Award of Merit Presented to Julia Ann Wilmore Fowler July 31, 1848

Date1848

OriginAmerica, District of Columbia, Washington, Georgetown

MediumWatercolor and ink on wove cardstock, with gilded paper glued over the top and two side edges

DimensionsPrimary Support: 7 x 6 1/8in. (17.8 x 15.6cm) and Framed: 10 3/16 x 9 1/4 x 1 1/4in.

Credit LineGift of Juli Grainger

Object number2008.305.1

DescriptionA pink, lyre-shaped vase on a pedestal base with a blue drape or ribbon and a spray of flowers spilling out of the top is centered on the paper with lettering across its face.

Artist unidentified.

The 1 7/8-inch splayed frame of [bird's eye maple?] may be original and has a brass hanging ring affixed to the back of the top frame member in the center.
Label TextJulia Ann Wilmore Fowler's certificate notes her presence at roll call "One Hundred and Ten times," which merited "approbation/in a high degree" and ranked her in the "second grade" for punctuality. (Fowler had slipped a bit; another certificate awarded her five and a half months earlier recorded her appearance at roll call one hundred and twenty times," garnering a "first grade" for punctuality.) Both forms of recognition were awarded at the Female Seminary in Georgetown (now part of Washington, D. C.).

The name L. S. English appears at the bottom as principal, not as artist. Lydia Scudder English (1802-1865/1866) founded the Female Seminary in Georgetown in 1826 and served as its principal for many years. She continued to live at the school after relinguishing her post as principal a few years before the school closed in 1861.
InscribedIn brown ink in an upright script within the pictorial composition is: Female Seminary Georgetown DC/July 31st 1848:/This certifies, that/Miss Julia Ann Wilmore Fowler,/during the Term ending this day/has been present at the Calling of/the Roll One Hundred and Ten/times, thereby meriting approbation/in a high degree, and ranking in [the?]/Second Grade for Punctuality./L. S. English/Principal".
In pencil in script on the back of the primary support is "1 1/2 [In?] Plain Oak/Fowler/tomorrow".
In the lower right corner on the front, there is a partial blind stamp: a circular design centering a shield bearing a cross with lettering in two concentric circles around it, the inner reading "EXTRA SUPRFINE" and the outer "LONDON BOARD".
ProvenanceOwnership prior to Juli Grainger (CWF's source) is undocumented.