Vintage Framed Portrait of Oliver Wendell Holmes in Wood Frame

Introduce a touch of distinguished literary history to your home or office with this dignified vintage portrait of Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr., the famed American physician, poet, and polymath. The artwork, which presents as a detailed engraving or high-quality bookplate print, captures Holmes in his later years with a gentle, intelligent expression. It is handsomely displayed within a deep charcoal mat and housed in a classic, simple wooden frame with a warm, medium-brown finish that perfectly suits the historic subject matter. The piece is complete with a sturdy wire on the reverse, making it instantly ready to hang and admire in a cozy study, library, or gallery wall.

A significant piece of provenance is preserved on the back of the frame, providing a fascinating window into its history and age. An original label identifies the framer as the renowned J.J. Gillespie Company, located at 535 Smithfield Street in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania—famously known as one of the oldest fine art galleries in the United States. Historical records place the gallery at this specific Jenkins Arcade building address beginning around 1912. The typography of the label, the aging of the materials, and this specific historical address suggest the piece was framed in the early-to-mid 20th century, approximately between 1915 and the 1950s. This portrait is a wonderful find for collectors of Americana, literary memorabilia, or historic Pittsburgh artifacts.

Measurements (approximate - rounded to the nearest quarter inch):
13.5 inches in height
10.75 inches in width
0.5 inches in depth

All sales are final so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with any questions prior to purchase. Other objects found in the listing photos are for decorative use only and not included in this purchase.

VINTAGE & ANTIQUE
Vintage and antique items are pre-owned and aged goods. In most cases, we do not clean or polish any items that come into our shop. Once you remove an item's traces of age and patina it's not something you can reverse, so we leave those activities up to the buyer. We do not disassemble found art from their frames unless it is necessary to differentiate a print from an original piece of art. Vintage prints purchased from this shop could originate from any print media (e.g., magazines, books, photographs, art prints, etc.). We try our best to describe items accurately and disclose any and all flaws and imperfections. Please refer to pictures as a visual description. We want to make sure you are happy with your purchase so, please do not hesitate to ask any questions you may have prior to checkout.

SHIPPING
As much as possible, we utilize recycled shipping boxes. The box you receive your item in may show signs of wear and pre-use.

PHOTOGRAPHY
All photos are taken in natural light and we do not use any photo filters and do not perform and photo editing (other than basic photo cropping). Depending on your monitor settings, there may be subtle differences in color once you see your item in person.