This miniature portrait is signed by A Munn, but the sitter is not known. 1179
This miniature portrait is signed by A Munn, but the sitter is not known. 1179
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Munn, A - portrait of a society lady
This miniature portrait is signed by A Munn, but the sitter is not known. 1179
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Galli, Pia - portrait of Jane Bretney Lanier
Although this miniature portrait looks ordinary, it has proved to be a most interesting one to research. It came with no history, but there have been continually amazing discoveries, as the sitter has been found to link Pocahontas, George Washington, the Battle of Harper's Ferry, General George Custer, Matthew Brady, Patrick Henry, Dolly Madison, and even a possible 20C conman!The portrait is signed on the front by Pia Galli. Inside the case the portrait is signed again by Pia Galli, Turin, Italy and the sitter is identified as Jane Bretney Lanier. Jane was born 15 Feb 1842 and died 1 Jun 1901. Working from the obituary for her son referred to below, Jane must have been a great-granddaughter of Patrick Henry and a great-grandniece of Dolly Madison.
On 3 Sep 1857 when she was only 15, she married Powhatan Bolling Cabell (17 Oct 1828-14 Dec 1859). Powhatan was a physician and a direct descendant of the famous Pocahontas and her father Powhatan. He died quite young and Jane was remarried on 23 Feb 1864 to James Barroll Washington (26 Aug 1839-1900).
James was a great-great-grandnephew of George Washington and the son of Colonel Lewis William Washington (30 Nov 1812-1 Oct 1871). The latter was one of the main hostages at the Battle of Harper's Ferry in 1859. In the opinion of some historians, this was effectively the commencement of the Civil War. For a detailed eye witness account of the battle see http://www3.iath.virginia.edu/jbrown/boteler.html and also http://flag.blackened.net/daver/1sthand/harpers_ferry.html
James Barroll Washington attended West Point and his name can be found there in the 1860 census along with 20 year old George Armstrong Custer, later General George Custer of the Battle of Little Big Horn see The Battle of the Little Bighorn, 1876. The two were friends at West Point, but were on opposite sides during the Civil War. As Lieutenant Washington, James was an aide on General Johnston's staff, but was captured by Union forces in 1862 when carrying dispatches. Here he met Captain George Custer and the occasion was recorded in two well known photographs by the famous photographer, Matthew Brady. One photograph used a posed contraband ex-slave to illustrate the cause of the war.After the Civil War, James had an apparently quiet career as an accountant with the Boston and Ohio Railroad Company. In the 1870 census, James and Jane are recorded in Baltimore with three children, William Lanier Washington (30 Mar 1865-11 Sep 1933), Benjamin, and Lewis. James only disclosed assets of $100 and was therefore not well off.
The NY Times of May 16 1906, published an obituary for their younger son Lewis William Washington (Nov 20, 1869-1906), who had died the previous day in Nice, France. The obituary stated he was, through his mother, a great-great-grandson of Patrick Henry and a great-great-grandnephew of Dolly Madison, the wife of President Madison. Lewis married Anne Cox, sister of John Watson Cox. Both Lewis and his elder brother William worked for the Pittsburgh Sheet Steel Manufacturing Company, as vice president and president respectively.
In the 1900 census, their eldest son William Lanier Washington (Mar 30, 1865-1933), gave his occupation as Steel Manufacturer. William married three times; firstly to May Bruce Brennan, on 6 June 1906 but they were later divorced, secondly to Ida Alice Holland on 7 Jun (Jul?) 1919, they had a son Winston Lanier Washington, who only lived for nine months. The third marriage was to Augusta Adeline Koblank on 3 July 1923. According to his obituary published in the NY Times of Sep 12, 1933 William died at his home, Wakefield, on Boston Road, Westport, Ct. Sep 11, 1933 and "in recent years he had been the head of the Washington family in the United States".
The most recent record found of his widow, Augusta Adeline Washington is her arrival in the United States on the "Queen of Bermuda" arriving in New York on 25 Sep 1933, two weeks after William's death.
William collected items associated with President George Washington, but there seem to be conflicting views of their authenticity. The NY Times of Sep 12, 1933 published a glowing account about him and his collecting, including the comment that he was a 32nd degree mason. However, another reference infers that William had forgotten the story about George Washington and the cherry tree, suggesting he was 20C conman who purchased various early 19C items and then fraudulently resold them with fake certificates of authenticity claiming they were genuine relics of President George Washington, see Mutterings of a Mad Bookseller: The Washington Candlesticks Which ...
Thus, it has been quite amazing and very interesting to research this miniature to find what can be discovered if the sitter in a portrait is known. 1189
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Eckardt, Otto - portraits of Marmet family 2
The Marmet Family
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The nine miniature portraits painted on ivory, which appear here are close-ups of the Marmet family portraits appearing at Eckardt, Otto - portraits of Marmet family There is much more there about the Marmet family. 698
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Additionally, a kind visitor has supplied more information and photographs about the Marmet family and their ancestors, which appears below.
Anna Schuster married Leopold Kleybolte and they had three children. Anna Schuster was born October 31, 1849 in Germany and died, January 31, 1925 of carcinoma of the stomach at her residence. Her parents were Georg and Babbette Schuster. Leopold Kleybolte was born, December 25, 1841 in Germany and died, August 11, 1928 of general paralysis at his residence. His parents were, Rudolph Kleybolte and Eleanore Klosterman Kleybolte and Leopold was President of the West German Bank in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The children of Leopold and Anna Kleybolte, were Rudolph Kleybolte, born June 18, 1869 in Newport, Kentucky USA and died August 18, 1945 of coronary thrombosis. Rudolph married Ida Marmet and had at least one son. Secondly, Albert Kleybolte, born: May 28, 1871 and died, October 7, 1919. He was married, but divorced, and had at least one son). Thirdly, Susie Kleybolte.
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Photographs of Susie Kleybolte appear above. She was born, December 14, 1874 in Newport Kentucky USA and died, June 22, 1958 of cerebral hemorrhage at her residence.
Susie married Captain Edwin Marmet, showing below, in 1906, who was then widowed and had two children, Leopold “Lee” Marmet and Anna Marie Marmet, later Pochet. (To read the obituary, click on it and a larger version should appear.)
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Photographs of the two children appear below. Anna Marie Marmet was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on May 3, 1904 and married Louis G. Pochat. They had one daughter and two grandchildren in Ohio. Anna Marie died on January 17, 1988.
Leopold (Lee) was born on January 10, 1907 in Cincinnati, and married Elizabeth Floyd, but had no children. He died August 13, 1998 in Charleston, West Virginia.
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Photographs of them a little older are shown below. It is believed that the nine miniature portraits on ivory of the Marmet family, were probably originally sold as part of an estate sale on his death in 1998.
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The nine miniature portraits painted on ivory, which appear here are close-ups of the Marmet family portraits appearing at Eckardt, Otto - portraits of Marmet family There is much more there about the Marmet family. 698
Additionally, a kind visitor has supplied more information and photographs about the Marmet family and their ancestors, which appears below.
Anna Schuster married Leopold Kleybolte and they had three children. Anna Schuster was born October 31, 1849 in Germany and died, January 31, 1925 of carcinoma of the stomach at her residence. Her parents were Georg and Babbette Schuster. Leopold Kleybolte was born, December 25, 1841 in Germany and died, August 11, 1928 of general paralysis at his residence. His parents were, Rudolph Kleybolte and Eleanore Klosterman Kleybolte and Leopold was President of the West German Bank in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The children of Leopold and Anna Kleybolte, were Rudolph Kleybolte, born June 18, 1869 in Newport, Kentucky USA and died August 18, 1945 of coronary thrombosis. Rudolph married Ida Marmet and had at least one son. Secondly, Albert Kleybolte, born: May 28, 1871 and died, October 7, 1919. He was married, but divorced, and had at least one son). Thirdly, Susie Kleybolte.
