Name/Title
PaintingEntry/Object ID
2004.001.1183Description
Oil painting of 2 fenced-in buildings with Carquinez Strait (Silver Gate) and sunset in background. Building at left has slanted-roof addition- Peabody Hospital. 2 men center left front. Part of a garden with a high fence and pole with bar at top and 2 ropes (?) hanging down.
Done by a student of Young Ladies Seminary
The painting is 17" x 25" as measured in the front. The frame is 32" x 24".
(See 1985.100.0005 for the frame that comes with this painting.)
Part of paper on the back has fallen off and is kept in an envelope in the curator's office. The pieces have been scanned and added to this listing. One says :
First Hospital in California - Benicia
Painting was by BUCKMAN
He was a painting teacher at Mills Seminary, Benicia
and among his pupils were
Aunt Fannie Garretson -- Mrs Samuel C Gray
Aunt Sarah Garretson -- Mrs George W Pringle
Another says
For Fanny Perkins
John James O'Grady
Olivia Marie O'Grady
-- 1940 --
A third piece says
Gertrude Gray Hart
from
Fanny Frieman Perkins
from
Fannie Garretson G...
Feb 11 - 1920
The last one says
C Bedford's Br...
??? on the Lefppi
Record July 29th 1858
??? the Recorded in ...
?? Franks & Brands
laus County
Per the March 1986 Benicia Sentinel (publication of the Benicia Historical Society) the artist was F.A. Buttman. She was a teacher at the Mills Seminary from 1861 to 1865. They say that the larger building on the left in the painting is the hospital established by William Frederick Peabody in 1849. It was torn down. The smaller building is presently visible, incorporated in the residence at 218 I street. Mrs Olivia O'Grady, owner of the hospital site at 245 West H Street, also owned the painting (in 1986).
The Historical Society says there are three pasted-on legends on the reverse of the painting.
1. "The Peabody Hospital - the first hospital in California -- teacher at the Mills Seminary, Benicia and among his pupils were Aunt Fannie Garretson - Mrs Samuel C Gray and Aunt Sarah Garretson - Mrs George W Pringle.
2. Another legend in Spenerian script appears to be lineage - "Fanny Garretson Gray to Fanny Freiman Perkins to Gertrude Gray Hart."
3. "To Fannie Perkins" plus a typewritten date "February 11, 1920".
From the same article: "The Mills College Reference Library and Rare Book Room staff supplied us with the proper name of the artist and also established that Martha Frances Garretson was a preparatory student of the Seminary in 1857 and that Frances A Garretson was a pupil during the years 1860 and 1861."Collection
Benicia Historical Museum Collection
