Name/Title
Portrait of Denny Neptune Soccabeson | Lt. Alexander Henry Charles Villiers (d. 1847-1849)Description
Photograph of original watercolor painting. Original painting is now in the collections of Colonial Williamsburg. See web link to Colonial Williamsburg entry on this painting.
Description from Colonial Williamsburg web site:
An interior scene with a Native woman seated, her arms crossed, on a bench in front of a table set with a pitcher, two dishes (one seems to be slipping off the table), and a feather object hanging over the edge of the table. The woman is dressed in an elaborate costume including a high-crowned, decorated hat completely covering her hair. She wears a cross on a chain around her neck and large hoops in her ears. A small cradleboard supporting a bound figure is propped beside her against a table leg. A water canteen hangs from a strap to the right of the window. The scene outside the window includes two men in military dress marching towards one another; one carries a rifle on his shoulder and the other carries a sword. Two large buildings are situated beyond the marching men.
Artist unidentified.
Label Text from Colonial Williamsburg web site:
Native American women often accompanied their husbands on trading missions, sometimes carrying on the active business of bartering on these excursions. Likely this Passamaquoddy woman came to Fort Sullivan (now part of Eastport, Maine) for such a purpose. Shown seated in one of the barracks buildings, the sitter was the daughter of Francis Joseph Neptune, hereditary leader of the Passamaquoddy who occupied nearby Point Pleasant. Her colorful traditional attire includes a conical cap and overdress with leggings; she also wears two circular silver brooches, earrings, and a pendant cross on a bead necklace. The figure strapped onto the cradleboard in front of her represents a baby, not a doll.
The town of Eastport was occupied by British troops during the War of 1812, with a garrison at Fort Sullivan. Access to the fort was strictly controlled during 1814-1818, so it is surmised that this 1817 portrait of Soccabeson was rendered by one of the British officers stationed there. Sketches of the bay and harbor executed by Lt. Alexander Henry Charles Villiers survive, making him a candidate for the portrait artist. A nineteenth-century history of the area describes Villiers as being "extremely fond of drawing."
Context
INDIAN PRINCESS PAINTING
On back of photograph of painti~g is:
Huc;h French
Eastport, Maine U.8.!t.
July 31, 1981
This photograph may be used for publication only
with the written permission df owner
NINA FLETCHE1 LITTLE
.3ubject: Passamaquoddy Squaw
Description: ~ena Jrancis Joseph
~ichard Merrill Photo
486 Main St., Melrose, Mass.
8ommercial Photography 665 7200
?rom the notes of MildrP.d Holmes of Eastport, probably
wri ttez:i in the __ ~arly 1970' s:
From the notes of Mildred Holmes of Eastport, probably written in the early 1970's:
The Story back of the picture of the Indian Princes at the Barracks Museum:
Sandra Pottle of Perry has been doing research with the Passa. Indians for several years. The priest at the Point had had letters from a photographer in Melrose, Mass (Mr. Richad Merrill of 468 Main Street) who was making enquiries about the portrait of a Passamaquoddy Indian Princes Dena Joseph dau of a chief at Pleasant Point (Sebayick. This was in 1968 or thereabouts.
The owner of the painting which was a colored painting (done in oils) was a Mrs. N.F. (Barton Little of Essex Mass. She had purchased it a flea market somewhere in Mass.
After much hard work and seemingly endless research it was learned that an artistic British soldier at the time of the occupation of Fort Sullivan by the British did several paintings of scenes around Moose Island. One beautiful one of the cove around Kendall's Head [Eastport] is known to be in existence.
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