From the Archives - April 20, 2023
Titled “Old Fashioned Garden," it was created around 1933 by artist Helen L. Smith. The silhouette is painted on glass in reverse with foil under the glass to present a “pearly quality which makes it spring to life.”
(Photo courtesy BOUNDARY COUNTY MUSEUM)
This “Smith Frederick” signed silhouette features an elegant, charming young lady in her garden. Titled “Old Fashioned Garden," it was created around 1933 by artist Helen L. Smith. The silhouette is painted on glass in reverse with foil under the glass to present a “pearly quality which makes it spring to life.”
Born in 1894, Helen L. Smith attended the Maryland Institute of Art from 1912 to 1916, receiving a degree in "Commercial Art." She taught art at Hood College for eight years. In 1925, Smith opened her own art shop in Frederick, Md. Her art included paintings in watercolor, oil, pencil, and ink. Smith became an expert in the painting of coats of arms, of which she produced more than 10,000. She produced the same amount of miniatures and silhouettes throughout her long career. Helen Smith died in 1997 at the age of 103.
When your museum opened in the Megquier-Houck building on Main Street in 1987, Valdie Burkholder donated this silhouette for the public to enjoy.
The Boundary County Historical Society and Museum, 7229 Main, Bonners Ferry, sponsors this column.
Visit the museum Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and you can visit the website at www.boundarycountymuseum.org or the museum’s Facebook Page for historical photos and stories, and to see upcoming events. The museum can be reached at doyouremember@meadowcrk.com or by telephone at 208-267-7720. Thank you for your continued support.