Photographs of Susie Kleybolte appear above. She was born, December 14, 1874 in Newport Kentucky USA and died, June 22, 1958 of cerebral hemorrhage at her residence. Susie married Captain Edwin Marmet, showing below, in 1906, who was then widowed and had two children, Leopold “Lee” Marmet and Anna Marie Marmet, later Pochet. (To read the obituary, click on it and a larger version should appear.)
Photographs of the two children appear below. Anna Marie Marmet was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on May 3, 1904 and married Louis G. Pochat. They had one daughter and two grandchildren in Ohio. Anna Marie died on January 17, 1988.
Leopold (Lee) was born on January 10, 1907 in Cincinnati, and married Elizabeth Floyd, but had no children. He died August 13, 1998 in Charleston, West Virginia.
Photographs of them a little older are shown below. It is believed that the nine miniature portraits on ivory of the Marmet family, were probably originally sold as part of an estate sale on his death in 1998.
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Eckardt, Otto - portraits of Marmet family 1
This group of portraits are all signed by Otto Eckardt of Dresden. They were acquired via public auction from a vendor in Ohio who described them as "nine colored photographs". However, they are all painted portraits on ivory. The vendor also advised that a friend had purchased them at an estate auction several years earlier, so that must have been around 1998/2000.As is mentioned elsewhere, there was a practice at the end of the 19C, of sending family photographs to Germany to be copied as miniature paintings on ivory, and sometimes on porcelain. The various Eckardt family members seem to have painted a large number of portraits of this nature. Some of these other Eckardts are included elsewhere in this collection
The fifth and sixth portraits here are noted on the rear as Great Grandmother Marmet and Great Grandfather Marmet. The seventh one is described as Great Aunt Lena. This information has enabled, with some certainty, the identification of the group as descendants of a Dr William Marmet, who emigrated from Baden, Germany to the United States, in 1849.
(Although the records in America refer to Baden, a kind visitor from Germany has advised the following correction; "I have a point to add: the Marmet family did not leave from Baden/Germany to the US, they came from a small westphalian village Sendenhorst (near Muenster, Westhalia). My wife is descendant of William Marmets youngest brother, who remained in Germany.")
It is interesting to compare the 1849 passenger list for the family with the 1850 cenus, as the family changed several names to a more English format on arrival in USA. The only real inconsistency in comparing the lists is that the youngest child appears to be recorded as a female on one list and a male on the other list.
1849 passenger list -----------1850 census
Otto Marmet ----------------William Marmet 57 M Physician
Clara Niehaus (wife) -----Clara 52 F
Elis ------------------------------Elise 22 F
Otto -----------------------------Otto 21 M
Carl -----------------------------Charles 20 M
Florenz -------------------------Florence 19 F
Fritz -------------------- --------Frederick 17 M
Clementine ------------------Clementina 16 F
Clara Pauline ---------------Paul 12 M (sic)
There is a census reference to Charles as a produce merchant and to Frederick as a jeweller. Two other sons, Florence and Otto commenced business as coal merchants. Their business flourished and they founded the Marmet Coal and Mining Company. They also had river steamers. The town of Marmet in West Virginia is named for them. Florence Marmet was president of the Zoological gardens in Cincinnati and vice-president of the German National Bank.
In case it is of interest to other researchers, the family history seems to be as follows. In the 1880 Census Otto Marmet (aged 52) a coal merchant was living in Cincinnati, Hamilton, Ohio with his wife Sallie Marmet 37 (nee Bogen), his two daughters, Clara 17 and Lena 15 , and also his wife's parents, George 70 and Mary Bogen 69. There is a later reference to Clara Marmet marrying Rudolph Hugh Reemelin b 1855 on Oct 18 1882. They had three children; Sallie b1884, Otto b1886 and Lena Louisa b1893. See HISTORY OF CINCINNATI AND HAMILTON COUNTY, OHIO A reference has also been found to a Lena Marmet marrying A M Smith on 4 Feb 1885 in Hamilton Ohio. Also in the 1880 census, Florence Marmet (aged 49) a coal merchant was living in Cincinnati with his wife Lucy 33, and his three children William 11, Ida 6, and Otto 3. Florence is believed to have died in 1887.
Showing front and reverse is a pre-stamped postcard dated June 14, 1886 stating how many wagons of coal had been shipped by The Marmet Company on Jun 12, 1886 to the Terre Haute Gas Company.
The Marmet family also owned ships and some of them are shown here. From the top is the "Otto Marmet" on a postcard titled "Steamer "Otto Marmet" Building, Nov. 17th,1907".Secondly, there is the "Florence Marmet" built in 1900 using material from the old "Ark" which had been built in 1873.
Thirdly, is the "Ark" from which the "Florence Marmet" was built.Fourthly, is the "Florence Marmet" pushing a line of coal barges on the Ohio River.
Fifthly, is the "Florence Marmet" embedded in ice during the winter of 1917/1918.
There is believed to have been at least one other ships, the "Sallie Marmet".
The last of the Marmet coal family to carry the name was Leopold Kleybolte Marmet of Charleston West Virginia. There is still a prize at Marshall University in memory of Leopold K Marmet and Elizabeth F Marmet, see Marshall University - Office of Student Services Leopold was born 10 Jan 1907 and died 31 Aug 1998.This date of death seems to fit with the above reference to a dealer acquiring the frame of miniatures around 2000. Leopold advised another, but unrelated, Marmet researcher, that his grandfather was Florenz Marmet and his father was Edwin Marmet, a steam boat captain who married Miss Kleybolte. Also that Florenz's daughter Ida married Rudolf Kleybolte, her brother in law, they had a daughter Florence Kleybolte who was born in 1901.
Given this, it seems that name of Miss Kleybolte was Susie, as in the 1880 Census a Rudolph Kleybolte b1870 was living with his family in Cincinnati, the family including his sister called Susie b1874. Leopold also referred to another Sallie Marmet who was a sister to Florence and Otto. This may have been a reference to Elise as above.
It also seems that Florence's son Otto born in 1877, changed his name to Edwin, as the two names are given for the son of Florence Marmet in the 1900 census, William and Edwin are different to the names in the 1880 census, William and Otto, although the birth years are the same in both instances. Perhaps Edwin was the second name of Otto and he did not want people to think that the ship "Otto Marmet" was named after himself, when it was actually named after his uncle. For further references see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marmet,_West_Virginia where William and Edwin are referred to as the developers of large coal fields in 1899.
The family was obviously wealthy in the early 1900's, but they may have suffered financially in the Great Depression. In the 1910 census, William was living with his mother Lucy and gave his occupation as President of Coal Company, but in the 1930 census, William was living in a large boarding house with many other boarders, who had occupations such as nurse, labourer, teacher, hostess, and librarian. William appears not to have married and died 2 Apr 1941.
The handwritten identifications on the rear of the miniatures are in red ball point pen and seem to be quite recent, so much so that the writer may not have been certain of the identities, as only three are named . The reference to Great Aunt Clara suggests they were possibly put there by a grandchild of Clara Reemelin.
With the kind assistance of a Marmet descendent with access to some excellent old family photos, it has been possible to confirm some of the identities of the portraits and make educated guesses at others. The definite sitters are therefore as follows; 5 Sallie Bogen Marmet (wife of Otto Marmet), 6 Otto Marmet, 7 Lena (Mary Magdelana Marmet Wolfe - daughter of Sallie and Otto Marmet), 9 Clara Georgina Marmet Reemelin (daughter of Sallie and Otto).
The other sitters are less certain, but it is thought that two of them are younger sisters of Salli Bogen, Ann Elizabeth and Susannah (Susie), both still living in 1910.
