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| 18th Century Portrait of a Lady, American |
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| Love her Hat! |
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| Love her Hat, Lace and Roses. |
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| This is the Little Girl I bought at Chicago Antique Show |
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| Her Dress and Roses are wonderful |
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| A handsome 18th Century American Gentleman |
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| I think he is handsome. |
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| Love her pose. |
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| Detail of her cloths |
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| We saw his brother earlier. |
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| I call her my Rich Aunt Julia! |
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| She Might be my favorite. |
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| Love her gold jewerly. |
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| She has a beautiful face,too! |
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| My Uncle of Great Wealth and Importance. |
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| Doesn't he look Important and Wealthy? |
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| A 18th Century, French Beauty. |
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| She has beautiful complexion, so pale and soft.. |
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| Maybe Me when I was a little boy??? |
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| I sure am sweet! |
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| A handsome American Business man. |
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| A Creole from New Orleans |
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| Love her feather and pearls |
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| 18th Century American Grand Lady |
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| She is the Grand Dame of them all. The first formal oil portrait that I ever bought. I paid $300.00 and was very excited and nervous. |
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| Love her lace and jewerly |
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| I just think she is the bomb. |
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| 20th century Grand Society Dame. |
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| Love her cross and rose and fur collar. |
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| I call this little sweet child, Bonnie Blue, after Bonnie in Gone With The Wind. |
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| A Mother that some one loved very much! |
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| Nice Dress!!! |
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| What a sweet pea. |
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| Her name is Anjelica. |
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| Could be President of the South, Jefferson Davis? |
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| My Bestest, 17th century English Beautiful Lady |
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| Just love her colors, and she looks so pretty in my room with the Toile wallpaper. |
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| Such a wonderful face. |
When I first started out collecting for My Old Historic House, AKA,The 1845 Historic Elgin/Cottrell House Museum, I had lots and lots of Victorian Prints. They were really fun and by artist like Paul DeLongpre,Chandlers and Prange, to mention a few. I had lots of them with children and animal themes. One day while walking around the house I made the statement that I would like to replace them all with formal oil portraits. so, that is just what I did. As I found a portrait, I will sell off a couple of the prints. I remember the first portrait I ever bought. It was for $300.00. I was nervous, excited and scared, all at the same time. Everything was up hill after that. The price seemed to go up and up with every one that I bought. I remember one that I bought at the Chicago Antique Show, I was there with a friend, when I paid for it, I made the comment,"You've come along way from the farm."You see I grew up on a farm in Missouri. I am from a very large family, 5 brothers and a sister. We were really country and sometimes I don't know where my taste comes from. I would say the milk man, but we didn't have our milk delivered. Maybe the post man?????
I love formal oil portraits. They all seem to tell a story. I like to name them and give them histories. I have tour all the time at the Elgin/Cottrell house and one question that people always ask is, "Are these portraits of your ancestors?"I always tell the same story. "They are store bought ancestors!" My family was poor and we could not afford to have portraits painted, so when I got older and had money I went out and bought some. Thus the term,"Store bought Ancestors."
Some of the details are beautiful. Some have pretty faces, others are kinda ugly. But, I loves them anyhow. I hope you enjoy them too. Thanks for stopping by,My Old Historic House, come by for a tour anytime, I will leave the lights on and Sissy Dog will meet you with a jump and a kiss.
