Russell, Moses B - portrait of girl in a pink dress

This is a very appealing miniature portrait and is painted by a very skilled artist. Unfortunately it is unsigned. Various artists have been considered, but at present Moses B Russell or Thomas Badger (as discussed below) are seen as the most likely. In favor of Moses B Russell are the pose, the background color, and the facial style as appearing in a well signed miniature by Moses B Russell at Russell, Moses B - portrait of a young lady...Notice also the size of the two waists.
Judging by her clothing it would seem to have been painted around 1845. The vendor was unable to help with provenance as the portrait was found loose within the pages of a scrapbook previously belonging to a rare book dealer. It appearing just to have been put between the pages to protect it.

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

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

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

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

The sitter is unknown. 1243

Peale, James - portrait of Rebecca Reynolds Maverick

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Unknown - portrait of a young man

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

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

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

The sitter is unknown. 1223

Bridport, Hugh - portrait of a man

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

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

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

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

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

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

Unknown - portrait of a young man

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

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

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

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

The sitter is unknown. 1205

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sully, Lawrence - portrait of a man

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

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

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

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

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

The sitter is unknown. 967

Unknown - naive portrait of a young lady

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

It was then more likely thought to have been painted by Samuel P Howes (1806-1881) who moved to Lowell, Massachusetts in 1835 and remained there for the rest of his life. However, a kind visitor has since commented below they doubt it is by Howes.

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

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

This is one of over a dozen American portraits in the collection, from around 1830-35, all depicting young ladies wearing a "little black dress", and thus indicating the 19C origin of the proverbial fashion item, of  a "little black dress" usually claimed as being in the 1920's.

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

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

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

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

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

Although now attributed to an unknown artist, based upon the above comments, an attribution to Howes of this miniature of a lady also with a book, seemed reasonable; however the original reasons for attributing it to Mrs Moses B Russell have been retained below, in case there are differing opinions.

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

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

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

However further expert comment on any other possible attribution is welcome. The sitter is unknown. 1160

Thomson, William John - portrait of young lady

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The sitter is unknown. 1213

Benbridge, Henry - portrait of A T

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

However, the artist has tentatively been identified as Henry Benbridge (1743-1812). 

Benbridge was from Philadelphia and went to Rome and London in Europe to study painting. When he returned to the United States, he spent most of his painting career in Charleston.

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

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

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

Clark, Alvan - portrait of a man

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

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

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

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

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

Bradley, John - portrait of a man

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

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

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

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

Staigg, Richard Morrell - portrait of Colonel William Parsons Winchester

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Peticolas, Edward F - portrait of Samuel R Guy

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

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

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

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

From research, it is believed the Samuel R Guy referred to in the note is the Samuel Richard Guy (1888-c1920?) who filled in his draft card for WWI as born 30 July 1888 in Durmid, Lynchburg, Va, gave his occupation as machinist, and stated he was married. His marriage has been located to Mary Mildred Deyerle on 25 Nov 1914 in Salem, Roanoke, Va and also his death in Salem on 14 Dec 1918. There is a record in the 1920 census of Mary M Guy, aged 25, a widow with a son named Richard Guy aged two and a half. Thus this should make the sitter the grandfather of Samuel R Guy (1888-1918) and the great-grandfather of Richard Guy (6 Apr 1918-Feb 1988).
The portrait is backed by part of a trade card from "Henry Bodeker - Boedecker & Da... Wholsesale and Retail Druggist No. 1444 Main Str... Corner above St Charles Hotel, Richmond Va." It is framed in a daguerreotype case marked "Littlefield, Parsons & Co. Manufacturers of Daguerreotype Cases --- L.. P. & Co., are the sole Proprietors and only legal Manufacturers of UNION CASES, with the Embracing Riveted Hinge. Patented October 14 1856, and April 21, 1857."

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

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

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

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

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

Unknown - portrait of Henry Carvill

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

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

This may also be the same person as the Henry Carvel described a farmer aged 40 who arrived in Philadelphia from England in 1833.That suggests a birth date of 1793.

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

Much later - A kind visitor has provided some more information about a Henry Carvill who seems quite likely to be the same person, as it is not a common name; 

Attached is an image I was sent by a distant cousin.  Do you see any likeness to the miniature ?  I do but then it might be wishful thinking.