The same kind visitor has provided the following background information. "Sallie Marmet's maiden name was Bogen and an Alfred Bogen has written a large book on the Bogen family tracing the family back to 1500 and it confirms some information from other sources - but contains some discrepancies. Sallie is called Sarah in the book and there is a good story about how her father and grandfather emigrated to the USA. They came from the Rhine valley and like Charles Reemelin they started growing wines using the Catwaba grape. I bought a bottle of wine from the same grape and it smelt of Welch's grape juice so I would not be surprised if they do not use the same grape. A restaurant was built in their old vinyards."
"George Bogen and his brother Peter seemed to make their money as pork packers - it was a family business and unfortunately it went under in 1873 - and set some case law at the time - something to do with securing assets. In his old age George and his wife, Mary Magdalene lived with Sallie and Otto Marmet. The Bogen Family tree has her name as Anna Marie but the census always has her as Mary Magdalene - one of her daughter's in the tree is just Elizabeth but has Anne added in front in the census. I think Aunt Lena was actually Magdalena."
"According to a German friend here the Pflaz region (near Mannheim) where they come from is known for its spicey sausages! It certainly struck me, when I went to the Reemelin area how many of the local dishes were reflected in my mother's cooking. Sallie was one of five daughters and two sons. Michael died as an infant. Jacob went into business with his father but died in 1888. Louise (b1832) married an Heinrich Miller who also worked as clerk in the family firm she died in 1908. Mary Magdelena b1838 married Wilhelm Muller and died in 1887, Wilhelmina (b 1845) married Hermann Alms a collector or someone in wine business? She died in 1898. Elizabeth also known as Ann Elizabeth was also married to an Alms but a William H. Alms who worked in a dry goods emporium. She died between 1910 -1920 as he was a widow in the 1920 census. Susanne the youngest born in 1848 married Samuel Neimann the President of an Insurance Co she was alive and well in 1910 but I'm not sure when she died."
"Finally Sallie and Aunt Lena ended up living in the Alms Hotel- does any one know if it was owned by cousins? Is it still there? One final question - the Bogens and Reemelins seem to be Protestant but a contact investigating the Marmet family spoke to Leopold Marmet of the West Virginian Marmet Coal company branch and he insisted the Marmets were all Catholic. I'd never heard of the Bogen family until I found George living with Sallie in the census....maybe it was the bankruptcy, just simply the female line or they lost touch with Jacob Bogen's son, but they seem a little forgotten. Although they seem to have been successful in the early days of Cincinnati!"
Close ups of the nine miniature portraits can be see at Eckardt, Otto - portraits of Marmet family along with some family photos and other information supplied by a kind visitor. 698
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Toerring, Helene - portrait of a youg lady
Helene Toerring (Sep 1870- <1930) was born Helene Kunze, Dec 1870, in Davenport Iowa. She was the daughter of Dr A Kunze (1839-?) of Prussia and his wife Helene, born in Iowa. Helene married Christian Toerring who was Danish and whose parents had immigrated to Iowa from Denmark in 1847. They were married in the 1890's but Christian died young, leaving Helene as a widow with a young daughter, named Helene Carlotta Toerring.
In the 1920 census Helene described herself as an illustrator and was living in Philadelphia with her daughter Helene, a social worker and two of her spinster sisters, Hedwig Kunze, a manager and Emma Kunze, a teacher. Her address in 1927 was 6399 Woodline Ave, Philadelphia.
The sitter in this portrait is unknown. 1191
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Yale, Gisetta Mava - medal
Pictured here is a silver medal awarded to Gisetta Mava Yale by the Cooper Union. It is 37 mm in diameter. On the front it is inscribed "Cooper Union - New York - Qui non proficit deficit
- Founded May 25th 1859". On the reverse it is inscribed "Awarded to Gisetta Mava Yale - Miniature Painting from Life". The medal is housed in an original leather case. The retailers mark inside is rubbed, but appears to read "H Popper & Son - 402 5th Ave. and (?) 101 (?) Fulton Street - New York".So far no other record has been found for this artist and only one other example of the medal has been seen. The artist must have been very competent and, judging by the inscription, it seems it was awarded for painting miniature portraits. The date of issue is not apparent, but was probably around 1900. An enquiry has been made of Cooper Union, but no reply was received. For more about the Cooper Union see Welcome to The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
The only other instance so far located of a medal like this, is a single bronze medal in the NYHS eMuseum. That one was awarded to Helen M Turner for oil painting portrait and is dated 1899. 1007
Recently this reference to the Cooper Union Prize was found in the NYT of 2 June 1909. The only other instance so far located of a medal like this, is a single bronze medal in the NYHS eMuseum. That one was awarded to Helen M Turner for oil painting portrait and is dated 1899. Thus it is possible that more silver and bronze examples exist.
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Starr, Katharine Payne - portrait of herself
This miniature is signed on the front "K Starr 1935" for Katharine Payne Starr (19 Sep 1869-12 May 1943). (Note that the literature often records her name as Katherine Payne Starr, but this miniature is twice inscribed by her as Katharine, with an "a".)
On the reverse of the frame it is inscribed " "The Old Sofa" by Katharine Starr, 12108 View Crest Road, North Hollywood, Calif". However it is additionally inscribed inside the frame " "The Old Sofa" or "When Grandmama Wore Pink" self portrait from photo taken in 1912 and modernised in 1935. Katharine Payne Starr pinxit".
The close up shows the quality of her painting, as in the original the distance between her pupils is only one quarter of one inch (6mm). The hands are also well painted, which is the sign of a competent artist.
In the 1880 census Katharine is recorded as Katie Payne aged 10 and living with her parents and siblings in Jackson, Missouri. Her father, James E Payne, gave his occupation, as editor. By the 1900 census, she was married to Frederick Henry Starr. He was a sales manager for the LCC Manufacturing Co. They seem to have moved around quite a lot, as their three children are recorded as being born in Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Illinois. Katharine Payne Starr died in Los Angeles 12 May 1943.
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Kelly, Margaret Burnham - portrait of herself
Inside this miniature portrait on ivory there is the following inscription; "Painted by Margaret Burnham Kelly for her husband's 37th birthday June 3rd 1910 M.B.K."Margaret Burnham Kelly (Jul 1884-Feb 1971), born Margaret Burnham, and later after her second marriage, recorded as Margaret Burnham Kelly Stower, is not recorded in Blattel. However, the following research has been carried out on her life.
Initially, the only obvious Internet reference is a 1999 obituary which appears to refer to her daughter. It is as follows; "Kelly, Ellen B., 89, of Berlin, died June 27. Born in 1910 in Evanston, Il, she was the daughter of George Thomas Kelly and Margaret (Burnham) Kelly Stower. She graduated from Sarah Lawrence College and worked toward a master's degree in economics at Columbia University. She was a founding member of the Madison (Conn.) Homemakers and was also a member of the Bennington Friends Meeting of Vermont (Quakers). Survivors include a son, George Thomas."
From genealogy sites it has been possible to document some of the life of Margaret Burnham.She was born 17 Jul 1884 in Chicago, the daughter of Daniel Hudson Burnham (1846-1912) the pre-eminent architect of America at the turn of the 20C, and his wife Margaret Graham Sherman (9 Nov 1850-23 Dec 1945) who were married on 20 Jan 1876 in Chicago.
Daniel Hudson Burnham has been described as one of the foremost city planners of his day and an important influence on the development of Chicago.
He pioneered the development of steel framed buildings and his designs included the Flatiron Building in New York, Union Station in Washington DC, as well as important overseas buildings such as the Finance Building, the Agriculture Building, and the Legislative Building all latter three being in Manila, in the Philippines.See also Daniel Burnham - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia and Daniel Hudson Burnham - Historic Architect There is a list of all his buildings at D.H. Burnham & Company
With his partner John Root he first formed Burnham & Root, but after Root died he formed D H Burnham & Company.
There is a biography of Daniel Burnham by Thomas D Hines at Burnham of Chicago: Architect and Planner - Google Books Result
Burnham is the author of the quote "Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men's blood and probably themselves will not be realized. Make big plans. Aim high in hope and work. Remembering that a noble, logical diagram once recorded will not die."Margaret was obviously proud of her father, shown here, as she gave several of her children the name Burnham, either as their first or second name.
