The Japanese Kimono (has been listed as "Japanese Print")
Description
Large oil on canvas painting of a seated woman wearing a Japanese kimono, according to the title. The subject is Helen Thurlow, a Lancaster/Greenwich Village-based Pa. Academy of Fine Arts-trained artist & illustrator.
On back: Signed at upper right corner; 2 provenance show labels/stickers from Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh
Survey done by Tom Ryan and Mike Heberlein states:
Painting: Signed upper right A. Traquair Lang, Auction #124 at lower right. Good condition (Note: Found on 06-28-17, a large 2" long puncture tear to right of subject's face.) Surface dirt, discolored varnish, minor cracking of paint (center right, center area of kimono).
Frame: Fair, minor scuffing throughout, painted gold.
Frame conservation needs: Minor touchup throughout.
Object ID
1951.013
Notes
All info via correspondence w/ writer/researcher Eve Kahn
This painting was exhibited in various shows, including the 1915 Panama-Pacific expo in California. It is pictured in a centennial book on p. 24 installed on gallery #65 wall and flanked by two more of her ptgs. See:
See Objects Photos for above image (in 1915 expo).
Subject Helen A. Thurlow (1889- ?) was the daughter of Thomas and Annie Thurlow of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia, from 1904-1912, where Thomas Anshutz was head instructor. He painted her portrait, seated sideways, and the portrait is thought to be during Ms. Thurlow's student years. See:
Portrait of Helen Thurlow, pastel on canvas, c. 1910 by Thos. Anschutz
(Portrait sold by Hammer Galleries, NY, NY.)
Annie T. Lang was painted by her mentor William Merritt Chase in 1911. This O/C ptg. is owned by the PMA & has accession # 1928-63-4. The label reads:
"William Merritt Chase was an early pioneer of Impressionist aesthetics in the United States and enjoyed immense popularity during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. A celebrated teacher, Chase likely first met his protégée Annie Lang (1885-1918) in 1901 when she enrolled in one of his annual summer schools on Long Island. Painted in the summer of 1911 outside Florence, Italy, while Chase was on one of his many extended sojourns in Europe, this portrait of Lang suggests the close, perhaps intimate, relationship between the two artists. The painting incorporates the rich fabrics, ornate décor, and elegant attire that characterize Chase's interior scenes".
Portrait of William Montgomery by Clinton Peters, made from a miniature.
Gold plate on bottom of frame: "COL. WILLIAM MONTGOMERY / 1756-1826"
Back of canvas: COL. WILLIAM MONTGOMERY, / BORN IN LANCASTER PA., 1747. / DIED 1826. / COPIED BY CLINTON PETERS IN / JUNE 1900."
Handwritten note on bottom of frame: "My great grandfather / Col. William Montgomery / of Lancaster Pa. / B. 1747 / D. Jan 4, 1826 & he married Ledalice Rojersona [?] / in 1791 / (See my Colonial Dames Chart / [?] John [?]
Painting: Oil on canvas, Fair/Good, crackling throughout, surface dirt, some mildew spotting, scuffing right center over boat, some in painting apparent under black light.
Painting conservation needs: Surface clean, remove old varnish, revarnish.
Frame: 2" painted wood and gold, Fair.
Frame conservation needs: Surface clean and minor touchup.
Object ID
1968.010.001
Notes
Frame measurements: Height 40.5
Width 54
Depth 2
Object should have new 3-digit # 001 added to existing # on the object. As of 01/31/22 the object ID number on the frame is 1968.010.
Painting: Oil on linen, 5 tears in canvas middle mid center, repaired with duct tape, Poor/Fair, crackling throughout, paint loss throughout with previous inpainting (5%).
Unframed watercolor portrait on paperboard of Louisa Anderson Henry (1848-1886), 2nd wife of Buck Henry. Within a shaded oval, subject is painted from waist up, facing a quarter turn to viewer's left. Long brown hair is contained within a large net tied at top with a bow. Hair net appears to be dark brown gouache. Checked dress has gauzy white collar pinned at front with a brooch.
Inscription: Signed in pencil at left edge near bottom corner with "Brady / N.Y."
Provenance
Passed to Pamela Henry (b. 1923) daughter of Buck's youngest son, Frank Anderson Henry; then to grand-niece Louisa Dent, donor.
Paperboard has age-darkened buff paper covering the front, now brittle and broken/cracked into multiple pieces. Appears to have been repaired with glue. Additional residue from adhesive at each corner, with traces of white paper attached (painting apparently had a cut-out overlay framing oval, since detached). Same adhesive residue w/ white paper at top of reverse.
Object ID
2015.028.2
Notes
Thought to have been painted by artist James Buchanan Henry who was her husband. (Patrick Clark)
Unframed watercolor portrait on paperboard of Louisa Anderson Henry (1848-1886), 2nd wife of Buck Henry. This is a copy of the original, 2015.028.2, by an unknown artist.
Subject is painted from waist up, facing a quarter turn to viewer's left. Long brown hair is contained within a large net tied at top with a bow. Checked dress has gauzy white collar pinned at front with a brooch. Blue-tinted background. Done apparently in watercolor and possibly colored pencil. Painting is rendered on an oval paper pasted onto a paper-covered paperboard. Oval painting is circumscribed by a penciled oval.
Inscription: In right bottom corner is written in pencil: "Copy by." over an illegible signature
Provenance
Descent within Henry family to home of Reginald Buchanan Henry (Buck's second to youngest son) to his grand daughter Louisa Dent (donor).
