Water color portrait of a young man on wove paper. The subject depicted in full-length profile, facing to the viewer's right, with the left foot in front of the right. He has brown hair that curls up at the neck and is wearing a dark blue coat, white shirt with high collar, blue and white checked vest, dark gray pants and black boots. He is holding a top hat upside-down in his right hand.
The background is dominated by a blue sky with four white clouds, an orange or light brown horizon, blue-green hills and bushes (probably faded green) and brown ground.
According to the sellers, the subject is one of the Reitz (or Ritz) brothers. Catherine Reitz was the great-great grandmother of the seller, Guiles Erisman Costolo. For more info on the provenance see the file.
Artist Jacob Maentel (1763-1863) was an important itinerant portrait painter in watercolor who worked extensively in northwest Lancaster County during the first quarter of the 19th century.
Some slight buckling down left side. Some small brown spots in upper left corner, below the cloud; also spotted across the non-blue portion of the sky. There is a crease running from the extreme right edge (at approximately the height of the subject's hand) to the bottom, ending slightly less than an inch from the lower right corner.
Conservation treatment and matting done in Feb. 1989 by CCAHA in Phila. Mat must have later been removed, so this piece was matted and framed by conservator Brian Howard in 1996.
Framed theorem of stencil-painted fruit on light brown cotton velvet. Painting is a still life of variously colored fruits: melons, peaches, apricots, a half-eaten pear, grapes with leaves, plums and a pomegranate. Composed on a blue-colored base or table. An insect is depicted near bottom center below grapes.
There is no border signature or date. Frame is a flat-profiles with walnut veneer facing.
Provenance
Found in the Slaymaker attic among other framed objects, in very dirty conditions. Unknown maker, but possibly done at a Moravian school such as the one at Lititz. See Slaymakers at Linden Hall on page 147 of Slaymaker history.
Taken to Dottie McCoach for conservation June 1, 1998. Returned Sept. 17, 1998. See report in this file. After treatment the piece is still dark, stained and moisture damaged along the bottom.
3/4 profile bust portrait of "James Sproul of Octoraro . 1781 -1847 ." Subject's face towards viewer. See notes for additional information regarding date of gift and donor.
According to the "Papers Read Before the Lancaster County Historical Society, February 1, 1907, Minutes of the February meeting:
The following donations to the Society were announced by the Librarian: A large frame photograph of James Sproul, once a prominent citizen and iron master on the Octoraro Creek, below Christiana, donated by his grandson, Hon. W. C. Sproul, of Chester Pa.
The presentation of the Sproul portrait was made by Dr. J. W. Houston, who accompanied it by an address of considerable length, in which the career of Dr. Sproul was sketched, showing him to have been a man of mark in the earlier period of the county's history.
William Cameron Sproul (September 16, 1870 – March 21, 1928) was the 27th Governor of Pennsylvania from 1919 to 1923. He also served as a state senator from 1896 until his election as governor in 1919.
Sand Painting Dedicated to Chaplain/Colonel Christian H. Martin, Jr.
Description
Sand Paintings for the late Colonel & Chaplain, Christian H. Martin, Jr, presented for service in the Air Force.
Within in circular bands of gold and white, 3 stars form a triangle around an eagle perched on a a blue-green shield depicting both a cross on the left and a magen david/Star of David atop two tablets on the right. Colors: teal, blue, white, brown, silver, yellow, black
Some of what is written in ink on the back: "Presented by/ Kirtland AFB/ Chapel Family/ May 1982"...USAF Chaplaincy Seal or Emblem. Until 1940, Army Chaplains were in the Army Air Corps; 1940-47, the Army Air Force until 1947. Dept. of Defense started and we were USAF. Chaplain ? Martin."
"This--very special--done with N.M. sand & given to me at Kirtland AFB, Albuquerque, near Trinity site (!) 1st A-Bomb detonation."
Provenance
Donated by Chaplain/Colonel Christian Hess Martin Jr., USAF Retired, son of LCHS officer and worker.
Oil Painting on paper of General John Steele. Gen. Steele is seated with his right arm on the arm of a chair, left hand on his right wrist. He's attired in a black coat high with high back collar. A high white collar around his neck has a bow tied in the front with a ruffled front.
Adam Reigart Jr. (original catalog description was Capt. John Steele)
Description
Oil portrait on canvas of Adam Reigart, Jr. (1765-1844). (Original catalog description was: "Painted portrait of Captain John Steele by Jacob Eichholtz". This ID correction approved by Tom Ryan).
Half-length male figure, faces slightly to left, gray hair brushed forward over forehead in thin wisps, long sideburns, his left ear visible; white turned down collar, light color waistcoat and white stock and frill. Black double-breasted coat. Plain brown background.
Modern wood frame 1.75" wide, painted black with gold beaded inner edge.
See G.86.09.2 for an identical oil on canvas portrait of Reigart by Eichholtz. (On art racks)
Painting has strong tears and needs cleaning. This is the condition in which it was received. Large irregular tear 7.5" x 4/5" across his left chest & shoulder. Small 1" x 1/2" tear above shoulder. Another irregular tear 2" x 1" on right shoulder. Straight line dent w/ some tearing below this. Another straight line dent 3.5" to left of head.and a 1"-long dent with tear above head. Extensive craquelure, esp. in upper 2/3.
Modern wood frame 1.75" wide is painted black with gold beading on inner edge. Round, blue sticker at top back of stretcher reads: "(W)alnut Lan(e) / Art Shop / German(town) / Philad(elphia).
Watercolor of a view of Centre Square taken from South Queen Street looking north. Watercolor is based on a camera obscura image taken by W. Barton. Courthouse with clock tower in center of image. Trees with no leaves around courthouse. Multistory brick buildings on either side of image.
Inscription along bottom of watercolor reads: "View of the Court House Part of the Main Street in the City of Lancaster in the State of Pennsylvania Northerly taken by W. Barton in his Camera December 12 at 1/2 past 11 O'Clock A.M. distant about 65 rods from said Court House."
Used as cover image for "The Heritage of Lancaster County" by John Ward Willson Loose, 1978.
974.815 LACO L863.
Label on inside of dust jacket reads: "The cover illustration is a rare and remarkable view of Centre Square made by the use of a "camera obscura" at 11:30 a.m., 12 December in a year sometime between 1815 and 1820. The artist, W. Barton, sat in a small enclosure placed in South Queen Street. A tiny hole in the north side of the box permitted the image to be reflected upside down on the inside southern wall of the box. Barton then sketched the image, and rendered a watercolor picture of the scene. To the right side is the Montgomery Mansion built about 1804. The courthouse in the center of the square replaced an earlier one in 1786 and was raised in 1852."
Painting of a seated 19th century white woman with blue eyes and brown hair. She is wearing a black dress with a white collar and a broach pinned at the center front neckline. The background is a subdued green.
This had originally been given an identifying number, 331- Goodell & Sener
Year Range From
1815
Year Range To
1850
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
DAC
Storage Cabinet
Cabinet 2
Storage Shelf
Shelf 5
Storage Container
Box 0656
Object Name
Painting
Height (cm)
43.18
Height (ft)
1.4166666667
Height (in)
17
Width (cm)
35.56
Width (ft)
1.1666666667
Width (in)
14
Condition
Poor
Condition Date
2023-08-31
Condition Notes
Painting is exposed, not covered by glass. Piece on lower right has broken off and there are extensive cracks: front center to right shoulder, from lower edge up to the face.