Genealogy sites also show that Margaret's husband, George Thomas Kelly, born 3 Jun 1873 arrived in New York on the "Moltke" on 21 Feb 1913. He gave his place of birth as Enelaine, Wisconsin. He was accompanied by his wife, Margaret B Kelly who was born 17 Jul 1884 in Chicago Illinois. They gave their residential address as 1028 Judson Av, Evanston, Il. In his WWI draft card, George Thomas Kelly disclosed that he was a lawyer and senior member of a Chicago law firm, Kelly, Hale, Brownson, and Holly (sp?). He was tall, of medium build, had blue eyes and grey hair.
In the 1880 census he had lived in Wisconsin with his parents, John and Margaret Kelly, where his father who was born in Ireland, was a retail grocer. By the 1900 census, John was a lawyer living in Chicago where he was sharing an apartment with a chemistry professor and a publisher.
George I Kelly and Margaret Burnham were married in Evanston, IL on 1 Dec 1906. In the 1910 census George was a lawyer in general practice, married to Margaret and living with two daughters Margaret B Kelly aged 2 and Barbara Kelly aged 1, together with two live-in servants.
Their home at 1028 Judson Avenue, Evanston, Il was large at some 3,800 square feet on two levels and on an 18,800 square foot lot. It is still there, shown in this recent photo as Ely House, and is one of the oldest buildings in Evanston. It was originally built in the 1850’s as a tannery and converted into a residential home in the 1870’s. It was Margaret Burnham Kelly who had the house remodelled before selling it to Ely in 1925, see http://www.lai.org/newsletter/mar2005.htm.Unfortunately, George Kelly died in 1918 in the Influenza Epidemic and so in the 1920 census Margaret Burnham Kelly recorded herself as head of the household, but now as a widow with five children aged 12 or below. Although left a widow, she was obviously well off, as she had two nurses and a cook living in. By the 1930 census, Margaret was remarried to Benjamin F Stower a bank cashier and living in Providence, RI with her children. However, this marriage ended in divorce in the early 1930's.
Update - A kind visitor being a granddaughter of Margaret Burnham Kelly has also provided the following information. "Uncle John and grandmother were very fond of artists. Uncle John had even planned to buy land in Guatemala where artists could live and paint. Grandmother was an avid pilot. She flew a Standard Waco Biplane and was one of the first women her age to obtain a license. She had a problem with depth perception so she hired Lane Smith who later became chief regional pilot for Western Airlines. I have the original letter from the Department of Commerce issuing her a student license that is dated April 29, 1936, one of her log books, membership card to the National Aeronautic Association of U.S.A. dated January 1939, a photograph of her plane with mother grandmother and Lane standing nest to it, a news clipping with a photograph of her pilot Lane Smith from the Sportsman Pilot dated January 15, 1938, and a telegram asking my mother if she wanted to fly to Guatemala with her dated 1937."
At Margaret Geddes there is a reference that suggests a Margaret Burnham Kelly was active as an architect in RI and DC between 1930 and 1960 under the name Margaret Geddes. It seems this was Margaret's daughter, also named Margaret Burnham Kelly (1908-?), with Margaret Geddes her married name. Quite likely she was the Margaret Geddes born 26 Sep 1907 who died 18 Feb 1995.
It appears that a son Burnham Kelly (1912-1999) was also a well known architect and Dean of the College of Architecture, Art and Planning at Cornell University, 1960-1971.
Margaret Burnham the Author
A kind visitor has raised the possibility that Margaret Burnham, either the mother (1850-?) or the daughter (1884-1971), was the author of several books written in 1911 and 1912 about girl aviators. This visitor has been researching children's books, but has been unable to find out any personal details about Margaret Burnham the author.
This was an interesting thought, especially as the artist for another miniature self portrait in this collection, Anna Coleman Watts Ladd also wrote two books around the same date, see View.
I need to stress that Margaret Burnham Kelly's granddaughter has no recollection of her grandmother ever mentioning writing books, and thus at this point she doubts the connection. However, the granddaughter also had thought there is no family tradition of Margaret painting miniature portraits, but this example has emerged.
Thus the story of Margaret Burnham the author is included here, in case any visitor can assist in clarifying the authorship. Also, the research below sheds interesting light on some aspects of the history and dangers for early "girl aviators".
Margaret Burnham Kelly, the daughter as depicted in the miniature on this page, did seem to be quite a possibility, as the four books were published in Chicago where Margaret was living at the time. She had travelled overseas with her parents to the Philippines and had several children of her own which may well have inspired her to write. As indicated above she also had her own Standard Waco biplane in the 1930's and the 1930's was also a time when the books below were re-issued as a new edition. Additionally, several famous lady aviators were of a similar age to Margaret.
Yet another connection is that I understand that to at least one grandchild, Margaret Burnham Kelly was referred to Granny Peg, and the heroine in the first story is named Peggy. The use of the Spanish word "cinch" as mentioned below, could have been picked up by her or her father while the family was in the Philippines or South America.
Even her fathers' quote as above fits; "Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men's blood and probably themselves will not be realized. Make big plans. Aim high in hope and work." The year 1912 when the series ended, was also the year Margaret Burnham Kelly's father died.
Nevertheless, as mentioned above the family currently doubts a connection.
The Books
These were ahead of their time, as a commenter has remarked: "For instance, in a 1911 book titled "The Girl Aviators on Golden Wings" by Margaret Burnham, the female characters fly airplanes during a time when women didn’t even have the right to vote in the real world!". Refer Linda Joy Singleton
The four books in question are;
"The Girl Aviators and the Phantom Airship" - Chicago and New York 1911
"The Girl Aviators on Golden Wings" - Chicago and New York 1911
"The Girl Aviators' Sky Cruise" - New York 1911
"The Girl Aviators' Motor Butterfly" - New York 1912
and were advertised by the publisher asGIRL AVIATORS SERIES
Clean Aviation Stories
By MARGARET BURNHAM.
Cloth Bound. Illustrated. Price, 50c. per vol., postpaid
THE GIRL AVIATORS AND THE PHANTOM AIRSHIP.
Roy Prescott was fortunate in having a sister so clever and devoted to him and his interests that they could share work and play with mutual pleasure and to mutual advantage.
This proved especially true in relation to the manufacture and manipulation of their aeroplane, and Peggy won well deserved fame for her skill and good sense as an aviator.
There were many stumbling blocks in their terrestrial path, but they soared above them all to ultimate success.
(Although there is no further clue to the author, this book was favourably reviewed in the New York Times for December 3, 1911 - see IN THE DARING DAYS OF YOUTH; Books of Adventure Which Will Serve ... where the reviewer says; "It is a thrilling tale.")THE GIRL AVIATORS ON GOLDEN WINGS.
That there is a peculiar fascination about aviation that wins and holds girl enthusiasts as well as boys is proved by this tale.
On golden wings the girl aviators rose for many an exciting flight, and met strange and unexpected experiences.
THE GIRL AVIATORS' SKY CRUISE.
To most girls a coaching or yachting trip is an adventure. How much more perilous an adventure a "sky cruise" might be is suggested by the title and proved by the story itself.
(Not many books are mentioned in dictionaries, but there is a dictionary reference to "The Girl Aviators' Sky Cruise" as a very early use of the word "cinch" - seecinch - Wiktionary)
THE GIRL AVIATORS' MOTOR BUTTERFLY.
The delicacy of flight suggested by the word "butterfly," the mechanical power implied by "motor," the ability to control assured in the title "aviator," all combined with the personality and enthusiasm of girls themselves, make this story one for any girl or other reader "to go crazy over."
Any volume sent postpaid upon receipt of price.HURST & COMPANY Publishers NEW YORK
The free text for three of them can be found on the Internet at the following links;
The Girl Aviators' Sky Cruise by Margaret Burnham - Full Text Free ...