Watercolor of country mill. Probably painted by Julius Augustus Beck, brother of first wife of William Alexander Hammer, Martha Ann Beck. (Original entry by unknown person)
WRZ entry: Colorful W/C mounted onto nearly 1/8" thick paperboard (H: 5.75" W: 7.75") with gold, pebbled surface on back, and "Hammer" scrawled in pencil script. Front side, in margin above mounted watercolor is "4160 Hammer" also in pencil script.
Mounted in black modern frame with window mat for exhibit 2013-2016. (Removed from Med. Flat Box 35, "Fine Arts: Paintings", Cabinet 2).
Painting of on paper of elegant unidentified woman in oval gold frame with convex glass; has hanging ring. Woman gazes toward viewer's right, dressed in black Victorian formal clothing with fancy high collar and elaborate coiffure with bow. Mottled background of various hues.
Frame housed in an oblong leather-covered case with divided lid opening like twin hinged doors. Oval frame fits into central cavity of main leather frame, all covered with dark red velvet. Frame back has recessed "leg" that pulls out to allow frame to stand..
Painting signed with red lettering: "William S." at lower right edge.
Oval case is H: 5.25" (incl. hanging ring) W: 3.50"
Condition
Good
Condition Date
2016-06-10
Condition Notes
Portrait has good color and detail. Gold frame is good; glass has minute pitting and scattered abrasions. Leather-covered case interior is good with worn velvet on large center panel, including hook covering. Leather on exterior is fair-to-poor condition due to significant losses, tears ans abrasions. Structurally sound.
Painting of young, uniformed Civil War "soldier", posing in front of a cannon & American flag and leaning on a fluted pedestal with urn. Painting done a paper 5 3/8" x 6 1/2" piece of paper paste-mounted onto a larger piece of paperboard within a double-line border. Below image is a hand-painted cartouche with "Regimental Bugler, A.F. Shenck, / 9th Penna. Vet. Calvary, / Aged 14 years". Outside of border at bottom left is painted "PRESENTED TO A.F. SHENCK ESQ., / BY REDMOND CONYNGHAM.
Note: Redmond Conyngham (1863-1929) was a Lancaster attorney as was Shenck (8-16-1846 to 4-1-1921). This presentation piece appears to have been a gift and tribute to Shenck, honoring his Civil War service, suggesting a friendship between the two colleagues.
Provenance
Note on card accompanying drawing/painting is: "D.A.R. gift / 1880s". This date seems doubtful since it suggests Shenck giving this presentation piece away while still a young man in his 30's or early 40's.
James Buchanan Family Papers, Part 2 Papers of Harriet Lane Johnston, Series 1 Correspondence
Description
James Buchanan Family Papers, Part 2 Papers of Harriet Lane Johnston, Series 1 contains the correspondence of Harriet Lane Johnston.
Subseries 1 contains letters written by Harriet to James Buchanan, Lily Macalester and Charles Macalester, Lois Buchanan, Hiram B. Swarr, Mary Speer, and others from 1848-1902.
Subseries 2 contains letters written to Harriet from Captain W. R. Palmer, Alfred Pleasanton, Laura Pleasanton, Isaac E. Hiester and others from 1854 to 1897, including several describing Washington, D.C. in 1861.
Admin/Biographical History
Born on May 9, 1830, Harriet Lane was the youngest surviving child of Elliot Toll Lane and Jane Buchanan Lane. When both of her parents died of consumption, now known as tuberculosis, Harriet went on to be her Uncle James Buchanan's ward in 1841. A well-educated lady, Harriet attended several boarding schools before graduating from the Georgetown Academy of Visitation Convent at the age of 18. When James Buchanan served as the U.S. Minister to Great Britain, Harriet Lane joined him for a time and served as a hostess. During her time in England, which she noted as "the realization of a beautiful dream," she befriended none other than Queen Victoria. When her Uncle assumed the presidency, Harriet Lane assumed her role as hostess. She is considered the first First Lady, as the title had initially been given to the president's hostess during Harriet's time in Washington.
After Buchanan's presidency, Harriet Lane married Henry Elliot Johnston, a banker from Baltimore, on January 11, 1866. She was 35 years old. The couple went on to have two sons, both of whom would pass away from rheumatic fever in their early teenage years. Two years after losing her youngest son, Harriet lost her husband to pneumonia. By 1884, Harriet was a childless widow. She would go on to leave a legacy for generations to come, including establishing a children's hospital in Baltimore called The Harriet Lane Home for Invalid Children (today the Harriet Lane Clinic at the John's Hopkins Children's Hospital), preserving her Uncle's letters and manuscripts, bestowing her art collection to the Corcoran Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C., and constructing the St. Alban's School, a school for choir boys. She died on July 3, 1903. [ https://www.lancasterhistory.org/about-wheatland/, accessed 10/24/2019]
James Buchanan Papers, Dickinson College Archives & Special Collections http://archives.dickinson.edu/collection-descriptions/james-buchanan-papers
James Buchanan and Harriet Lane Johnston Papers, Library of Congress https://www.loc.gov/collections/james-buchanan-and-harriet-lane-johnston-papers/
James Buchanan Papers, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, http://www2.hsp.org/collections/manuscripts/b/Buchanan0091.html
James Buchanan Papers, Penn State University Libraries, https://libraries.psu.edu/findingaids/1458.htm
Related Item Notes
James Buchanan Family Papers
James Buchanan Collection, MG0096
Historical Society of Pennsylvania microfilm
Photograph collections
Curatorial collections
Wheatland Mansion
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Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Description Level
Series
Custodial History
The James Buchanan Family Papers were collected by the James Buchanan Foundation for the Preservation of Wheatland. This collection was relocated from the Wheatland mansion to the LancasterHistory archives in the Spring of 2009. Digitization of the James Buchanan Family Papers was funded by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, PHMC Appl ID # 201808013051, 2019-2020.
