A delightful discovery was made while doing some usually mundane preservation work. Currently a volunteer on the Documents & Archives committee is removing works of art from their picture frame, cleaning the glass, and replacing any original acidic materials used around the piece of art with modern archival quality preservation materials in an effort to extend the longevity of the artwork.
One day last week, a framed watercolor portrait of an unidentified male subject was in need of some care. We knew very little about this piece of artwork. It had been stored at the Society for decades but no deed of gift, or accession paperwork was ever found, and nobody knew who was depicted in the painting. The painting was formally accessioned into the Society’s collections only 3 years ago during an extensive inventory of works of art and simply titled, Unknown Male.
After removing the dust cover, which was made of two layers of acidic brown paper glued to the back of the frame, a one-eighth-inch thick piece of wood was found being used as the backing board kept in place with nails, underneath this was two more layers of brown paper that protected and covered the original piece of paper used for the painting from the wood.
Finally after removing this layer of brown-paper the back of the painting surface was revealed and written on the back was all the information we could have ever hoped for: who it might depict, name of the artist, and date of creation!
Handwritten was a note from John T. McClure, dated 1955, stating the subject was believed to be Jacob Maize. Drawn by B. Anderson 1835 Aug. 29.
Below McClure’s note is the original handwritten note: Drawn by, B. Anderson A.D. 1835 Aug. the 29th
After some genealogical research, the subject likely is Jacob Maize, shown at about the age of 38 years. Jacob Maize and his wife, Anna Margaret (Earnest) Maize, along with their son Jeremiah Maize, came to Wayne County, Ohio in 1834 from Dauphin County, Pennslyvania. Jacob Maize leased and ran the American Hotel in downtown Wooster, Ohio until about 1841. The Maize family ran the first regular stage coach line out of Wooster from the American Hotel for a number of years. Jacob Maize ran unsuccesfully for Wayne County Sheriff in 1844 and was nominated as a candidate for Wayne County Commissioner in 1856 but the nomination failed. He secured a patent in 1859 for a new type of corn planter and cultivator which he tried to sell. He was a devout member of the First Baptist Church in Wooster, Ohio until his death in 1867.
Unfortunately, no further information could be found about the 1835 artist, B. Anderson. He could have been a Wooster, or Wayne County resident. Or since Maize ran a hotel, the artist could have simply been passing through town at the time, and did the painting while staying at the hotel.
In any case, it is a wonderful example of early American Folk Art and is now the oldest documented piece of art in the Society’s collection.
We can’t wait to see what information this painting’s companion piece, Unknown Female, might reveal.
