Bidspirit auction | SILHOUETTE OF A SHOEMAKER

SILHOUETTE OF A SHOEMAKER - Lynn, Massachusetts, c. 1840. Diminutive hollow-cut silhouette of a young man in its original black-painted frame. On the reverse is a late 19th-century note reading, ”T.B. Brown, father of Mrs. Clara N. Turnbull. Made in Mass, 1840.” In its original frame, 4” high, 3.75” wide. Genealogical research has identified Thomas B. Brown, born in New Hampshire in 1822. He married Caroline York in 1842, and the couple had a daughter, Clara Newhall Brown, in 1850. Brown was a cordwainer (shoemaker) in Lynn, Massachusetts, but by 1860, he and his family had moved west, first to Hannibal, Missouri, and then to Macoupin County, Illinois by 1870. It was there that his daughter, now Clara Turnbull, lived with her husband, Robert, and, eventually, four children. The Panic of 1857 wrought havoc in the New England shoe industry. In early 1860, to protest job loss, wage reduction, and automation, 3,000 shoemakers walked off the job in Lynn on George Washington's birthday (February 22). Quickly, the strike spread to two dozen towns across New England and involved some 20,000 shoemakers, making it the largest work stoppage in US history to date. It seems likely that Thomas Brown left New England because of labor issues. He was in Missouri by August of 1860 (when the census taker recorded him), so it is possible, though probably not provable, that he participated in the shoemaker's strike. Provenance: an Ohio collection. NOTE: We are happy to answer questions and take additional photos of lots prior to the auction (the sooner submitted the better). Any updates or new photographs will be posted to the catalog on our website. Please check there prior to placing bids to ensure that you have the most up-to-date information. SHIPPING: We offer in-house shipping on all lots in this auction. Please see the terms for more information and contact us for a packing/shipping estimate. Condition: Toning and some staining, and the backing cloth has likely faded from a darker color.