The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1908-12-09
LEST WE FORGET.
Portrait Making in the Long Ago.
NINTH ARTICLE.


of themselves excep, in looking glasses
we don, say mirrors, because such
aristocratic luSuries were rarely heard
of half century or more in the past.
To be sure those who had the means
could have their pictures took" even
a century and beyond ago, but they had
to sit to a portrait painter, or silhouette
scissorer, OF a cameo cutter, OF a marble
sculptor, if they wished to have their
lineaments perpetuated for the admira-
tion of their descendants.
In Honesdale's early days James Will
son and Joseph Nandersluys were the
popular oil portrait painters, and it is
the pride of many Wayne countean
to-day, to take his visitor into the sacred
precincts of his parlor, and show him
the pictures OF father and mother, done
on canvas by those noted artists. The
portraits still remain, mute witnesses oi
the artistic skill of their creators, but,
sad to relate, the painters themselves
passed under cloud. Wilson, aiter col
lecting everything due him on plea
that he was unexpectedly called away
by the death of near relative, left
Honesdale and forgot his own Cbligs-
tons, never returning; Nandersluss,
after ailysng himself wSh one of she
most respected families in the cNar,ty,
abandoned his wife, and in 1851, through
proceedings instituted by herneS, triend, :,
Pope Bushnell, she Was granted y decree
in divorce from her sruant husbsnd.
II the reader wWuld like no>see sill
novelties OF the prominent peopie OF
Wayne county in Hhe early days, he can
b< gratified throEgh a call upon almos,
sny of our oldest families When cut
the portraits ~ere easily recognizable,
and even to-day family resemblances
are readily traced in theSr delicate and
accurate emSHnes
The canseas were raTer because mUdA
more expensive. The portraits were
usually cHt on shells, snd very FINE
specimen az this class oi work, a medal
lion portrait OF the late Rev. Dr. Zerh-
ariah Paddock, carved in lS+7 Ax J
Whisaield, can be seer at the SeSvelry
store OF Miss c. Petersen.
Ii is net the pUTPoSc of this aTsics- tO
show that these early methods of por-
tTaltunIissve We been entiselysupersedeE- On
the contrary, 6rst-class oil portrait, oi
an artistic silhouette, or sR accurate
cameo would probably command a
larger yrice now than ever beSere. Still
tine ifacs remains tsEx, through gifotog-
Iaphy as now developed, a Thousand
IskGHeases are Made to-day ss sweTv por-
trait tswrned cut byiany other metsod in
vogue sixty years ago.
Ti,e writer well remembers itae be-
ginning of what rs now the photograph
BUSINESS in HNnesdale. HT wRs only
irixea<r, six wears latter IINuis 5acques
Marde Dag0erre laNad perfected ius pro-
cessim France, that GENIAL hui sadly
defOTmed man named WaEa, pE in an
appearance in the borough, ra@d an
nounced himsalf as dagUerrian artist.
I He'u.ade good Pictures Saken d Y him
:ayenr existence a;O-day, snd vi be a
-cene!ryi or mOweId1ence, unchanged and
Nndhtngeabie.
7 Following Mr. Ward caMss Geecse w.
Collaner, from lWilkes-BacCe, in 1882,
locating in the Foster block andEEI. A.
/ Manchester, Of the firm of Manchester
I Brothers, Providence, r. l., who opened
his stSdio over Hand & Kirkand,s lnow
Gicite6 orders for 'Crayon'' porezaits,
which -'for beauty and artissSe tastt are
far superior to tase old" For thes first
Saw years Mr.. Col2Amer WAS a nsasra-
tory bird, staying Ia town foo Sear or
TWO, and then, as new processes develop
ed, taking flight to New YORK or Phiia-
delphia so perfect himself in his art ,aAd
keep hih self in touch with new methods.
lS November, 1854, he sold OEt tot
l. Bropkc', who claimed an experience
OF six years, giving him a practical
knowledge of all the fAte improvements
in the art and declared that I've was
'alOie to compete with the first artists
of the landao please the most fastidious.' ~
In October, 1855, :. Bullock succeeded
q the Manchester gallery, and in 1856
Mr.. Collamer returned and bought out
Bullock. The next yeas he formed a
partnership with ]. h. Condit, son Of
Reuben Condit, oi Waymart. Mr.. Con
dit was a natural artist, ami had spent
considerable time in learning lithography
before coming 10 Honesdale. Combin-
ing that ART with photography he got out
beautiful specimen Of his skill in the
shape OF Honesdale bank note as an
advertising card, which was so nearly
fac simile OF the genuine bill in all save
the wording as rendered il likely 10 de- /.
ceive the illiterate or unwary, and il
was found necessary a. suppress It's
circulation. The Collamer and Condit
firm established themselVes u,here