Some items can be very common.
The portrait was donated to the Valley Forge Historical Society in 1992 by J. Comstock from Texas, a descendant of Jacob Latch. It is one of only a few known portraits of a non-commissioned soldier in the Continental Army. Latch had turned 18 two months before his arrival in Valley Forge during the winter of 1777-1778, and the portrait was taken much later, when he was no longer in the service. Through funds graciously donated by the Women's Committee of the Valley Forge Historical Society, the painting was conserved during the first few months of 1996. What follows is the report of how exactly this important portrait was conserved.