Fun Philadelphia fact: Professor William Wagner, founder of the Wagner Free Institute of Science, worked for #StephenGirard early in his career! And he enjoys a special association with the #BassOtis portrait of Girard, rooted in his educational philosophy.

#archives #museums #libraries

Here are a couple delightful sketches from the sketchbook of #BassOtis at the American Antiquarian Society.

#PortraitofaCitizen #arthistory #materialculture #libraries #archives #specialcollections

Here's the man who painted the portrait at the center of #PortraitofaCitizen: Bass Otis. This self-portrait resides at the American Antiquarian Society in Worcester, Massachusetts.

#BassOtis #arthistory #StephenGirard #libraries #museums

Mr. Persifor Gibson's calling card, one of the archival traces documenting the arrival of the #BassOtis portrait of #StephenGirard in the @rosenbachmuseum.bsky.social collection.

#provenance #arthistory #PortraitofaCitizen #specialcollections #museums #archives #portraits

Here's another letter from Persifor Gibson to Philip Rosenbach, describing in detail the provenance of the #BassOtis portrait of #StephenGirard that now graces the stair hall of @therosenbach.

#PortraitofaCitizen #provenance #arthistory #materialculture #museums #libraries #archives

#BassOtis (1784-1861)
Portrait of #DolleyMadison (1768-1849), First Lady of the USA, who was #BornOnThisDay
ca. 1817
The New York Historical
#DolleyPayne #Madison