The Henry Carvill with Thomas Hulme was born in London in 1794 (making his age somewhat incorrect on the 1850).  He married Thomas Hulme’s daughter Mary Ann and they had one daughter Emma.  Henry was buried in Laurel Hill cemetery in 1878 aged 83 (back to his correct age).

There is some interesting historical context to this:

The likeness I sent you is of George William Carvill, nephew to Henry by his brother William.  The University of Missouri has a significant collection of letters from George William in its Historical Manuscripts, predominantly to his sister Eliza back in England, describing life in the US in the mid 1800s.

Thomas Hulme wrote a “Journal made During a Tour of the Western Countries of America” in 1818/19 which forms part of William Cobbett’s 1828 book.

Henry Carvill was in business with his brothers, George and Charles in an important publishing house on Broadway – G, C & H Carvill in the late 1820s and 1830s

Henry’s daughter Emma was mother to Henry Carvill Lewis – see the following link for a picture and one of his works…

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Pj28AAAAIAAJ&q=emma+carvill+henry&dq=emma+carvill+henry&hl=en&ei=VXCjTYL3NYXA8QPWgKWoAw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCwQ6AEwAA

As you can see, it is quite a link if it really is the same man.

It is obviously difficult to be sure, but I also feel I can see a likeness, especially with the hairline and nose. The corrected birth date of 1794 still seems to fit with him being 31 in 1825. It also fits with the date of the Henry Carvill mentioned above who arrived in America in 1833, perhaps after a visit to Britain. Although he was described as a farmer, that may have meant "gentleman farmer", as ordinary farmers could not afford portraits of this quality. Miniature portraits were expensive to commission and hence the sitter would need to be someone as well off as a publisher or lawyer.

However, it must be conceded that a Henry Carvill appears to have been resident in Philadelphia in 1826 as was advertised in the 1826 edition of the Franklin Journal of Philadelphia;
Very excellent gold powder of different shades of colour is manufactured by Mr Henry Carvill of this city.  
Whether this is a sign he lived for a while in Philadelphia, before becoming resident in New York is currently unclear.

Later Still - More clever detective work by the same kind visitor gives even stronger reason to believe that this portrait is of the publisher Henry Carvill. The visitor has since tracked down two auctions lots of September 2006 sold at Weiderseim Auctions;
Lot 198. Miniature portrait on ivory of Henry Carvill, 1825. 3”h. $500-$700 - Sold for $425 hammer price.
Lot 206. Silhouette of a girl “Emma H. Carvill, August 5th, 1839 [sic] New York” in a gilt frame. Site 7.5”x6” $125-$150 - Sold for $325 hammer price.
Emma Hulme Carvill was the daughter of my Henry Carvill and his wife Mary Ann Hulme and is with her parents on that 1850 image we talked about. It is surely too much of a coincidence to find them on sale at the same auction.

That is in fact the auction record for this Henry Carvill portrait, as it was purchased for this collection via eBay from Weiderseim Auctions. The reference to a silhouette of Emma H Carvill being offered at the same auction demonstrates they were closely related. Emma was born in Philadelphia on 16 March 1828. The auction description says 1839, but the image seems to says 1829 and that seems to fit better with her apparent age. She married Frederick Mortimer Lewis on 2 March 1852 and died on 24 July 1872. It therefore seems we can confirm that Henry Carvill was born 21 Jun 1794, christened 13 Dec 1801 at St Botolph without Aldersgate, London and he was the son of George Carvill and Susannah.

Unknown - portrait of man in profile

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

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

The sitter is unknown. 1194a

Clark, Alvan - portrait of lady in pale lilac dress

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pollock, Henry - portrait of S S Wheeler

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

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

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

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

Unknown - portrait of a Brigadier-General

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

Unknown - portrait of a young lady with purple lace

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

This is one of over a dozen American portraits in the collection, from around 1830-35, all depicting young ladies wearing a "little black dress", and thus indicating the 19C origin of the proverbial fashion item, of  a "little black dress" usually claimed as being in the 1920's.

Ellsworth, James Sanford - portrait of a lady

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

Savage, Edward - pair of military portraits

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

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

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

Unknown - portrait of a man from late 18C

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

Wood, Joseph - portrait of a man with a wig

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

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

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

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

This sitter is unknown. 252