Bust

Title:

William Shorter Stell

Object Name:

Bust

Object ID:

1912.005.02

Creator:

Theed, William (1804-1891)

Place of Origin:

London, England

Date:

1855

Description:

Life-size marble bust of William Shorter Stell (1800-1863). Head turned toward subject's right; back hollowed below shoulders; integral circular base, 9.6" diameter. Pupils, but not irises, of eyes defined; eyes turned upward; beard with shaven chin and upper lip. Wearing cape with fur collar at back, shirt with high stand collar, neck cloth and bow tie. Inscribed, partially in upper case letters, on reverse: "W. Theed. Sculp / 1855." Said to represent William Shorter Stell (1800-1863), a Philadelphia-born merchant who spent most of his life in England.

Material:

Stone
Marble

Dimensions:

H-30 W-19.75 D-13.25 inches

Provenance:

Given, along with a bust of Benjamin Franklin (1912.005.01), by Edward and Julia Tuck to decorate the new NHHS building. William Theed (1804-1891), the sculptor, worked in Rome, 1826-1848, and in London after 1848.

William Shorter Stell (1800-1863), the father of Julia Stell Tuck, was born in Philadelphia, married in Baltimore, and soon afterward established as a merchant in Manchester, England. He retired from commercial business soon after 1850, though he maintained an interest in the Consolidated Bank, of which he was a founder and director. He died in London. Stell sided with the Union during the American Civil War and was a friend of John Bright, Richard Cobden, George Peabody, Charles Francis Adams, Junius S. Morgan, and William H. Seward.

Credit Line:

Gift of Edward and Julia Stell Tuck

People:

Stell, William (1800-1863), Theed, William, Tuck, Edward (1842-1938), Tuck, Julia Stell (1850-1928)

Subjects:

Stell, William Shorter, Sculpture