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Nelson A. Primus is known to have painted at least three
paintings for the Gibson family; one of Nehemiah done in 1883 (seen
below), one of his son Charles Earl done in 1881 and a third painting
maybe of Nehemiah's wife Lucy in 1883.
(Click here to see all
three paintings)
This 1883 painting of Nehemiah was perhaps painted from
a photograph taken before his death (see below).
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About Nelson A. Primus
From - http://www.hartford-hwp.com/HBHP/exhibit/05/3.html
"Another child [of Holderidge
Primus] was Nelson Primus, who apprenticed as a carriage maker and
painter. In 1864 he moved to Boston to begin a career at a portrait
painter. His work was exhibited in Hartford and Boston, for at the
time downtown Hartford had a lively art colony (that included Charles
Porter), and these artists used their studies to exhibit their own
art and that of others. To see illustrations of his portraits, read
the book, Art and Artists in Connecticut."
From - Arts and Artists in Connecticut by HW French
- https://books.google.com/books?id=kOpJAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA155#v=onepage&q=Primus&f=false
"NELSON
A PRIMUS A colored boy Nelson A Primus born in Hartford 1843 was
apprenticed to George Francis to learn the carriage making and painting
trade It was a gloomy prospect even in Hartford and as late as 1858
to start in life with any notion of raising himself and Nelson Primus
had as hard a time as any of his race However with the help of Mr
Francis who vigorously upheld him he weathered the buffetings and
rapidly developed a strong love for art and some ability in painting
and in 1859 received a medal from the State Agricultural Society
for good drawing He painted a trout piece which the scholars of
the Talcott street Sunday School purchased and presented to the
superintendent Mr Francis gave him some instruction Mrs Jerome also
gave him a few lessons Beside this all of his studying was done
by himself In 1864 he moved to Boston and endeavored to establish
himself as a portrait painter He paints a very good face and has
been partially successful but obliged to work at carriage painting
beside for support He painted a portrait of FJ Allen proprietor
of the Astor House that was highly complimented by the press and
one of the actress Lizzie May Ulmer a good likeness and well executed."
Old Link that no longer works
From - http://www.ctheritage.org/biography/topical_slavery/articlesmonographs.htm
French,
H. W. Art and Artists in Connecticut. New York: C. T. Dillingham,
1879. This book is treated above, under “Art.” It is included
here to call attention to the one-paragraph biography of Nelson
A. Primus (b. Hartford, 1843), a black artist of note. He was
especially active as a portraitist around Boston in 1878, when
French wrote the book. See below: David White’s “Addie Brown.”Connecticut's
Heritage Gateway (http://www.ctheritage.org/biography/topical_slavery/articlesmonographs.htm)
N. A. Primus Advertisement - from the East Boston Advocate
29 April 1882.
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