The Detroit times., 1914-08-05
SAVED FROM Big
QUAKE, TREASURE
| COMES LIGHT
Romney's Pastel of Charlotte
Smith, Novelist, Located in
San Francisco
WAS ONE OF FIRST
WOMEN TO WRITE
Old Picture Was Made at Same
Time as the Famous POr-
trait of Camper

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. A.
Drawn In 1892, later destined for q
British art gallery but detected to
America. rescued from the San Fran
cisco earthquake and fire OF 1906, q
noted portrait by Romney is about to
leave the hands of the family which
has owned the picture for more than
hundred and twenty years. The
portrait IL Romney's pastel or Char
lotte Smith. one OF the earliest wo
men novelists, and one Of the first
women to earn a substantial income
| by her pen.
time as the famous portrait OF Cow
per, but. unlike this picture. the com
panion pastel has never been copied
SO that for more than century this
very interesting composition has
been practically lost to sight.
! In 1858 the drawing was shown In
the national portrait exhibition by Its
Owner at that time, Miss Lucinds
Smith. the novelist's granddaughter
She then expressed her intention OF
presenting the portrait. along with
some Turner's, to the Turner Gallery
Later she changed her mind and be
Qoeathed 1T to her favorite niece
Madeline Mitchell Lissak, the great
granddaughter OF the original Char
lotte Smith. who married and settled
In San Francisco, following q girl
hood In Australia. To San Francisco
the picture travelled more than 81
years ago. and II was one of the few
art valuables which were saved from
the flames In 1906.
The Lissak home was filed witt
old furniture, silver and portraits In
herfted from both sides Of the fam
lily, and these treasures were tn,
only things thought OF when the FIR,
bore down on the house.
The father. without providing evel
suit or clothes for himself. took tn,
Romney picture. while the daughter,
laid hold OF some old miniatures, an,
the antique silver was carried ava,
by kindly neighbor fortunat,
enough to have horse and buggy
For three days father, mother an,
daughters wandered homeless, carry
Ing their precious family portraits
until friends from nearby suburb
were found.
/ Several months after this fathe
and mother died. Accordingly, tn
Romney portrait IL soon to chang
hands. to join the collection of som
lone who can afford such expensive
tribes. for at recent English sal
Rcmney's Anne de Ia Pole" brough
more than 100000.
Although the pastel OF Charlott
Smith has been far from public gaz
since 1892, the facts about II are full
J recorded by the artists biographe
and friend, William Hayley. Il
. August, 1892. Hayley gave whs
would now be called house part
for some of the leading literary light
: or his day. The lion OF this occasio
was Cowper. To meet him came Ha,
!ley's other friends, including Romne,
J the painter; Mrs. Charlotte Smiti
, tie novelist. and Miss Anne Seward
. poetess OF some contemporary not,
Romney was greatly taken wit
Cowper. so while Cowper and Ha,
, ley were busy translating Milton
Latin poems Romney drew Cowper 1
, colored crayon. The artist always r,
garded this "the nearest approach n
had ever made to a perfect represen
afion or life and character" This a,
ished. Romney turned his attentio
70 the women Of the party and DIRE,
Mrs. Smith, who sat for her portra
when not adding a chapter to he
} Old Manor House"