THE WILSON PORTRAIT OF FRANKLIN ; BY CHARLES HENRY HART. The bi-centennary of the birth of Benjamin Franklin occurred on January 17, 1906, but curiously and unhistorically was not celebrated until three months later, on April 17, which was the day and month of his death; and the most important event, as also the most interesting incident, connected with the celebration was the graceful restitution to this country, by Albert Henry George Grey, 4th Earl Grey and Governor General of Canada, since 1904, of the portrait of Franklin carried away from Philadelphia, in 1778, by his great-grandfather, Major-general Sir Charles Grey, as one of the spoils of war, when the British evacuated that city. Franklin's house was the quarters for several officers including Major André. André was an aide on Grey's staff and Grey doubtless also had his quarters in Franklin's house. After the British left Philadelphia, Franklin's son-in-law, Richard Bache, wrote to him, July 14, 1778, "A Captain André also took with him the picture of you which hung in the dining room. The rest of the pictures are safe." It now would appear that it André did take the picture, he only took it for his commanding officer, as it was carried to England and for more than a century and a quarter hung in Howick House, the Northumbrian home of the Greys. Earl Grey announced his intention to restore the portrait to this country at the Pilgrim Society dinner, in New York, on March 31st. A week later it was shipped from England by the American ambassador, Mr. Reid, directed to the President of the United States, and it reached New York, April 14th. It was sent at once to Washington and immediately re-shipped to Philadelphia, where it arrived on Monday the 16th, the day preceding the opening of the bi-centennary commemorative services and was placed on exhibition at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, where the photograph was taken from which the accompanying excellent photogravure was made. Believing in giving honor to whom honor is due, I wish to record the incidents that led up to Earl Grey's generous act. In 1900, Mr. Francis Rawle, of Philadelphia, was in London with Mr. Choate, the American ambassador, when Mr. Choate mentioned to Mr. Rawle having recently seen at Earl Grey's home, in Northumberland, a portrait of Franklin, hanging in the library, over the mantel-piece, which Earl Grey told Mr. Choate had long been in the family, and that the tradition was that Major André had taken it from Franklin's house, in Philadelphia, during the British occupation of that city. Mr. Rawle naturally was much interested in this narration and upon his return to Philadelphia started to investigate the subject, when he found in my article on "The Life Portraits of Franklin," in McClure's Magazine, for January 1897, a confirmation of Earl Grey's traditions. Mr. Rawle apprised Mr. Choate of what he had learned and asked him whether he would care to suggest to Earl Grey the propriety of returning the portrait to this country. This was the germ that grew so splendidly. But Mr. Rawle did not leave it to grow alone and uncared for. Finding that Dr. S. Weir Mitchell knew Earl Grey, Mr. Rawle persuaded him to write to the Governor General of Canada on the subject and later it was brought again to Earl Grey's attention by a gentleman who visited him at Ottawa House. These influences were followed up by a letter from Mr. Rawle to Earl Grey. Sir; PHILADELPHIA, December 16, 1905 It came to my knowledge several years ago that you have in your possession the portrait of Franklin which has been lost to the world since the British occupation of Philadelphia, in the Revolutionary war. Everything relating to Franklin has a double interest as we approach the two hundreth anniversary of his birth on January 6th (O. S.) This anniversary will be widely celebrated, but chiefly by the American Philosophical Society, founded by Franklin, to which the State of Penna. has made a large appropriation of funds for the purpose, thus indicating in a most unusual way the importance of the event. That learned Society was the special child of Franklin's love and was enriched by many gifts from him of his papers and manuscripts. Under these special circumstances I venture to ask if I am correctly informed as to this portrait being in your possession and, if so, to ask whether you will tell me what is known of its history before it came into the possession of your family and since. I assume that General Grey, who held high command in the British army, was your ancestor and that your present ownership is connected with him. The enclosed article, in one of our periodicals, will give you such information as we have here as to the making of this portrait and its loss. I trust that the public interest that is felt in everything relating to Franklin in this country and indeed everywhere, will be my sufficient excuse for making these inquiries. I am, with great respect Very truly yours Francis Rawle To this letter Earl Grey promptly replied; Dear Sir; OTTAWA. 20th December 1905 I I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter and to inform you that the picture you refer to is in my house in Northumberland. It was taken by Major André from Franklin's house, in Philadelphia, and handed to my Great-grandfather, General Grey. am much obliged to you for sending me the article from McClure's Magazine. It has always been a tradition in my family that Franklin referred with regret to the loss of his portrait on the ground that it was generally admitted to be a very faithful likeness. I asked Mr. Lowell if he could obtain for me any documentary evidence confirming this tradition. He made a diligent search but failed. Franklin's letters quoted in the article you have been good enough to send me, and which I am very glad to possess, have given me the documentary evidence I was so anxious to obtain. I remain To Francis Rawle Esq. Yours faithfully Grey In sending to me copies of these letters Mr. Rawle writes, "It was through your learning on the subject that the history of the portrait was made clear to Lord Grey. I sent him a copy of your article in McClure's Magazine." It is certainly very gratifying to have been the means of establishing the identity of the portrait in Earl Grey's possession with the one taken from Franklin's house, by Major André, and thus, indirectly, of its restoration to this country, for, until Earl Grey was satisfied that the portrait he had was the one taken from Franklin's house, there was no good reason he should part with it. The "documentary evidence" that Earl Grey "was so anxious to obtain" is contained in the following paragraph in my article (p. 264). "Edward Duffield, one of Franklin's executors, had a portrait that was supposed to have been done by West', but clearly could not have been unless he copied it. It now belongs to one of Franklin's descendants, Dr. Thomas Hewson Bache, of Philadelphia, and from its rigidity and hardness would seem without doubt to be a not very faithful copy of the portrait painted by Benjamin Wilson, which is now known only through McArdell's mezzotinto, published in 1761, and not reproduced here, because so similar to the Pratt portrait of about the same era. "Wilson's picture is doubtless the one Franklin refers to in writing to his wife from London, June, 1758: 'I fancy I see more likeness in her [their daughter's] picture than I did at first. Yours is at the painter's, who is to copy and do me of the same size.' This match portrait of Franklin was carried off from his house, in Philadelphia, when the British occupied the city, and Major André, who lived in Franklin's house, has the odium of the pillage. Relative to this circumstance, Franklin writes from Philadelphia, October 23, 1788, to Madame Lavoisier, an accomplished amateur, the wife of the great chemist, and afterwards of the American, Count Rumford: 'I have a long time been disabled from writing to my dear friend by a severe fit of the gout, or I should sooner have returned my thanks for her very kind present of the portrait which she has done me the honor to make of me. It is allowed by those who have seen it to have great merit as a picture in every respect; but what paticularly endears it to me is the hand that drew it. Our English enemies, when they were in possession of this city and my house, made a prisoner of my portrait and carried it off with them, leaving that of its companion, my wife, by itself, a kind of widow. You have replaced the husband, and the lady seems to smile as well pleased.' The restored portrait is on canvas, 24x30, and has recently been cleaned. It is well drawn, solidly modelled and full of expression that shows it clearly to have been |