The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1933-06-29


But It remained for the Yale research staff to
trace back for the first time all these portraits
to their original-souree and that original
source ID the aJovIus portrait fshown aboye),
an engraving which 1t is believed was first pub
lished In 1876 and which is copy OF portrait
that hung In the famous gallery or Paulus
Joyius archbishop OF Nocera, man OF vast
wealth who spent fortune in collecting por'
traits OF the great men of his time and who
was an ardent admirer of the Italian navigator
IT Is believed that this Is the only portrait OF
Columbus painted during his lifetime.
Back Of q portrait which appears In another
volume OF 1.-THE pageant"-"The Winning OF
Freedom" Is a typical story of perseverance
When this volume was In preparation, the au-
thors wanted portrait of one OF the German
officers who fought under the British flag during
the Revolution. None being available In this
country, a search was begun through the Amer
lean consu-general In Berlin. After consider
able correspondence with various museums and
private collectors, the consulgeneral learned
that an excellent oil painting of Baron Fried
erich Riedese who commanded the Hessans
under Burgoyne, was still hanging In the castle
of Neuenhof bel Eisenach, Hessen. Through the
courtesy Of Freiherr Abrecht Riedesel, de.
scendant of the Eighteenth century baron, per.
a Photographic copy Of the original.
Even more devious was the trail which final
ly led to an authentic daguerreotype OF Will
liam r. Harnden, founder of the express bust
ness In the United States While assembling
! material for the volume 1.-THE March OF Com
MERGE" the editors came upon a very poor
woodcut OF Harnden In Stimsons History OF
the Express Companies published In 1853. De
string the original daguerreotype from which
this reproduction had apparently been made,
they enlisted the aid of the officials OF the
American Railway Express company.
Through s. Nj. Baker, general auditor at
Chattanooga, Tenn, they learned that the orig
inal had been In the possession of Harnden's
SON who was living In San Francisco shortly
after 1880 Using the San Francisco direc-
tories, they addressed Identical letters to sew
era Harndens listed therein. One OF these was
w. K. Harnden and he proved to be grandson
OF William r.. Harnden. w. K. Harnden replied
that he believed the desired daguerreotype was
In the possession of his elder brother, Frederic
then living In palo Alto.
Such proved to be the case, but the end OF
the trail was not yet, for the elder brother could
not locate the picture as 1t had been In storage
for some time. Finally however, year after
the first inquiry copy of the daguerreotypt
included In the pictorial history Of the express
business.
But not all descendants Of past notabes were
as helpful as the Harndens. The Yale author
tiles tell the story of the search for an authen
tie portrait of q little known but important fig
ure in the Revolution. They located one of his
descendants In small New England town.
woman, who owned contemporary oil portrait
Of the Revolutionary fighter But when ap
pealed to for permission to reproduce the paint
ing she refused presumably because Of th'
retcence and reserve which characterize TIL
old-fashoned spinster lady Of the Yankee typ,
and also possibly because she feared that som,
Injury to the painting might result
So 1t was necessary to send member OF TIL
editorial STAFF there for the purpose OF coaxin,
the old lady to make 1t possible for her ances
tor TO be represented In this important historical
work. The staff member found the portrai
hanging In the paror where 1t could not b
Photographed on the wall and he experience
great difficulty In persuadlng her to let him TAX
It down from the wall. Then when he secures
the necessary permission, she would not let hir
take the painting out Of the house, so he ha
TO bring a commercial photographer for NOR
than one hundred miles In order to make certai
OF getting good copy.
20 by Wsstern Newspaper unicnl