Portrait of Dr. George W. Fitz

Artist Unknown

Dateca. 1880s

MediumTintype

DimensionsPlate: 1 5/8 × 1 1/4 inches (4.13 × 3.18 cm)

Credit LinePurchase: William Rockhill Nelson Trust through the George H. and Elizabeth O. Davis Fund

Object number2021.25.28

Signednone

Inscribednone

Markingsnone

On View

Not on view

Collections

Photography

Terms

Tintype

DescriptionImage of a mustachioed man wearing buttoned jacket with tie. He looks towards the viewer and there is a faint image of a tree along the right edge.Gallery Label

Gallery Label

This tiny gem tintype portrait depicts George Wells Fitz (1860–1934), the fourth son of Henry and Julia (Wells) Fitz. George Fitz attended Harvard Medical School and was a strong advocate for the physical benefits of exercise and hygiene. In 1891, he founded the Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Physical Training at Harvard University, leaving in 1899 to enter private practice. Gem tintypes, produced inexpensively and at a small scale, were often mounted on jewelry or presented in family albums.

Provenance

Henry Fitz (1808-1863)
Julia Ann Wells Fitz (1814-1892)
George Wells Fitz (1860-1934)
Barbara Fitz Switzer (1904-1991)
Thence by descent to the present owner
Purchased from private collector's sale The Henry Fitz Jr. Archive of Photographic History, Hindman Auctions, Cincinatti, November 15, 2021, lot 301 by The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Arr, Kansas City, MO, 2021.

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