Watercolor portrait of James Buchanan in profile, facing left. He wears a black coat and waistcoat, pale tan shirt with high, very white collar, and soft tie or cravat. His white hair is styled high at the crown and combed back on the sides. Very pale blue eye. Delicate grey and tan washes over background. Portrait is an 8.75in x 6.75in oval created by reverse painted glass. The glass is painted black with gold semi ellipses and diamonds arranged to create a sunburst like effect. The glass is 10in x 8in.
The reverse is inscribed "James Buchanan drawn from life at Wheatland February 10th 1866." Inscription is under a 10.75in x 8.75in piece of glass that has been built into the back of the frame. Some damage has occured from nails scratching the back of the frame upon hanging.
The frame is 3in wide, painted gold in alternating bands of shiny cool toned gold and matte or brushed warm toned gold. Losses around the edges reveal plaster, ochre and black or dark grey paint under the gold. Top edge of the frame is black either from paint or dirt.
Provenance
Descended in an Eastern Shore, Maryland family, purchased in 1948.
overall dimensions provided. See description for component dimensions.
Condition
Good
Condition Date
2016-05-11
Condition Notes
loss of gold paint on outer edge of frame. Dents and chips on frame. Discoloration on gold frame, possibly from tape or stickers. Loss of paint on glass at left side and upper right corner.
Pastel of Hazel Dell Brown (1892-1982) by Florence Starr Taylor. Brown was former chief of interior designer for Armstrong for 36 yrs (1921-1956) and lived in Lancaster. Signed in pencil at bottom right corner: "Florence * Taylor".
Inscription on home-made brown paper envelope attached to paper backing is: "To Richard Hopf from Hazel Dell Brown 1975". Envelope is empty. Paper sticker at top of Stack's Art Shop on W. Walnut St., Lancaster.
Eichholtz oil on canvas portrait of Catherine Trissler Eichholtz (Mrs. Jacob Eichholtz 1791-1867). Middle-aged woman faces left, wearing a dark brown dress with wide white "collar" draped over shoulders. Has a wide lace edging. Draped over right shoulder, coveriing entire dress sleeve, is a white scarf with ornately floral-embroidered edge. Wearing a large, fancy cap of gold ribbons and lace. Tie strings are ribbon. Right hand covers left hand. Dark background shows no details. Lighter 4-inch wide section runs vertically from mid-point to top of left side. Small parts of a chair peek out at left side.
Inscriptions: Various numbers on frame sides and top. Taped to lower back of foam board back cover is an encapsulated old, faded printed card with #36 followed by "MR. BLOCH(?) / MRS. CHAS. ----- / BRYN MAWR PA / MRS. JACOB (EICHHOLTZ) / CATHERINE T(RISSLER)." Stamped at top center of frame back & stretcher is "The Warwick Galleries / NW Corner 17tth & Locust Sts. / Philadelphia Pa". Handwritten in pencil along top left of stretcher is "Property of Mrs. Chas. Walker, Mermont Plaza, Bryn Mawr".
Early 20th c. frame, painted bronze. Has bold profile with wide cove and projecting bead at outside edges.
Object Name
Painting
Material
Paint, Canvas, Wood
Medium
Painting, Oil
Height (in)
30.25
Width (in)
25.125
Dimension Details
Canvas dimensions
Frame size: H: 35.5 inches x W: 30.5 inches
Condition
Good
Condition Date
2016-10-11
Condition Notes
Relined canvas has patched areas and many inpainted areas, including lips and both sides of hair. Large section along left side from center to top has been repainted.
Frame is good with several paint chips on bead section at both sides, right center and top left. Back of painting is covered with foam board.
Oil on wood panel. Profile painting, half length, of a young woman facing left front, hands not showing; medium light reddish hair, center part with comb at top of head. Curls in front of ears, grey eyes; high-waisted white gown with double lace ruffle collar around neck, pink rose at collar opening, gold double chain necklace, red shawl around shoulders covering arms; gold colored chair back right, greenish-grey background. (Beal)
Inscriptions: Ink script at top of frame back is "Elizabeth Cecilia Leman / Born 1814 died 1834." This is repeated in script at board back. At top left in script is "Adelia Leman / 1880."
Recent paper label by previous owner William Shand, at frame bottom is: "Young Woman of Leman Family / Possibly Elizabeth Cecilia Leman / (1814-1834), by Jacob Eichholtz / #459 in 'Jacob Eichholtz' by / Rebecca J. Beal / See Ellis & Evans 'History of / Lancaster County', p. 523 / W.S." Smaller paper sticker alongside reads "Young Woman / of the / Leman Family / by Eichholtz".
The number G.80.130.2 is painted at top right of wood panel. This was a Heritage Center number, due to an ownership dispute. See File.
