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For Immediate Release
General William Tecumseh Sherman Returns To Fairfield County
(Fairfield County, Ohio, March 18, 2008) - Lancaster, Ohio, birthplace and home to General William Tecumseh Sherman and his family in the early 1800s will be home once again to a rare portrait of the General that was stolen from the Sherman House Museum in 1982.
The recently recovered painting, one of only a few original portraits of Sherman, is a part of the Ohio Historical Society’s collection. It will be presented back to the museum in a ceremony for Fairfield Heritage Association volunteers on Saturday, March 29 at 2 p.m.
"We're very happy that the painting was recovered and will be returned to its place at the Sherman House," said James Strider, director of Collections, Historic Preservation, & Statewide Outreach at the Ohio Historical Society. "We want to thank members of the Fairfield Heritage Association, the Lancaster Police Department and Garth's Auction House who were instrumental in finding the portrait. It’s been a long and eventful journey, but Sherman is finally coming home."
After Ulysses S. Grant, William T. Sherman is the best known of Union Army commanders during the Civil War. He was appointed Commanding General of the United States Army after Grant became president. His military legacy is said to rest primarily on his command of logistics and his military strategy.
It was believed to be during his tenure as the first superintendent of the Louisiana State Seminary of Learning & Military Academy in Pineville, La., which would later become Louisiana State University (LSU), that Sherman had the portrait painted showing him in civilian dress. In 1950, when the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts acquired the painting from a New Orleans estate, they contacted the Ohio Historical Society. As Sherman's home state, they felt it should reside here.
Preservation of the Sherman family home and heritage has been important to the Fairfield Heritage Association and the Ohio Historical Society for more than half a century. From 1951 to 1982 the Ohio Historical Society maintained the Sherman House Museum. The ownership and operations of the museum were transferred in June 1982 to the Fairfield Heritage Association while the Ohio Historical Society retained ownership of a portion of the artifacts.
In February 1982, the Sherman House Museum was broken into and more than 70 items were stolen, including the Sherman portrait. The Lancaster Police Department investigated the burglary. While a few of the items were recovered, the whereabouts of the painting along with majority of the stolen artifacts remained unknown.
It wasn’t until November 2007 that the Fairfield Heritage Association and the Ohio Historical Society learned that the portrait was soon to be auctioned at Garth's Auctions, Inc., in Delaware, Ohio. With the assistance of the Lancaster Police Department and the cooperation of Garth's Auctions, ownership of the portrait was transferred back to the Ohio Historical Society.
Before returning to the Sherman House Museum, the portrait was restored by Barry Bauman, Fellow for the American Institute for Conservation and owner of Barry Bauman Conservation in the Chicago area. Bauman works exclusively for museums on a pro-bono basis. When Bauman received the Sherman portrait, he was not surprised at its poor condition.
"It was layered with dirt, grime, and aged, discolored varnish," Bauman said. "The surface was also repainted during a former restoration attempt."
He first removed discolored films and all areas of non-original paint. The painting was then given a moisture/vapor treatment allowing lifting areas of paint to relax and return to plane. After lining for structural support, the painting was restretched onto a new stretcher.
"We’re excited that the portrait will be on display again at the Sherman House Museum," said Laura Bullock, museum director. "The Fairfield Heritage Association would like to extend an invitation to all to visit the museum to learn more about General Sherman, his family and his contributions to our nation".
The Sherman House Museum is an authentic house museum and contains Sherman family memorabilia, Civil War and GAR artifacts. The Sherman House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Civil War Preservation Trail and has been a memorial to the family since 1951. It, along with the Georgian Museum, is owned and operated by the Fairfield Heritage Association. Beginning April 6, the Sherman House Museum will be open to visitors Tuesday through Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. For more information about membership, group tours, and events, call 740.687.5891 or go to www.fairfieldheritage.org. (External resource will load in a new browser window)
The Ohio Historical Society is a nonprofit organization that serves as the state’s partner in preserving and interpreting Ohio’s history, natural history and archaeology. For more information about membership, programs and events, call 614.297.2300/800.686.6124 or visit www.ohiohistory.org.
For artwork restoration information, contact Barry Bauman Conservation at 708.771.0382 or go online to www.baumanconservation.com. (External resource will load in a new browser window)
Note: The following image files are of different stages of the Sherman portrait restoration by Barry Bauman Conservation. Photo credit should be listed as "Barry Bauman Conservation."
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Media contact: Kim Schuette: 614.297.2314 or kschuette@ohiohistory.org
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