Portrait of an unidentified young woman in a persian wool coat wearing a fur and feather hat, London, Ontario

Description

Mystery Question

Who is this well dressed young woman? Could she be Elsie Perrin, (married name, Elsie Perrin Williams) daughter of Daniel S. Perrin who owned the successful London business, D.S. Perrin & Co. Biscuits and Confectionary?

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Media Type

Image

Item Type

Photographs

Description

In this glossy print, we see a black and white portrait of a young woman, dressed in a persian wool coat with a shawl collar. She has dark upswept hair and is wearing a striking looking hat made of fur, felt(?) and feathers.

Notes

This photograph is card mounted.There is no photographer's imprint and although the card has an embossed texture and a border in which to place the photograph, the print itself is unevenly cut at the top and bottom.

The mystery question is based only on a guess, due to a possible likeness to a later portrait of Elsie Perrin Williams which is in London Public Library's Library Archives. The date on the back of the portrait is March 23rd, 1895. Elsie Perrin would have been 16 years old at that time. She married Dr. Hadley Williams on Feb. 4, 1905. After her death in 1934, money from her estate helped to build the 1939 Elsie Perrin Williams Public Library and Art Museum at 305 Queens Avenue.

The geographic location is given for the Elsie Perrin Williams Estate, originally a summer home for the Perrin family which was given to Elsie on her marriage. The Estate was also left to the City of London.

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