John Cleves Short, who built a career as a lawyer and judge in Ohio, was married in 1814 to Elizabeth Bassett Harrison, daughter of the ninth president of the United States, William Henry Harrison. In this miniature, Short’s hair is brushed forward in a fashion of the time that was brought to America from England. The reverse of this piece contains a ring of hair.
Smithsonian American Art Museum
May one see it?
Washington, D.C., United States
The owner is known. Whether it is on view today, the museum does not say, and we were not trained to guess.