Here is a watercolor done by Bede Ives, daughter of Elam and Sarah Ives. Tomorrow I will show some details. This painting was done in 1810. Thanks to David Nelson for providing this image and the information on Bede. It is a 4.5 x 4.5 inch watercolor portrait on paper done in school (she is most probably the girl nearest the signature.). Bede born Dec. 31, 1793 in Hamden, New Haven Co., CT and died May 17, 1818; Hartford, Hartford Co., CT. She was buried: Centerville Cemetery, Hamden, CT. Bede Ives married David Bradley (b. Dec. 27, 1791) in November of 1813, and they had two children, Amelia, born c. 1815; and Henry, born c. 1817. Elam likely knew his cousin Abraham Ives (1769 - 1855) before Abraham's family moved to W, Springfield around 1790. Perhaps Abraham and his son, Sumner, (born 1799) also knew Bede through visits back to where they used to live and likely they went to her funeral in 1818.
You can find the watercolor listed at the Smithsonian American Art Museum Inventory of American Paintings along with works by others Ives artists. Chauncey Bradley Ives, the sculptor listed is a descendent of William Ives through Joseph's brother John.
This "friendship" folk art watercolor portrait by Miss Bede Ives, 1810, can be acquired by contacting Antique Associates at West Townsend (AAAWT) in Mass. (email [email protected] attention David Hillier & [email protected] attention Lynn Morin.)
Posted by: Dr. David Nelson | October 03, 2007 at 07:37 AM