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George Peabody

Description

Oil on canvas portrait painting of "George Peabody" (1795-1869), 1857, by James Reid Lamdin. Peabody was born in poverty in Massachusetts. As a young man, he went into the dry goods business and later expanded into banking and real estate. During the War of 1812, he served in an artillery company of the militia and saw no action. It was during this experience that he met Elisha Riggs (1779-1853) and the two men established dry goods stores in Baltimore, New York, and Philadelphia. In 1837, he permanently moved to London and established a banking firm in his own name. Peabody remained active in business until his retirement in 1864. He then pivoted his interests into charitable works and is widely considered the father of philanthropy. Peabody established numerous places in his own name, including the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University and Peabody Library; both in Baltimore, Maryland. He died in London at the age of 74 and is buried at Harmony Grove Cemetery, in Salem, Massachusetts.

Date

1857

Materials

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

30 x 25 inches

Object ID

1857.4.1

Resource ID

5021

Notes

The Maryland Historical Society commissioned portrait painter James Reid Lamdin (1807-1889) to create this portrait of George Peabody in 1857.

Digital Publisher

Digital resource provided by the Maryland Center for History and Culture

Rights

This digital image is made available here for private study, scholarship, and research. Commercial and other uses are prohibited without the permission of the Maryland Center for History and Culture. For more information, visit the MCHC’s Reproductions and Permissions web page.