Restored painting unveiled during meeting of Historical Society
By Melissa Rollins, Editor, editor@newsandpress.net
Though no one is still quite sure who she is, the Darlington County Historical Commission’s (DCHS) ‘Lady of Mystery’ now has a new lease on life. The freshly restored painting was unveiled Thursday, April 6 at the Darlington County Historical Society’s spring meeting.
DCHS director Brian Gandy could not contain his enthusiasm
“I was very excited when the (Historical) Society voted over a year ago, saying that they wanted to take up the project of doing the conservation work on the portrait,” Gandy said. “We got preliminary information that it was a (William Harrison) Scarborough. Based off of that and knowing that Scarborough lived at the corner of Fountain St and Main in Darlington, right out in front of the Historical Commission, it definitely connects back to the local heritage of our community.”
Catherine Rogers, an art conservator from Charleston, undertook the efforts to restore the ‘Lady of Mystery’ portrait.
“We got really excited that they were willing to donate that money and we talked with Catherine Rogers and she was willing to take on the project,” Gandy said. “She probably wrote off half of the cost of the restoration and conservation work; we were very grateful. She is originally from Marlboro County so, her being a local person, she wanted to do that to help out the community.”
Gandy said that the portrait was in very bad shape when it was discovered.
William Dubose and Brian Gandy prepare to unveil the portrait.
“It was found in a barn packhouse and from the way the portrait is you can tell there were chicken dropping, or pigeon or bird, or something like that, were on it,” Gandy said. “She was removed from the stretcher and there were holes punched in her; the portrait looked really bad. The grime layer on it was really thick so that was probably the hardest part of the restoration.”
The portrait was donated to the commission from the family of Robert Cummings Brunson.
“A farm worker, sort of a farm manager, who worked with the Brunson family came across the portrait and realized it was something a little nicer that you would typically see thrown in an attic,” Gandy said. “The negotiations went back and forth in the Brunson family and they decided to donate it to the commission.”
Attempts to determine the value of the portrait were thwarted by its condition.
“It actually went to a group similar to Antiques Roadshow and it was in such bad shape that they said unless you would be willing to do major conservation work on it, it wouldn’t be worth anything,” Gandy said. “That just goes to show just how bad the condition was. Interestingly enough, the two Brunson sisters that are still alive are still intricately involved in trying to identify the lady.”
Gandy said that through hours of research, he believes that he knows the family and the time period that the woman in the portrait belongs to. He said that currently he has a short list of names that he believes could be the identity of the ‘Lady of Mystery’ but that he will continue to try and positively identify her.
For more information about the portrait and the work done to restore it, contact the Darlington County Historical Commission at 843-398-4710.
