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Wonderful antique double portrait featuring a Victorian-era man and woman presented in oval openings within an ornate gilt frame.
This piece descended through my family. The exact identities of the subjects are no longer known, but an old handwritten family label remains attached to the reverse and reads:
“Mr & Mrs Richards
father + mother of
‘Cousin Will’
(Wilton R. Richards)”
The relationship of Wilton R. Richards to the family has not been established, so the subjects are being offered simply as Mr. and Mrs. Richards, as identified on the old label.
The portraits appear to be antique photographic portraits with coloring or artistic enhancement. I have not removed them from the frame and therefore cannot positively identify the photographic or artistic process.
The reverse also retains an old round label for:
Henry Schultheis Co.
Art Galleries
142 Fulton St.
55 Vesey St.
New York
Henry Schultheis Co. is documented as a New York art and framing business operating at these addresses during the early 20th century. The Schultheis label may represent framing or reframing of portraits that could be earlier; no claim is made that the portraits themselves were created by the company.
The subjects' clothing and presentation appear consistent with 19th-century portraiture, but the exact date of the portraits is unknown.
Overall frame measures approximately 12 inches wide by 10 inches tall. Please refer to the ruler photographs for measurements.
The piece has been left in its as-found family condition. I have not opened the frame, removed the portraits, restored the backing or attempted to clean the images.
An appealing piece of Victorian-era family photography with an unusual double portrait presentation, surviving handwritten identification and labeled New York art-gallery/framing provenance.
Please view all photographs carefully. They are an important part of the description and show the portraits, ornate frame, condition, handwritten family identification, Henry Schultheis Co. label and measurements.
