Name/Title
Miniature Portrait on Ivory of Mrs. Elisha JohnsonContext
This miniature portrait on ivory in a dark wooden frame depicts Mrs. Elisha Johnson, also spelled Johnston. She was born in Colchester Connecticut in 1783 as Lydia Griffin and died in 1853. The collection of the Neill-Cochran House Museum also houses the miniature portrait of her husband, Elisha Johnson (1780-1846) whom she married in 1804. They had 7 children and lived in East Haddon, Connecticut. Elisha Johnson was supposedly in the jewelry business.
The casework of this miniature reveals that it was meant to be hung on a wall, which we can tell by the gold ornaments (bow and laurel wreath) that form the hanger on the top of the frame. It is very likely that the miniatures representing Mrs. And Mr. Elisha Johnson were hung in a private part of their home. Indeed, more than tiny portraits of individuals, miniatures were treasured and intimate items that highlighted the love felt between people. It was common for a husband and wife to exchange miniature portraits amongst themselves.
This portrait and its counterpart, depicting Mr. Elisha Johnson, were a gift to the NCHM from Mrs. William Foster Gillespie and Miss Ada France Miller from Dallas, Texas.Acquisition
Accession
1992.01Source or Donor
Mrs. W. Foster Gillespie (Gertrude Miller)Acquisition Method
Gift