Identifying 1884-1907 watercolor artist "Perrin" - Colorado?

(Please click thumbnails for larger images.)

I came across this beautiful little watercolor at a "vintage sale" and fell in love with it. (The mat has water staining, but I plan to re-mat and re-frame it. The painting itself is in excellent condition untouched by the water.)

It measures 13 5/8 inches by 9 1/8 inches.

The painting is simply signed "Perrin." I've Googled, and despite there being several well-known watercolorists named Perrin, the dates, styles, and places don't seem to be good matches for the painter of this piece.

A pencilled note on the back of the mat reads "Arapahoe Peak, Col. 400 - 23."

Based on the old label on the back of the frame, I learned that it was framed in Bellingham, Washington, between 1894 and about 1907 or so. So, I'm guessing that it was painted during the same era.

I'd love to identify the artist, and would appreciate any thoughts or ideas!

 

Although not without charm, I would think that was the work of an amateur painter. And you may be a bit early as to date. I can only find mention of that business from 1910ish to 1920ish. And 1884 is a bit early for a telephone exchange in Bellingham when the first telephone in Spokane wasn't installed until 1886.

Debora

 

NWCorner posted "1894 - 1907" not 1884, Debora. Maybe the title was the typo

 

Thank you for brining that to my attention. Still think date a bit early. The city of Bellingham wasn't even incorporated until 1903.

Debora

 

Not that you asked this but here is an old photo of Arapahoe Peak from about the same angle.

https://artsourceinternational.com/shop/historic-colorado-photos/arapahoe-peak-colo/

 

I found several with the same Perrin sig without any more artist info. Then there is this one identified as by Ida Southwell Perrin. Do you think it could be? I'm not sure they id'd it correctly.

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/6695290_255-ida-southwell-perrin-western-painting

 

I think perhaps that work was misidentified. Ida Southwell appears to have signed I.S. Perrin. And she was a much more accomplished painter, working in oil. British, died 1903. Unlikely she was climbing mountains in Colorado shortly before her death.

https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-2076943

Debora

 

Here's another amateur watercolor of same subject. 1915. A road or trail to that vantage point must have opened around about then.

https://www.1stdibs.com/art/paintin...e-leach-arapahoe-peaks-colorado/id-a_1747783/

Debora

 

Nice pic

 

Here you go. At the end of 1906, there was a proposal to extend telephone lines to Bellingham, WA. Doesn't bring you any closer to identifying your artist, but provides a more accurate date.

Debora

https://www.google.com/books/editio...n&gbpv=1&bsq=telephone exchange bellingham wa

Debora

 

Here's an article about the promotion of tourism in that area.

https://www.dailycamera.com/2012/08...urists-to-boulder-county/?clearUserState=true

Debora

 

I found a Dorothy M. Perrin in Who Was Who. She was living in Seattle in 1949 and exhibiting at the museum there. That information came from Washington State art and Artists by Trip and Cook.

 

I live in Bellingham and am a bit of local history buff. I dug into old local directories and other records to find information about Star Paint and Wall Paper.

Star Paint and Wall Paper was sold in about 1907 to Seth A. Atwood who ran the business at the same location as Seth A. Atwood Paint and Wall Paper from that point on. I have found records of the business going back to 1894 (yes, 1884 was a typo). I suppose that Atwood may have continued to use a few of the old labels for a little while after he took over, but it seems unlikely that he'd do so for long, as the Star name still belonged to a Seattle company which had mulltiple locations.

So it seems that this painting would likely date from between 1894 and 1907.

Although Bellingham in its present state didn't exist until later on, there was plenty going on here in the last half of the 19th century. Four towns -- Bellingham, Fairhaven, Sehome, and Whatcom -- consolidated as Bellingham. The area was first settled in the 1850s, so by the time Bellingham was incorporated in 1903, it already had a fairly long history.

 

Oh, thank you -- I'll look for more about Dorothy M. Perrin. At which museum did she exhibit her work?

 

Thanks, that is really interesting. On the covers of the 1905 city directory, Star Paint and Wall Paper advertised with their phone number. Unfortunately, I don't have access to the directories in the preceding few years. But as you say, it was probably about that time when the phones came in.
https://www.cob.org/wp-content/uploads/1905-polk-directory.pdf

 

I found another source that said that she lived 1860-1953 but this doesn't look like her work, and it seems awfully far from home for her! This painting does seem to have been misattributed.

 

Thanks so much! This sure does look like the same signature and style. I think it may have been misattributed, though. But it's great to see another painting by the same artist - wow!

 

A bit off track but I have relatives that live/lived in Bellingham. My uncle was Superintendent of Schools around there long time ago.