Name/Title
Mary Cantey Hampton in the Hampton-Preston MansionEntry/Object ID
1972.153.1Description
Black and white photograph of a woman sitting in a chair near the corner of a room. The woman, in a black dress and white bonnet, has her back to an open window. She sits next to a large round table littered with many objects including a basket, lamp, and vase of flowers. On the other side of the woman is a much smaller table containing a stack of books and another vase of flowers. Behind that table in the corner is a chair and a large sculpture of a woman standing cross-legged.Photograph Details
Subject Person or Organization
Mary Cantey HamptonSubject Place
Location
Hampton Preston MansionCity
Columbia, South CarolinaContext
Mary Cantey Hampton (1779–1863) descended from some of the earliest white settlers in South Carolina and married the twice-widowed Wade Hampton I (1754–1835) on July 4, 1801. Following her husband’s death decades later, she became the family matriarch and spent 40 years living in the Hampton-Preston Mansion with her children and grandchildren. Only Caroline Hampton Preston (1807–1883), one of her six biological children, survived her.
This image of Mary, dressed in mourning attire and seated in one of the Hampton-Preston drawing rooms, was likely taken near the end of her life. Behind her to the left is a version of Antonio Canova’s early nineteenth-century sculpture, “Dancer with Finger on Chin.” This sculpture was probably purchased by Mary’s daughter and son-in-law, Caroline and John Smith Preston (1809–1881), on one of their many trips to Europe. During this time, the Prestons supported the renowned American expatriate Hiram Powers (1805–1873). As a result, the Prestons' descendants long believed this sculpture was produced by Powers and depicted the Roman goddess Proserpine. Although this was not the case, Historic Columbia's collection currently includes at least three objects by Powers that once belonged to the Preston family: a fountain, a bust of Sarah Buchanan Campbell Preston, and a medallion of Wade Hampton I.Inscription/Signature/Marks
Type
InscriptionLocation
Reverse of photographTranscription
Mary Cantey Hampton in the drawing room ca. 1860, Hampton-Preston House, Columbia, South Carolina. Most of the objects are accountable in the inventory of 1863. The statue, on the "corner table"—one of 4—is of Persephine*, which was a gift from Hiram Powers to Mrs. John S. Preston and brought back with the Prestons from Italy in 1860, when they returned with their son Alfred's body. Acquired from Mrs. Lawrence [sic] Ladue. Charleston, March 3, 1971.
*Sally Baxter Hampton letter, 1860Material/Technique
InkDimensions
Dimension Description
Frame DimensionsHeight
26-1/2 inWidth
25 inRelationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Hiram Powers, Alfred Hampton Preston
