Featured Unknown portrait, 1792

Any help with information of who it is is greatly appreciated

 

Hi, Travis! In what part of the world did you find your portrait? And what were you told about it?

Debra

 

Hey Debra, i found it in south Texas, in a dumpster of an old house being demolished after hurricane Harvey. I have no information besides what's on the back

 

Nice-looks to have been done by a Pro.

 

All you need to do is find someone with initials JH who was 42 in 1792.

 

Yeah! Easy-peasy! But seriously... good save. And a funny thing to find in Texas. Is it framed, Travis? And, if so, would you post a photograph of the painting in the frame?

Debora

 

Texas-def not Davy Crockett.

 

I wish it was that easy! I've found multiple people 42 years old in 1792 with initials JH during the 5 years I've had it but I've found no solid proof of who this is. I've seen no signature on it, it may be missing with some of the paint near the bottom.. The majority is there though. It is framed and nails appear to be hand made. I will get much better pictures of it soon.

 

I'd need a billion dollars to give it away if it was Davy

 

Davy Crockett was born in 1786. More likely Colonial American rather than Colonial Spanish. And, as portraiture a luxury for all but a few, likely someone of note.

Debora

 

How old was the house it came out of?

Debora

 

i believe the house was built in the 1930s

 

Do you know anything about the family that used to live there? There are bound to be records.

 

Yes, that's a good lead. May well be a family portrait. And you've checked carefully under the frame for a signature?

Debora

 

I think researching the owners of the house is the path most likely to produce results. Anything else is going to be conjecture. Since you probably have the only image of the man to survive, it's likely you'd have nothing to compare to as far as looks.
If you're left to guessing, maybe he was the father of one of the Texas 300. Maybe the father of Dr. Johnson Calhoun Hunter. Unfortunately, descendants are unsure of who his parents were, other than a wealthy South Carolina family.

 

i never met the family, i only know it was an elderly couple just wanting to sell the place and move.

 

Eeve if you don't know their name, there should be a record somewhere. House ownership, that kind of thing, I don't know what it is called in the US.

 

Property & Census Records in the US.You might have to look on microfiche to find them,but it could be a very good 'breadcrumb'.

 

Have to imagine if you went to the town hall and inquired on the address they could tell you the former owners. You can look up real estate holdings online in the podunk town I came from. If you can there, I imagine you can in most places. Tells you who owns it, what it’s worth, what they pay in taxes even I think. Doesn’t mean it was their families but it being the best chance you have is probably true. They could have just as easily bought it at auction or found it in a different dumpster. What a great find though!

 

Check the town's assessor's data by street address, the assessor's card should show the last 2 or 3 owners names, it is public record.