The Girl Aviators Motor Butterfly
...The Girl Aviators on Golden Wings by Margaret Burnham - Project ...
The End of the Series
The Girl Aviators series of books probably came to a sudden halt in late 1912 due to several real life fatal airplane crashes of "girl aviators", as referred to an article by Prof. Fred Erisman on the earliest female aviators.
He commented how a several well publicized crashes in 1912 probably doomed Baum's Flying Girl series and Margaret Burnham's Girl Aviators series in the market, see Oz and Ends: November 2006 Fred Erisman's article may have been repeated as "Flying Suffragettes" in Dime Novel Round-Up for April 2007.
The air crashes referred to were the death of Miss Susanne Bernard,(1892-1912) in France on Mar 10 1912, Mrs Julia Clark (1882-1912) on June 18, 1912 at Springfield IL, USA, and Harriet Quimby (1875-1912) on Jul 1 1912 at Squantum, MA, USA.
Harriet Quimby had been the first American lady to earn a pilots' licence and was the first lady to fly the English Channel. Quimby was a journalist who was also very beautiful and stylish. At a time when other pilots, most of whom were male, flew in very undistinguished gear, she designed her own trademark flight suit, a purple satin outfit with a hood, which she wore whenever she flew. The biography of Harriet Quimby says she was born in Michigan, but in the 1910 census for Manhattan, where she lodged, she records her birthplace as California, presumably as her family had moved to San Francisco in the early 1900's.Julia Clark was one of only three licensed lady pilots at the time of her own death. Suzanne Bernard was a French lady who was in training to be a pilot at the time of her death.
The four books were reprinted probably in the 1930's, although undated, by M A Donohue & Company of Chicago, with a different cover design and a dust jacket, as seen in this example.Another early plane crash
In a sad way there is another connection with miniature portraits and early airplane crashes. A recent and very generous benefactor to the city of Cincinnati is Charles Fleischmann who has donated many miniatures to the Cincinnati Art Museum. A forbear of his who had the same name, was a Charles Fleischmann, who was unfortunately killed in an airplane crash on August 3, 1917.
This earlier Charles Fleischmann, was the son of Julius Fleischmann, the ex-Mayor of Cincinnati. He and Harry Witts of the firm of Crofts Witts, builders of hydro-aeroplanes at Bay Shore, died when their plane crashed into a shallow part of Great South Bay at Mineola Airfield. The earlier Charles Fleischmann had only the previous week announced his engagement to a Miss Florence McGregor Sheldon of Brooklyn. See THREE KILLED IN FALLING AIRPLANES; Charles Fleischmann and Harry ... 1195
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Hayward, Isabelle Victoria - portrait of Margaret Campbell
This is a very large for a miniature portrait, being 150 mm x 110 mm. However, it still classifies as a miniature portrait and in fact the head of the sitter is depicted as of similar size as a sitter's head in a more normal sized miniature.
The miniature is signed "I Victoria Hayward" for Isabelle Victoria Hayward (7 Oct 1868-Jun 1967) who was born in New York. In the 1900 census, she was living with her widowed mother, Mary Law Hayward and her mother's brother George Law, at Manchester, Passiac NJ and gave her occupation as miniature painter. Victoria seems to have never married and died in 1967.
Interestingly, in the 1860 New York census, Mary Law as she was then and aged 17, gave her occupation as photographist. This must have been a most unusual occupation for a female at that time, although in the same household Jane Downs aged 18, also described herself as a photographist.
The reverse of the case is stamped "Tiffany & Co" and engraved "Margaret Ann Prall Campbell - Age 45 1894". Margaret Ann Prall (15 Dec 1848-<1930) was born in Passiac, NJ where her father, Edwin Theodore Prall was a locomotive engine builder, disclosing assets of $5000 in the 1860 census. This was quite wealthy for the time and the family had two live-in servants and a live-in nurse. By 1870 her father appears to have died, but her mother Rachel disclosed assets of $40,000
Margaret married Henry Goodwin Campbell, a stockbroker, 21 Oct 1874 and they lived in Passiac NJ. It seems they must have been related in some way, as in the 1860 census Henry was living as part of a large household headed by Abraham H Godwin, a wealthy cotton spinner who seems to have traded under the name A Prall & Co. The household contained members of the Godwin, Campbell, and Prall families. In 1900 Henry and Margaret had two sons, Henry G Campbell aged 24 and Edwin Prall Campbell aged 22, who were both also stockbrokers. Margaret died between the 1920 and the 1930 census, but Henry was still alive and disclosed assets of $200,000. His career had been as a stockbroker, but to still be worth $200,000 in 1930 suggests that he had managed to financially survive the Wall Street Crash of 1929. 1203
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Pearce, Leonard - Revolutionary Heroes
Although these four wax miniatures are by a British artist Leonard Pearce and of 18C sitters, they have been included in the American 20C gallery, as they are of 20C creation.Little has so far been found out about Leonard Pearce, but his full name may be Leonard John Pearce and his work seem to have been also used on items issued by Franklin Mint.
The sitters are Benjamin Franklin, John Paul Jones, Lafayette, and George Washington.
The miniatures can be classified as modern decorative items, but they were acquired for the collection because of their high quality production and as good examples of the skill of wax modellers, who did tend to make multiple copies of their original wax sculptures. As these have been scanned through glass the quality of detail is not as clear as one would like.Each miniature has a printed and hand numbered citation on the reverse. In abbreviated form this states, "one of a series of four miniatures...commissioned to celebrate the bi-centenary...modelled by Leonard Pearce". This set is number 60. 1165a, 1165b, 1165c, 1165d
Later - Some biographical information has now emerged:
"Leonard J. Pearce - Biography
Born London, 1932 but spent formative years at Sutton, Surrey. From local art school went on to City & Guilds School of Art in London to study fine art, drawing & painting. Began his career in a design studio, working on architectural, graphic, and product design projects. Started own practice in the early sixties, specializing in graphics, and gained membership in the Royal Society of Industrial Arts & Designers. Since 1971, has reverted to fine art, mainly the painting of old sailing craft & steamships in a traditional manner. The style is reminiscent of 19th century "ship portraits" derived from childhood memories of marine paintings & engravings in his late father's collection of Victorian Art. Examples of Len Pearce paintings can be found in prominent marine art collections in many parts of the world, including the permanent collection of the Mystic Seaport Museum. Featured in "20th Century British Marine Painting" by Denys-Brook-Hart, published 1981.
Exhibits:
St. Katherine's Dock Yacht Haven, London 1975 & 1976 Special exhibit of "Tall Ships" painted especially for the Abercrombie & Fitch
Gallery, New York, in conjunction with "Operation Sail" 1976. One-man show, Mystic Seaport Museum, 1977; prizewinner International Maritime Art Show, 1982 Participation in "Sea, Sails and Ports" exhibit of important marine paintings at Kennedy galleries, New York 1977 One-man show Horton-Point Lighthouse Museum, Long Island, 1978. Inclusion in "A Unique Marine Exhibition" at the Incurable Collector, New York, 1978, followed by special exhibit of Pearce works in March 1979, and regular exhibits of his work. Annual Show, The Royal Society of Marine Artists; London International Boat Show, from 1978. L.J. Pearce has also prepared a series of 12 "The Great 19th Century Clipperships" on fine porcelain & gilt plates for the Franklin Mint."
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De Haas, Alice Preble Tucker - portrait of a young lady
This miniature portrait is signed on the front "A de Haas" and on the reverse "Alice Preble Tucker de Haas, Dec 1896".Alice Preble Tucker (1859-1920) was born 12 April 1859 in the 6th Ward of Boston, Massachusetts, where her father Edgar Tucker was a successful merchant who disclosed assets of $10,000 in the 1860 census, even though he was only 29 years old.
