Following is a communication from Julia Viola Burnett/Pabros, whose mother was the owner of a portrait by Blas Fagioni. She writes:
I do have a letter that was sent to my Mother, along with a
picture of another "Blas Fagioni" Portrait. The gentleman who wrote the
letter is a "Mr. Joseph Franklin." In the letter to my Mother he says:
"Dear Ms. Galbraith:
I have noted that in the ""Inventory of American Paintings, NMAA,
Smithsonian Institution-Artist Index"" there is a listing of a Fagioni
Painting that you own. (Julia Dunphy Piercy, Oil 1876.)"
He continues on to say:
"I too have a painting of a very handsome gentlemen, undoubtedly
Maurice Barrymore, (my note: You can find Biographical information on
Maurice Barrymore on Wikipedia, he is the Father of the "Barrymore
Acting Family, Ethel, John and Lionel,) signed ""B.A. Fagioni, 1876,
S.F."" I have been trying to get a verifiction of the subject and
additional information on the artist, and wonder if you might be able
to help. The image is approx: 24 1/2 x 30 1/2 and is in a 5' Goldleaf
Period (original) Frame.
Enclosed is a Snapshot for your convenience if you'll be so kind as to respond.
Yours Sincerely,
Joseph Franklin"
This letter is dated from "June 14th, 1989. For some reason my
Mother never responded to him regarding the Fagioni Painting that I now
currently own. My mother is deceased.
The curious thing in the letter is that he refers to the painting
being listed in the Smithsonian Index as being "Julia Dunphy Piercy,"
but I was always told that the Painting is of my Great-Grandmother
"Carmen Uvilla" who was from Chile, and was a "Mail Order Bride" from a
very "Well-To-Do, High Class" Family to marry my Great-Grandfather,
"William Dunphy" from Ireland who was an early Pioneer, in San
Francisco. As far as I know "Julia Dunphy Piercy," was my Great-Aunt,
one of the Daughters of Carmen and William Dunphy.
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