uburn, New York, was a hub of artistic and entrepreneurial activity prior to the Civil War. Located in the Finger Lakes region, at the northern end of Owasco Lake, Auburn had long been a center for regional transportation and enterprise, and the small city grew rapidly following the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825.
Jewelry in American Folk Portraits
American folk portraits tell the private stories of their sitters and the broader narrative of the cultural and economic development of a new nation. The jewelry worn by women and children in these portraits reveals aspects of the social status, personal values, and mourning customs of the sitters.