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Oil on canvas painting of the "Children of Mr. and Mrs. Israel Griffith." ca. 1844, by Oliver T. Eddy. Israel Griffith (1799-1875) was born in Baltimore and became a successful dry goods merchant in the city. He initially went into business with his brother Henry Berry Griffith (1788-1832) under the name "Israel & Henry Berry."…

Children of Mr. and Mrs. Israel Griffith

Description

Oil on canvas painting of the "Children of Mr. and Mrs. Israel Griffith." ca. 1844, by Oliver T. Eddy. Israel Griffith (1799-1875) was born in Baltimore and became a successful dry goods merchant in the city. He initially went into business with his brother Henry Berry Griffith (1788-1832) under the name "Israel & Henry Berry." After Henry's death, Griffith brought in a bookkeeper named W. K. Merritt and renamed the company "Israel Griffith & Co." In 1852, he dissolved his business and retired. Griffith married his first cousin Sara Ann Griffith (1803-1877) of Frederick, Maryland in 1824. The couple had ten children. Two of their children, George (1838-1838) and George (1838-1843) died in childhood. This painting, created around 1844, features six of the Griffith children (from left to right): Israel Griffith, Jr. (1835-1862), Sarah Ann "Sallie" Griffith Ruddach (1835-1881), Mary Eleanor Griffith Farnandis (1828-1910), Frances Ann Griffith Hungerford (1830-1863), Alverda V. Griffith (1832-1901), and Emma Griffith Coleman (1842-1910) (seated on floor). The entire family is buried in Green Mount Cemetery in Baltimore.

Creator

Date

circa 1844

Materials

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

83 x 100.5 inches

Object ID

1918.9.1

Accession Number

1918.9

Resource ID

5033

Notes

This painting passed from Mr. and Mrs. Griffith to their daughter Alverda, who passed it to her daughter Alverda Griffith Buck (1865-1917). It was initially loaned to the Maryland Historical Society and converted to a gift by Alverda's husband John Gill Buck (1863-) in 1918.

Credit Line

Presented to the Maryland Historical Society by the Family of Mr. and Mrs. Romulus Riggs Griffith, Jr

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.