photograph
photograph
photograph

photograph

Artwork

Accession Number
989.009
Alternate Name
re-touched photograph
Description
A photographic portrait of Hon. Robert Dunsmuir about age 60 that is artistically enhanced by hand using paint, charcoal, and possibly pastel, the short white hair with streaks of cream, the white beard known as a chin-curtain clipped short along his jaw line, no mustache, the dark coloured jacket with matching vest, the dark necktie with a pin resembling an undetermined fraternal order insignia, the gray background over-painted with a curved light brown background indicating the shape of the original but now lost mat, the subject slightly turned to his right neither smiling or frowning.
Narrative
This image appears to be an artistically re-touched photograph taken of Hon. Robert Dunsmuir shortly before his 1889 death. The donor made a copy of this image and donated the copy to the Cumberland Museum (BC).
History of Use
This image was donated to The Castle Society by Gerald Robert Bryden (1913-1992) a great-grandson of Robert and Joan Dunsmuir. The portrait had been in continuous Dunsmuir (Bryden) family ownership until he made the donation. In about 1960, at the request of his wife Josephine, he removed the portrait from its original frame so that a copy of Picasso's Blue Nude could be installed in the frame. The portrait stayed unframed for many years until Mr. Bryden donated it to The Castle Society. The Society placed it into an antique frame and put it on display. In 2007, Mr. Bryden's daughter donated the portrait's original gilt frame to The Castle Society (see frame 2007.24). The two items were re-assembled. The arch-shaped discoloration evident on the top, bottom and sides of the portrait indicated the size and shape of the original mat. This shape and size was replicated, but the original color of the mat was not known.

The frame and picture was used at John and Elizabeth Bryden's Esquimalt house, Dalzellowlie, and from the 1930's, at their son John William Bryden's beach house at Royston, B.C. 
Date
circa 1884
Dimensions
50 x 39.8 cm
Subject/Image
Hon. Robert Dunsmuir
Medium
Paper
Support
Cardstock
Inscription
On the verso:
BLD 
(by hand in ink, contemporary with creation of the artwork)

Robert Dunsmuir loaned by Gerald Bryden
(by hand in ink in relation to a loan of the work to the Cumberland Museum)

11741
A.A.A
.

(by hand in ink contemporary with creation of the artwork)
Country of Origin
Canada

Related people/businesses/organizations
Robert Dunsmuir (depicts)
Gerald Robert Bryden (owner)
John William Bryden (owner)
Related Associations
Dalzellowlie (house) (was used in)
Royston beach house, residence of Mr. and Mrs. John William Bryden (was used in)
Related Objects

frame, picture, 2007.024 (is related to)