Alice's mother's maiden name was Mary A Preble and Mary was the granddaughter of Commodore Edward Preble, the naval hero, see Edward Preble - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia There is now also a miniature portrait of him in this collection, see Colby, Clara - portrait of Commodore Edward Preble... In 1860 Mary was aged 24 and at that time Alice was the only child, aged 1, but even so they had three servants.
Alice studied at the Cooper-Union and with Mauritz Frederik Hendrik De Haas (1832-1895) a Dutch-American marine painter who was born in Rotterdam, Netherlands, see Mauritz de Haas - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Alice married him on 22 May 1895 in Manhattan, but he died later the same year on 23 November. She also studied with Swain Gifford, William Chase, and Rhoda Holmes Nicholls.
Thus by the 1910 census Alice was widowed, but living in Ward 15, Manhattan, New York where she had an artist's studio and supplemented her income by taking in a lodger. On 13 Jul 1917 she married William Carpender (30 Jan 1844- 25 Nov 1927) a widower and wealthy retired stock broker. For the 1920 census they lived in Manhattan with two servants, but Alice herself died on 11 Jun 1920.
Her exhibition record is lengthy and includes the St. Louis Exposition of 1904, the Art Institute of Chicago, NY Water Color Society and the NY Society of Miniature Painters. Her works were also shown at the National Academy of Design, American Water Color Society, the Boston Art Club and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art. Many museums incorporated her work in their shows including the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, DC and the Portland Art Museum, Maine. In 1917 she exhibited two works "Drying the Sails" and "Just Dishes" with the Society of Independent Artists. 1228
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Harper, Marian Dunlap - portrait of a lady
This miniature is signed Marian D Harper forMarian Dunlap Harper (1885-?) who was born in Iowa, Feb 1885, as Marian L Dunlap, the younger daughter of Charles Carroll Dunlap (2 Feb 1855-?) and Nettie Howell. Charles was a broker, presumably on the Chicago Exchange, and was successful, as in 1910 both daughters, Elizabeth 30 and Marian 25 lived at home and had no paid occupations.
In turn, Charles Dunlap was the son of William H Dunlap and Maryann Elliott Fish. William, born in Ohio, was a wealthy merchant, disclosing assets of $30,000 in 1860 at age 25 and living in Eddyville, Iowa. It seems possible that William was related to the noted American miniaturist William Dunlap (1766-1839), but so far, no relationship has been found.
Marian Dunlap married Fay R Harper (1876-?) and they had a daughter Jeane Harper born in 1915. Fay was an artist and illustrator with his own practice. He must have been quite successful, as in 1920 they lived in New Trier, Il and had a maid. They appear to have survived the Great Depression, as in 1930 they still had a maid and disclosed assets of $24,000. However, Fay now described himself as a portrait painter and Marian described herself as a miniature artist.
Unfortunately, this sitter is unknown. 1225
P.S. As I say, no link has yet been proved, but for those wishing to know more about William Dunlap the miniaturist, from the World Book Encyclopedia; "The First notable American dramatist was William Dunlap [1766-1839], who was also a manager, painter, and historian of the theater. In his autobiography, published in the "Rise of the Arts of Design" (1, 1969 ed., 267), William Dunlap wrote the following about his early life in New York: "I sought assiduously to gain knowledge, but unfortunately could not be content without exposing my ignorance by writing and publishing... I was likewise drawn into some societies called convivial; and as I had been a member of Buck's lodge in London, so at home I became a Black Friar and a Mason; but happily I was withdrawn from this course by marriage with Elizabeth, the youngest daughter of Benjamin Woolsey, deceased, and Anne his second wife, the daughter of Doctor Muirson." It was probably about the time of his marriage to her daughter that the artist painted the miniature of Anne (Muirson) Woolsey.)
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Hartman, Marion Caroline Hoffman - portrait of a man
This miniature is signed "M Hartman" in red at the lower right.There is already one miniature portrait by this artist in the collection, of a man with a bow tie. For comparative purposes it is also shown here.
However, little has been found out about the artist, although there is an example by him/her in the Metropolitan Museum collection, titled "portrait of a boy with doll".
There is believed to have been an artist, Marcia Hartman who signed "M Hartman", but it is not clear whether she painted miniatures. Thus, she may possibly be the artist.
The sitter is unknown. However, the adjacent portrait of an older lady by Marian Harper was acquired from the same vendor at the same time. Given the apparent facial likeness, it seems they may well be mother and son. 1226
Later: A very kind visitor has sent me the following information about the artist;
The artist's full name is Marion Caroline Hoffman Hartman...you referenced two miniature portraits that were done by her...and I found another that is in the metropolitan museum of art in NY...I am wondering if you can tell me how I can find out more about her?...Her style is very distinctive. She was born in 1892...the reason I ask, is because I have a full size portrait of my uncle that she painted around 1929...and, I would like to know more about the artist...If you could suggest a place for me to look? Websites or databases that might tell me more? I would really appreciate it.
Unfortunately I can add nothing more, but if any viewer knows more, please leave a comment or send me an email.
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Carlson, Edward W - portrait of a boy in uniform
This miniature portrait of a young boy is signed at the lower right; "E W Carlson 1925" and under that signed again "Edward W Carlson".
This appears to be for the artist Edward W Carlson (1883-?) who is recorded as a Chicago painter active in the 1920's and 1930's. However, his other work seems to have been landscapes, as an oil on board titled "The Siding" was offered for auction in 1998 with an estimate of $500-$700.
He has not previously been recorded as a painter of miniatures, although judging by this item, he was quite competent at painting portraits. In the 1910 census he was living with a Holmquist family in Chicago as a lodger and gave his occupation as artist. He was born in Illinois, although his parents were Swedish.
Carlson appears to have separated from his wife, as in the 1930 census when he was aged 47, he stated he was married and had first married at age 20. He was lodging in Chicago with a Marjorie Carlson aged 17, who was probably his daughter. He described himself as a commercial artist, but disclosed no assets, whereas other lodgers were disclosing assets as low as $40, and thus he was presumably badly affected by the Great Depression.
The sitter is unknown, but is wearing a uniform, perhaps from the Sea Cadets version of the Boy Scouts. 1235
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Poultney, Richard Curzon - portrait of a young lady
This is an interesting miniature portrait. It is signed with a monogram and date "R C P 1889" for Richard Curzon Poultney. Poultney is described in Blattel as a British artist, but research has shown that he was actually American.
The miniature is interesting as it is the earliest American miniature in this collection showing the influence of the brighter palette associated with Impressionism.
Most miniatures prior to this date were trying to imitate photographs. However, it seems Poultney went and studied in Europe and was influenced by the Art Nouveau style. This miniature seems much more like a life portrait, than a copy of a photograph.
Poultney was a member of a very wealthy family from Baltimore, Maryland. He was born in 1860 and died as still a young man in 1897. If he had lived longer, it seems almost certain he would have become as well known as other 1900 miniaturists such as WJ Baer, Alyn Williams, and Eulabee Dix.
There are two references that record Poultney as an artist. The Baltimore directory for 1890 lists him as an artist living at 1320 Bolton St , Baltimore. Then on Jul 30 1894 he arrived back in USA from Europe on the SS Umbria, giving his occupation as artist.
In the 1880 census he is recorded as living with his parents Thomas and Susan Poultney and siblings in Baltimore where his father was with the Baltimore Oil Company.
His uncle Walter de Curzon Poultney (1845-1929) who also worked for the oil company was a well known socialite of the time.
Other miniatures by Poultney are held by the Maryland Historical Society, one of which seems to be of a close relation, see Maryland ArtSource - Collections - Nancy Poultney Falconer (Mrs ...
