Silhouette

Title:

John Clark

Object Name:

Silhouette

Object ID:

2020.014.08

Date:

circa 1830

Description:

Silhouette. Portrait of John Clark (1814-1850). Bust-length profile, facing right. Hollow-cut paper with black paper backing, enhanced with ink and pencil details. Gilded pressed tin oval frame mounted on wood, with glass. Inscription in ink on reverse: "John / Born Sept. 7, 1814 / Died Aug. 29, 1850". Inscription in pencil on reverse: "Twins".

Material:

Paper

Dimensions:

H-4.25 W-3.6 inches

Provenance:

John Clark (1814-1850) was the son of Robert Clark (1772-1816), who was the son of Samuel Clark (1738-1790) and Sarah Holmes (1744-1776). Robert married Mary Cochrane (1775-1830) in 1797 in Derry, NH. The Clarks and the Cochrans were third generation descendants of Scots-Irish immigrants who had come from Londonderry, Ireland in the 1720s. They were middle class farmers in Derry and Londonderry through the 19th century.

According to notes on the reverse of the family record, silhouettes, and portrait, they descended from Eliza M. (Clark) Adams (1807-1887), through her son, William R. Adams (1839-1910), to her grandson, Charles S. Adams (1872-1937) of Derry. The inscription on the back of the family register frame provides information about the provenance. The Clark family register, seven silhouettes, and one watercolor portrait were acquired from Charles S. Adams of Derry, NH, by Roger T. Bacon (1904-1982), antiques dealer, of Brentwood, NH. He in turn sold them to Laurence S. and Helen Alspaugh, of Greensboro, NC, in July 1971. They were offered as Lot 1131, Brunk Auctions, March 28, 2020, purchased by the donors and given to the Society.

Credit Line:

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. James L. Garvin and William W. Upton

Subjects:

Silhouettes