Julia Norton (Mrs. Benjamin Minturn) Hartshorne

Periodca. 1869

MediumWatercolor on ivory in gold, colorless glass

DimensionsImage: 2.88 × 2.25 in. (7.3 × 5.7 cm)

InscribedInscribed on the back of the miniature case is "Julia Norton Hartshorne / November 19th 1838 / February 3rd 1869"

ClassificationsPortrait Miniatures & Silhouettes

Credit LineGift of Mary Minturn Adams in memory of her Hartshorne Ancestors, 2018

Object number2018.10.1

DescriptionA large oval miniature in watercolor on ivory depicting Julia Norton Hartshorne at the age of thirty. The subject faces left in almost full profile, gazing upwards, with her dark hair worn smoothly on either side of her face and coiled in multiple layers over the top and on the back of her head. The sitter poses in front of a shaded and stippled background shading from blue-gray to soft pink. The miniature case is oval gold with a heavy glass bezel. On the top back of the miniature is a sturdy swing hinge loop.
Curatorial RemarksThis lovely miniature of Julia Norton Hartshorne captures the young woman in a pensive moment. In a letter dated 10 March 1862, her father-in-law Robert Hartshorne wrote that "Julia's portrait did her less than justice except in the item of the put-her-foot-downicality [sic]." He may be referring to a photographic studio portrait, showing Julia full-length, wearing a silk gown over wide hoops, her dark hair coiled around her head. In the miniature image, the artist softened Julia's strong features slightly, placing her against a delicately colored background.NotesJulia Norton was born in Buffalo, NY, on 19 November 1838, a daughter of Charles Norton (1805 - 1870) and Julia A. Maltby (1804 - 1875). Between 1854 and 1861, the four Norton children moved to San Francisco, CA. Their parents moved to join them in the winter of 1862. In the spring of 1861, Julia became engaged to Benjamin Minturn Hartshorne (1826 - 1900), son of Robert Hartshorne (1798 - 1872) and Mary Ann Minturn (1802 - 1861) of Highlands, NJ. The couple married in San Francisco on 13 February 1862. Julia and Benjamin had three children: Julia Norton (b. 1863), Robert (1866 - 1927), and Mary Minturn (b. 1867). From May through November of 1868, Julia, Benjamin and their three children made an extended visit to the east coast, staying at Portland with Ben's father. They also visited friends and relatives in the New York area. Shortly after returning to San Francisco, Julia Hartshorne contracted a serious illness requiring the care of physician Dr. Charles Bertody from 4 December through 3 February 1869. On 5 December 1868, the doctor vaccinated Ben and the children. This suggests that Julia may have been suffering from smallpox, as the vaccine for it was the only one in common usage at that time. Julia Norton Hartshorne died on 3 February 1869 at the age of thirty. For more biographical information, including letters by her father-in-law Robert Hartshorne describing his son's wife to other family members, please see the portrait of Julia Norton Hartshorne 1999.7.

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