Moore. 959

Unknown

Artist and sitter unknown. 529

Unknown - portrait of Nathaniel Gilman

This miniature portrait appears to be unsigned, although there may be an indistinct signature between 7 o'clock and 9 o'clock. The style is quite distinctive, with the sitter being waist length and taking up very little of the available space. The close up shows the artist was very skilful, as the distance between the pupils is only just over 5 mm. However, an attribution has not yet been made.

Inside there is a inscription which reads "N Gilman, Waterville" and the date of the miniature is estimated to be from around 1840. An almanac published in 1832, states that Waterville was 18 miles north of Augusta, Maine.

There is an 1840 reference to Nathaniel Gilman Jr of Waterville as a head of household in the 1840 Census of Pensioners Revolutionary or Military Services Living with him was Sarah Gilman aged 82, in receipt of the pension, presumably via her husband's Revolutionary War service. The reference to Jr suggests his father was also named Nathaniel Gilman.

In checking this out, there is an Internet reference to a Sarah Branscome (c1758->1850) who married Nathaniel Gilman (16 May 1753-1803) born in Exeter, NH and who was a schoolteacher in Waterville. They had a son, Nathaniel Gilman Jr (28 Sep 1775-Dec 1859) who was a banker and married Lydia Watson around 1804 . This Nathaniel was one of Waterville's two wealthiest men, the other being Timothy Boutelle. Singly or in partnership, the two owned a vast acreage of Maine land and both were prominent members of the Jeffersonian party. Later newspaper reports comment that Nathaniel Gilman Jr was a shipbuilder, who by the outbreak of the War of 1812 had a number of ships and by privateering and trading during that conflict he laid the basis for a great fortune. He moved to New York in the 1820's where he also established a hide and leather business.

Nathaniel Gilman Jr was a prime mover in the establishment of Waterville College, later named Colby College, see Submitted by Amy E. Rowe to the Department of Anthropology ... and Colby College - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lydia died in 1843 and in the 1850 census, Nathaniel Gil(l)man Jr is shown as remarried to Joanna Boyd, their marriage being in 1845, and they are living in Ward 4, Brooklyn, NY. His mother Sarah Gilman is still living with them, now aged 92, as are a number of children, although not Nathaniel Gilman III who is married and living separately in New York by this time. As the children of Nathanile Gilman Jr have mixed birthplaces, of Maine and New York, it appears he alternated his residence between Waterville and Brooklyn. Nathaniel Gilman Jr, describes himself as a merchant with assets of $75,000. His son George Francis Gilman (mentioned further below) is still living at home as a merchant aged 24 and already has assets of $2000.

Nathaniel Gilman III must be the sitter in this miniature. It was painted around 1840, probably in New York. Other researchers have determined that at the date of the 1850 census, he was recorded as Nathaniel Gil(l)man living in Ward 2, Brooklyn, NY and gave his occupation as leather dealer. He was aged 35, born in Maine, and was married to Anna aged 30, also born in Maine. Anna was Hannah Elizabeth 'Anna' Getchell (20 Feb 1819-30 Jun 1891) and they were married 17 Mar 1845 at Waterville. In the 1850 census they had two children Willis Porter Gilman aged 2 and an unnamed infant only one month old, but who was later named Charlotte Elizabeth Gilman. As they had three servants, they were quite wealthy.

As an interesting aside, the census record for Nathaniel Gilman Jr in Ward 4, Brooklyn was made on 13 August 1850 and for his son in Ward 2, Brooklyn was made on 7 October 1850. Such a wide time gap of almost 8 weeks, must have led to many errors in the census records.

It appears the family moved to live in France, as Willis is recorded as dying in France 12 Jun 1877, Charlotte dying there 10 Oct 1879 , and Anna died in France on 30 Jun 1891. In fact there do not seem to be any census references in USA after 1850 and hence it seems the family moved to France before the 1860 census. A later newspaper article of 1901 says Nathaniel III died in 1854, but this may be a year out, as there is a record of a Nathaniel Gilman dying in New York on 18 Feb 1853.

No reason for a move to France is known, but one might speculate that, as Willis and Charlotte both died at age 29, they may have even suffered from tuberculosis and moved to France for their health. Anna, Willis and Charlotte were all returned to the USA for burial and are buried in Pine Grove Cemetery in Waterville, ME.