Unfortunately, the sitter in this portrait is unknown. 1245
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Wheeler, Janet - portrait of man and lady
This pair of miniatures are believed to both be by Janet Derinda Wheeler (1866-1945), although only the one of the lady is signed "Janet Wheeler". This may be her married name, as in the 1910 census she stated she was living with her stepson Leon Wheeler aged 17. However, she always seems to have described herself as single and so it is possible Wheeler was her maiden name.She was born in Detroit, MI and trained in Paris at Academies Julian and Courtois. She won several medals, including a gold medal at the Philadelphia Art Club in 1902 and a silver medal for painting at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition of 1904, see Final Report of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Commission by ...
There is some confusion over her year of birth and she has added to this by the various dates of birth she gave when returning to the United States from her many trips abroad. In the census records she disclosed assets of only a few hundred dollars and it is not known how she funded her overseas trips, of which there seem to have been at least 20, mainly to Europe.
She was very accurate with her birthday, always shown as 24 December and her state of birth as Michigan, but the years she stated in her immigration declarations for her birth year include; 1860, 1861, 1866, 1867, 1869, 1870, 1872, 1873, and 1874 !!
For the 1900 census she stated the year was 1866, and at the time she was living as a boarder in Philadeplphia and 1866 is also stated in other census records.The miniature of the man is interesting as the overall portrait of him shows how artists bought ivory sheets and then needed to cut them to the desired shape to avoid imperfections.
Both of the sitters are unknown. 276a, 276b
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Korzybska, Mira Edgerly - portrait of three sisters or a triptych?
It is hard to comprehend the large size of this miniature portrait without visual clues. It is very large for a miniature on ivory, with the maximum sight dimensions being 215 mm x 120 mm (8.5 inches by 5 inches). The image here does not do justice to its brightness and clarity.
It is signed at the lower right "EDGERLY.K.34". This stands for the American artist Mira Edgerly Korzybska (18 Jan 1879-13 Jul 1954).
Born in Illinois, Mira Edgerly spent her childhood in MI, where her father was an inventor and a director of the Michigan Central Railroad. Largely a self-taught artist, she began working with portrait photograph Arnold Genthe, reportedly studied with Frank Brangwyn in Paris, and was urged to pursue her love of painting on ivory by the artist John Singer Sargent.At a time when most miniature portraits were the size of one's palm, Mira Edgerly specialised in using large ivory pieces. Through the world's largest ivory cutting house in London she obtained sheets of ivory cut into pieces 6 by 12 inches or more. She carefully selected ivory with translucent qualities, giving special brilliance and luminosity to colours. Sargent, on seeing her paintings, said, "Here at last is a portrait on ivory, not a miniature."
Edgerly became a sought after portraitist among the upper echelons of American and European society as well as the entertainment and literary worlds. Her work took her to and from New York, London, Paris, California Washington, Latin America, and Chicago. Many of Edgerly's portraits are catalogued at Columbia University, including those of Elsie de Wolfe, Doris Duke, and Aileen Vanderbilt. However, very few are available to view.
There is a reference to her (as Myra Edgerly) in "The Autobiography of Alice B Toklas" (1933). "Mildred Aldrich once brought a very extraordinary person Myra Edgerly. I remembered very well that when I was quite young and went to a fancy-dress ball, a Mardi Gras ball in San Francisco, I saw a very tall and very beautiful and very brilliant woman there. This was Myra Edgerly young. Genthe, the well known photographer did endless photographs of her, mostly with a cat. She had come to London as a miniaturist and she had had one of those phenomenal successes that Americans do have in Europe. She had miniatured everybody, and the royal family, and she had maintained her earnest gay careless outspoken San Francisco way through it all. She now came to Paris to study a little. She met Mildred Aldrich and became very devoted to her. Indeed it was Myra who in nineteen thirteen, when Mildred's earning capacity was rapidly dwindling secured an annuity for her and made it possible for Mildred to retire to the Hilltop on the Marne."
And "Myra Edgerly was very earnestly anxious that Gertrude Stein's work should be more widely known. When Mildred told her about all those unpublished manuscripts Myra said something must be done. And of course something was done. She knew John Lane slightly and she said Gertrude Stein and I must go to London. But first Myra must write letters and then I must write letters to everybody for Gertrude Stein. She told me the formula I must employ. I remember it began, Miss Gertrude Stein as you may or may not know, is, and then you went on and said everything you had to say. Under Myra's strenuous impulsion we went to London in the winter of nineteen twelve, thirteen, for a few weeks. We did have an awfully good time. Myra took us with her to stay with Colonel and Mrs. Rogers at Riverhill in Surrey. This was in the vicinity of Knole and of Ightham Mote, beautiful houses and beautiful parks. This was my first experience of country-house visiting in England since, as a small child, I had only been in the nursery. I enjoyed every minute of it. The comfort, the open fires, the tall maids who were like annunciation angels, the beautiful gardens, the children, the ease of it all. And the quantity of objects and of beautiful things. What is that, I would ask Mrs. Rogers, ah that I know nothing about, it was here when I came. It gave me a feeling that there had been so many lovely brides in that house who had found all these things there when they came."
Mira married Frderick Burt in 1914 in New York before they headed to Europe MIRA EDGERLY WEDS.; She Becomes the Bride of Frederick Burr at ... The wedding notice comments that she had painted a miniature of Princess Patricia, a grand daughter of Queen Victoria, while in Ottawa. However the marriage does not seem to have lasted very long, whether due to the death of Burt or divorce is not clear. Mira returned to America by herself in August 1914 on SS Carpania.
In his 1944 book "As Much as I Dare", Burgess Johnson made the following comment; "In the early days of the first World War, two or three young women who had been students of mine were working for the Red Cross and the Food Administration in Washington and shared an apartment. Mira Edgerly was then painting portraits at the national capital and I wrote them that they should meet her. They invited her to tea where she proved to be the center of interest. Late in the afternoon a young Polish officer arrived, an engineer assigned by his government to inspect munitions purchased by Poland in America. According to the accounts of my young friends he settled down by the Edgerly's side for the balance of the afternoon and the two were there when everyone but the hostesses had gone. Two months later Mira Edgerly and Count Alfred Korzybski were married."
Johnson's memory seems to be a little out however, as the marriage to Alfred was in 1919, which was after WWI, not in the early days of WWI. Count Alfred Korzybski (1879-1950), was a well-known Polish-American linguist, author, and pioneer in semantics, and for some years Mira successfully juggled her art with helping her husband in his endeavours.
The couple lived in various places throughout the USA, and when Korzybski was appointed head of the Institute of General Semantics, they divided their time between Chicago and Lakeville, CT. Both are buried in the cemetery in Lime Rock CT, the town next to Lakeville. For more about their meeting see Edgerly, Mira
A large quantity of her papers are held at Columbia University see Mira Edgerly Korzybska Papers ca.1850-1960. and it is hoped that the papers may be able to reveal the names of these three sisters, or perhaps a triptych of one girl, as to date the sitters have not been identified. Columbia University was twice approached to see if they could please check the work books they hold that record all Mira Edgerly's work, to see if there was a record of a similar miniature, but unfortunately they never replied. 1242
There is also more about Mira in a Polish website at Mira Edgerly Korzybska | daisypless
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Colby, Clara - portrait of Commodore Edward Preble
To date, nothing has been found about Clara Colby, who appears to be a hitherto unrecorded artist. However, she was obviously a very talented artist.The profile miniature portrait has a plaque reading "231 Commodore Preble - Clara Colby". It is signed on the lower right "Clara Colby" and on the backing paper it is inscribed "Commodore Preble - painted on ivory by Clara Colby". The significance of the number 231 is unknown, perhaps it relates to an exhibition reference number.
The frame is of solid wood with a thick, turned ivory fillet surrounding the miniature itself. This is a very expensive and unusual type of frame. A little unfortunately, it appears when Clara Colby copied the portrait from the medal, she was not aware of the correct shade of blue for his uniform, as it should have been navy blue.
The obverse and reverse of the Congressional Medal of Honor awarded to Commodore Edward Preble (1761-1807) of Falmouth, Maine, in 1805 for his efforts against the Barbary pirates of Tripoli, are shown here. The reverse shows the attack on Tripoli.