Provenance
Beal writes on page 136, "Collections: Miss Adelia Leman, Lancaster; Mr. and Mrs. William Shand, Lancaster."
Painting is mounted in reproduction gold frame, held in place with four mending plates at sides. Remnant of old paper dust cover on back along frame. Conserved in 2002.
Very large oil on canvas, life-size portrait of Simon Cameron (1799 – 1889) sitting in an armchair in his library, turned partway to the right. Dressed in black coat, trousers and sash around neck. Left arm rests on writing table and paper with writing is hanging over the edge, secured by Cameron's left hand. No. 42, No. 56 stamped on stretcher strip.
NOTE; DOUBLE NUMBERED - 2016.999.7.
The words are difficult to read, but reportedly express Cameron's wish for the creation of a "slave army," as written in his first report to Congress in 1861. Lincoln was angry, since it was his decision to make and not Cameron's. Lincoln expunged the statement from the report and demanded that already printed copies be retrieved. See NOTES
Provenance
For several weeks before the presentation to Cameron, the portrait was in an exhibition in the Academy of Fine Arts.
Although the donors expressed their wish that the portrait be passed to the Cameron children and grandchildren, it somehow ended up with George W. Hicks, apparently a friend and/or neighbor of Cameron. He was a noted educator and long-time justice of the peace of E. Donegal Twp. Hicks died at his Maytown home in May of 1904. At some point, Mrs. Geo. Hicks donated the painting to LCHS. It is obvious that the Hicks admired Cameron since they named their son Charles Cameron Hicks (1883-1961).
H: 72 inches x W: 58 inches. Gilding w/ corners lavishly decorated w/ composition flowers, scrolls and leafage.
Object Name
Painting
Material
Paint, Canvas, Wood
Medium
Painting, Oil
Height (in)
56
Width (in)
42
Dimension Details
Frame is: 72" x 58"
Condition
Good
Condition Date
2016-11-07
Condition Notes
Minor blemishes across surface; canvas is not stretched adequately. Frame has significant losses, particularly at corners.
Object ID
1930.015
Notes
On Wed., July 19th, 1865, Cameron was presented with his portrait at his home on Front St. in Harrisburg by representatives of the Union State Central Committee from Philadelphia. During the ceremony, James N. Kerns "addressed General Cameron in behalf of the committee charged with presentation of the portrait. "He said that the Union men of Philadelphia, having a high appreciation of his worth as a citizen of Pennsylvania , and desiring to bear testimony to his services in assisting to carry the old Keystone State on the side of the Union, in the great political contest at the ballot-box in 1964, had caused this portrait to be painted by one of the best artists in the country, and charged the committee now present to present it to Simon Cameron..."
-- From an article in the Harrisburg Telegraph, July 22, 1865. (copy in file)
Portrait of George Graeff, oil on wood panel. Portly, middle-aged man in profile, facing right. Has long dark hair tied with a ribbon and is wearing a black coat with white shirt and lace jabot. Dark background. Frame is wood veneered with single metal hanging ring at top.
Label on frame back states "Col. Geo. Graeff." A hatter, Graeff (1756-1823) is credited with building Graeff's Tavern on S. Queen St. He was captain of a volunteer company of Lancastrians at the Battle of Long Island during the Revolution. Was County Treasurer from 1787-1802 and the second president of Farmers Bank, after 1814. More info in file; see NOTES.
See NOTES
Provenance
Descent within the family, on the Hager side. Donor is gr. gr. gr. grandson of Geo. Graeff.
Colonel Geo. Graeff to son Graeff to daughter Annie M. (m. Charles F. Hager to son Walter C. Hager (single) to brother Charles F. Hager to daughter Susan (m. Richard P. Rohrer) to son Charges Hager Rohrer (donor).
Multiple small areas of paint loss. Small pieces of veneer missing from corners of frame; larger piece missing at lower left, abut 2" from corner. Painting and frame conserved by James Vallano, Ja. 2003, for 2003 exhibit "Worlds of Eichholtz".
Object ID
G.86.13.1
Notes
John J. Snyder, Jr. reports that on Oct 1, 1818, Eichholtz recorded a portrait of Graeff costing $20. He notes that this may be one of the latest profile portraits on panel done by Eichholtz.
Included in the 1912 Portraiture exhibition held in the Woolworth bldg., listed as #99 on page 25. See copy in file. The painting was owned and loaned to the exhibition by Graeff's great-grandson, Walter C. Hager (1859-1930).
Rebecca Beale includes this painting on page 96, but notes it is unlocated.
Place of Origin
Lancaster
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Portrait of George Washington by Jacob Eichholtz. Likely copied frm Gilbert Stuart's Vaughn portrait of Washington. Eichholtz travelled to Boston during which time he met Stuart and saw his studio and many of his works.
