Earlier this week, RIHS members and donors received a postcard asking them to consider our Annual Fund in their holiday giving. Thank you to those who were able to donate!
The postcard features an old and tarnishing reproduction of Rhode Island-born painter Gilbert Stuart’s self-portrait, the treasured original of which hangs at the Redwood Library & Athenaeum in Newport. If you’ve never seen it, we highly recommend a visit! It is truly fantastic.
The image from our collection that we included on our postcard — a black-and-white photo resulting from a gelatin silver developing out paper (DOP) process, likely in the early 20th century — does not begin to do Stuart’s self-portrait justice, and the failure to note this fact, and the owner of the original, was an error for which we are sorry.
The silver lining here is that it gives us the opportunity to share our enthusiasm for the Redwood’s wonderful collections by directing you to the organization’s website. The next time you head to Newport, a city rich with history + heritage sites, be sure to stop by!
Again, we apologize to the Redwood Library & Athenaeum, as well as to our members and donors, for any confusion caused by our incomplete attribution.