Other researchers have also determined that Nathaniel Gilman III was an older brother of George Francis Gilman, founder of the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company, which was the first nationwide chain of stores, with the first store founded in 1859, some 20 years before Woolworths commenced. The secret of their success was cutting out the middlemen in tea distribution and selling tea cheap, at a time when tea had previously sold at retail for $1.00 to $2.00 per pound (say $50 to $100 per pound of today's money). George Francis Gilman was reputedly worth $40,000,000 at the time of his death in 1901. Apparently, one of his business methods was that each of his stores had to send him a one dollar bill each day, see also The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, Inc. -- Company History

George Francis Gilman has been described as the "P T Barnum" of the grocery business. There is much more about the history of the trade at Upton Tea Imports: Newsletter - Fall, 2005: Setting the Stage

George Francis Gilman retired in 1878 "to live a life of luxury" in Gil(l)man Street, Bridgeport, Ct. This seems to have been very much the case from the 1901 census, as there appears to have been a total of 25 servants, inclusive of their own dependants. He died intestate in 1901, his wife having died six years earlier. As a result there were major legal battles between various full-blood and half-blood heirs over the estate, including claims by two "lady" friends, one of them a Katherine Kupfer, who was the daughter of his barber. For more about the case see a New York Times report of 1901 at http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9F07E4D71330E132A25757C2A9659C946097D6CF

The newspaper article comments "Perhaps a strange a fact as any in this most peculiar case is that most of those who contest a share in the tea merchant's estate very cordially hated George Francis Gilman while he lived."

However, as it appears that Nathaniel Gilman III and his immediate family had all died prior to 1901, they were spared the acrimony over the estate. By the same token, it is interesting to reflect that if Nathaniel Gilman III, as shown in this miniature, had lived as long as his younger brother, he may also have become one of the richest men in America. 506

Unknown - portrait of a man

Artist and sitter unknown. 549

Unknown

Artist and sitter unknown. 914

Carlin, John - portrait of a baby

This miniature is believed to be by John Carlin (1813-1891) who was born a deaf mute.

He painted over 2,000 miniatures and was noted for being able to paint a faithful likeness at a reasonable price.

He worked in various cities, but spent most of his time in New York.

The sitter is unknown, but as her head is shown above clouds, it seems this is a mourning portrait, painted after an early death, rather than a love token. 407

Unknown - portrait of Lucy Armstrong

The artist is unknown, but the sitter is believed to be Miss Lucy Armstrong, possibly from Portsmouth, NH. The miniature portrait came from a NH estate. 751

Jones, William Foster - portrait of lady with the initials "M B O"

This miniature is signed on the reverse "Painted by W F Jones 1844".

This is the signature of William Foster Jones (4 May 1817-9 Dec 1873) who was born and worked in Philadelphia.

He was the son of David Powell Jones (28 Nov 1775-13 Aug 1859) and Rebecca Burr Foster (1772-21 Jun 1846) who were married on 13 Sep 1797 in Philadelphia. William was the youngest of six children.

William's father, David Powell Jones seems to have been a successful hatter, as in the 1850 census for Philadelphia he is shown as the head of a large household, accompanied by his eldest unmarried daughter Laetitia Jones (1798-9 Feb 1871) and some grandchildren, including one named Rebecca Jones.

Perhaps David Powell Jones was also a landlord, as the household comprises thirteen persons, including a book binder, a jeweller, a hatter, a shoemaker, and a copper plate engraver. After David Powell Foster's death in 1859 Laetitia (aka Latissa Jones) went to live with Rebecca Jones when Rebecca married a physician named William Crouse.

Around 1840 William Foster Jones married Mary Dougherty (or Abby Dougherty) (4 Sep 1819-9 Nov 1889) and by 1850 they had two children, Mary Foster Jones (1841-?) and Thomas William Jones (1845-?).

In the 1850 census he described himself as "Artist" and lived in Philadelphia, along with Abby, their children, his mother-in-law Susan Dougherty (1779-?) and one servant.

He must have been quite successful, as in the 1860 census he is recorded with assets of $23,500 under "W F Jones", although the assets may have been inherited as his father died in 1859. Still as an artist married to Abbie (sic) with a third child W(illiam?) F(oster?) Jones (1852-?) and one servant.

The 1870 census enumerator was lazy and so there is no detail recorded about the family, but "Wm F Jones" was still living in Philadelphia with Abby Jones, their three children and one servant.

In addition to miniatures, William Foster Jones was a landscape, history, genre, and portrait artist.

A native of Philadelphia, Jones exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy from 1836-1869.

The sitter is unknown, but the initials "M B O" are engraved on the reverse.

Perhaps at some stage it may be possible to do a search at www.ancestry.com using only initials to identify the sitter. 460

Unknown

Artist and sitter unknown. 728

Unknown

The artist and sitter are unknown. 867

Unknown - portrait of lady with ringlets

Artist and sitter unknown. Although they were acquired separately, it appears likely that this portrait and the following one were painted by the same artist. 493

Unknown

Artist and sitter unknown. 989

Unknown

Artist and sitter unknown. 987