Watercolor on paper of the Hardwicke mansion; beige coloring with gray/white roof and columns, green shutters on windows. The main section of the house has a grand elliptical facade with four monumental columns. The section adjacent to this has arched windows. The house continues in several smaller sections to the viewer's right; one of these sections is a greenhouse. The surrounding area is filled with grass and trees. NOT FOUND IN BOX 0066, July 2023
The painting has a caption at the bottom which reads '"HARDWICKE" NEAR LANCASTER PA'. The painting is dated "Nov. 1881" in the lower right corner.
Hardwicke was the country seat of the attorney and judge Charles Smith who married Jasper Yeates' daughter; it was built east of Lancaster, overlooking the Conestoga River, in about 1804. It may have been designed by Stephen Hills, who also designed the Old Capital Building in Harrisburg. John J. Snyder states the house was "the most sophisticated and most elegant Federal mansion in Lancaster County." He says the Smiths moved to Baltimore in the 1820s, after which a son of ironmaster Robert Coleman owned the building.
Hardwicke later became the summer home of the Cassatt family where artist Mary Cassatt was born (1844). Apparently a Colonel Wiley owned it when the railroad demolished it in Nov. 1881.
J.W.W. Loose, The Heritage of Lancaster, pp.74-75.
Height (cm)
10.16
Height (ft)
0.3333333333
Height (in)
4
Width (cm)
20.6375
Width (ft)
0.6770833333
Width (in)
8.125
Dimension Details
Hinged within a window mat..
Condition
Good
Condition Date
2017-06-28
Condition Notes
The front of the painting is in almost perfect condition, except for a few small brown dots; the reverse has several glue stains in the corners and along the sides where the paper was apparently attached to a previous backing.
Mounted in a hinged window mat.
Object ID
P.77.31.10
Place of Origin
Manheim Twp.
Role
Artist
Credit
Acquired through the generosity of the James Hale Steinman Foundation, Heritage Center Collection
Watercolor on paper, showing a building called the Telescope House or the Steamboat House. It has a two-story octagonal center section, and two one-story wings; the center section has a cupola (also octagonal). The building has a frame construction, and is colored brown with ivory-white trim. A high fence extends across the front of the building. Various trees are visible behind the building. NOT FOUND IN BOX 0066, July 2023
The caption at the bottom reads "THE TELESCOPE HOUSE,--BUILT BY JOHN F. REMLEY. 1841-8/COLUMBIA AVN. & MARIETTA PIKE." The lower right corner has the date of the painting, "1881"
The building stood approximately where W. King and W. Orange Streets meet. The name "Telescope House" comes from the fact that the house used to have an observatory until the late 1800s, when the building was renovated and additional floors were added (prior to this painting).
J.W.W. Loose, The Heritage of Lancaster, pp.74-75.
Height (cm)
15.24
Height (ft)
0.5
Height (in)
6
Width (cm)
17.78
Width (ft)
0.5833333333
Width (in)
7
Dimension Details
Hinged within a window mat..
Condition
Good
Condition Date
2017-06-28
Condition Notes
There are numerous gray marks over the surface of the painting, and some areas of paint are faded. The reverse has glue stains on the corners, where the painting was apparently attached to a previous backing.
The piece is currently float-mounted in hinged window matting.
Object ID
P.77.31.11
Place of Origin
Lancaster
Role
Artist
Credit
Acquired through the generosity of the James Hale Steinman Foundation, Heritage Center Collection
O/C self-portrait of artist. Facing right front head turned toward viewer. Half length sitter wearing black suit with white shirt, black tie and gold chain. Dark hair parted on sitter's right with long sideburns seated in reddish chair, elbow resting on arm. Craquelure near sitter's right hand. Loss and repairs.
"A. Armstrong/Artist/Lancaster, Pa." is stencilled on back of canvas.
Provenance
Ptgs. owned by Hovey Gleason as of 1975. Owned by Dr. Irwin Richman in 1980s at the time he wrote Armstrong article for Magazine Antiques. Ended up at Conestoga Auction of Hess Auction Group a year or two ago where they were purchased by P. Sullivan. Seller states he cannot find receipt & ptgs.; they were an anonymous consignment to auction.
Seller states pair of ptgs. were restored in April 2017 by Jeff Rouse of Pittsburgh.To receive a treatment report would have cost extra, so it was declined, hence we have no record. Rouse now has a significant illness and is has closed his business.
Overal good condition. Canvas over board. Damage to right of index finger. Residue over second joints of 3 fingers. Damage forward of sitter's right elbow. Poor inpainting and above forearm. Poor color match on rear armrest of chair. Repaired tear over right eye. Brown kraft paper on back. gold paint covers gilding. Top at left is scraped, large .25in loss on right side. Bottom right has gesso loss.
Object ID
2017.008.1
Related Item Notes
Half of a pair. 2017.008.2 is protrait of artist's wife.