The medal was based upon a portrait drawn by Rembrandt Peale, a member of the famous American family of miniature painters. It was drawn as Preble passed through Philadelphia on his way home, about two weeks after the award was made public. The actual medal was given to him in 1806, not long before he died in 1807 at the age of 46.
For much more about him, see United States of America Congressional Gold Medal Recipient Edward ...Interestingly, a miniature portrait painted by his great-granddaughter Alice Preble Tucker De Haas, was a recent addition to this collection, see De Haas, Alice Preble Tucker - portrait of a young... 1230
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Eckardt, Otto - portrait of Jane Spottswood Keller
This miniature is signed inside "Painted by Otto E Eckardt, Dresden, 1901" and identified as "Jane Spottswood Keller aged 7 years". As with other portraits by Otto Eckardt in the collection, it is believed the portrait was painted in Germany, as a copy of a photograph sent to Germany from the United States.Jane Spottswood Keller was born 10 Mar 1893, the daughter of David Alexander Keller and Alice Cooke who married in 1883. The family was wealthy and in the 1900 census, Jane had her own governess. She was a second cousin of of the famous blind and death author, Helen Keller (1880-1968) who wrote "The Story of My Life". Jane's mother, Alice was the daughter of Lyttleton Cooke, a lawyer and a highly respected member of the Kentucky bar, see Lawyers and Lawmakers of Kentucky, by H. Levin, editor, 1897 ...
Jane Keller married George Danforth Caldwell, a lawyer, on 5 May 1918 and they had one son, David Keller Caldwell who was born in 1928. He wrote a book about dolphins, see 0397007345: The world of the bottlenosed dolphin by David Keller...
The miniature of Jane was purchased as a single lot containing four miniatures, all shown here. (Also shown below to assist family researchers, are two more miniatures from the same family, but that went to a different buyer.) They all came from the collection of G. Vernon Diab of Louisville, Kentucky.
One of the other miniatures in the lot, the man with grey hair and a moustache is identified on a tag as David Keller Caldwell and painted by John Ramsier (1861-1936). However, David Keller Caldwell was born in 1928 and hence the clothing does not look right for the 20C. It is signed with initials "K D A", but the full name of the artist has not been determined.
It seems more likely the miniature is of a different family member, perhaps Jane's father David Alexander Keller (27 Jul 1853 - 24 May 1926). David was a cousin of Helen Keller (1880-1968). Like Helen Keller, David Keller was obviously also a strong minded person, as in the 1900 census he described his occupation as "capitalist". However, he also appears to have been a founder of the Louisville YMCA.
By comparison, the miniature here of a bald man that does look like a photo, although unsigned is confidently attributed as painted by John Ramsier. It is of Hon James Guthrie, who was the great-grandfather of Jane's husband, George Danforth Caldwell. Guthrie had a number of political positions, including Secretary to the Treasury. For much more about this portrait, see Ramsier, John - portrait of Hon James Guthrie
The fourth miniature (possibly an over-painted photograph) of a man with both a moustache and beard is of John F Henry (22 Jun 1839-1899) a Confederate veteran who married Mary Churchill Richardson 30 Sep 1869. He has been identified as John Flournoy Henry, son of a Kentucky congressman (1827-1829) of the same name. John Flournoy Henry junior wrote a book entitled "A History of the Henry Family From its Beginning in this Country to the Present Time" which was published in 1900, just after his death.
As a Civil War soldier, he had joined Lieutenant Colonel Tom Woodward's Second Kentucky Regiment of Cavalry, attached to General Bedford Forrest's Brigade. He was actively engaged in the Tennessee campaigns, and participated in the hard-fought battles of Chickamauga, Farmington, Maryville, Resaca, as well as those of Kennesaw Mountain, Saltville, and Bentonville. He was severely wounded at Farmington, October 7, 1863, just subsequent to Chickamauga, through which desperate fight he had passed unharmed. Returning to his command, he was unexpectedly, and wholly without his solicitation, promoted, by general brigade orders, to official rank in the commissary department, but so averse was he to leaving the field of active service that he procured a reversal of the order and remained throughout the struggle a private soldier.
Henry became engaged with an extensive cotton firm of Charleston, Savannah, and Augusta in collecting, rebaling, and shipping cotton from the interior to the coast. From this he was called to a position of responsibility in a cotton bagging and baling rope manufacturing establishment in Louisville, where he took up his residence November 1, 1865. He became a member of the firm January 1, 1869, but in 1873 its factory was burned. After closing its large business in 1874, Mr. Henry formed a partnership, establishing the firm of Patterson, Henry & Co., which for more than seventeen years ranked among the first pork-packing and provision houses in its section. Early in 1892, having been chosen Second Vice-President and Trust Officer of The Louisville Trust Co., he abandoned commercial pursuits and devoted himself to the affairs of that large financial institution, of which he became the vice-president.
The sale included a number of other miniatures from the Diab collection and the pair of miniatures of two men represent a sad side effect of an auction, when a family is split up and sold as different lots.
The portraits of two men in the auction were identified as on the left Edward Sheggog, painted in March 1839 at Philadelphia by Mrs A C Staughton (Anna Claypoole Peale) and on the right Alexander Moore Keller by John Ramsier. Unfortunately they sold well above estimate to another bidder ($3220 compared to $500-$700) and thus could not remain with the portraits of Jane Keller and her other family members.
Research has identified Alexander Spottswood Moore Keller (14 Nov 1813-3 Mar 1857) as the grandfather of Jane. He married Jane Elizabeth Sheggog (1819-1865) and so it seems likely that Edward Sheggog was either Jane's great-grandfather or a great-uncle.
All the miniatures were accompanied by tags with their names on, possibly written by G Vernon Diab, but it does seem there may have been a mix up with some of the names. The younger portrait of Alexander Moore Keller does not look like the work of John Ramsier (1861-1936), who was not active at the time it was painted. However, it is possible that it is a copy by John Ramsier of a portrait by another artist. Perhaps more likely is that the wrong miniature was attributed to John Ramsier when the tags were written. 1253, 1254, 1255, 1256
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Newell, Claude Potter - portrait of lady and daughters
This portrait has been acquired for the collection, although many collectors would not regard it as miniature portrait due to its size. However, it is painted using miniaturist techniques and thus provides a most unusual and large example of a miniature painter's skill.Given the size and the amount of detail, it must have been a very expensive portrait when it was painted.
It is signed "C P Newell 1924" for Claude Potter Newell (1870->1930). He does not feature in the reference books, but was a highly regarded artist who painted wedding anniversary miniature portraits of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt.
Two miniatures by C P Newell do appear in this collection. They are dated 1916 and 1918. See Newell, Claude Potter - portrait of a 20C lady and Newell, Claude Potter - portrait of a child
The size is 350 mm x 270 mm, thus it is really too large to be described as a miniature. It is painted on a hard thin white substance which is glued to card, so the reverse of the ground cannot be inspected.It is too large to be a single sheet of ivory and no joins are apparent, although the ground is of similar thickness to that used for normal ivory miniatures.
Hence it must be on a thin sheet of ivorine, a plastic product which was first produced by the Xylonite Company in 1866.
Although much larger, the frame is the same design as was used for miniature frames around 1920, with an ornate chased border and a hanger of typical American design.
The portrait is very detailed, something that is really only possible because of the ivorine ground.
The detail would be lost if it had been painted on canvas or paper.
Most large portraits are not designed for close inspection and need to be viewed from a distance to appreciate the skill of the artist.
However, this portrait can be viewed under a magnifying glass and the skill in painting the detail of the faces and dresses is then appreciated.
It is sometimes said that the evidence of a skilled artist becomes apparent when one looks at how hands are painted.
Many artists are deficient in this area, but the close up image shown here indicates that Newell was very skilled at painting hands.
The sitters are unknown. 1260
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