195 years young

Maria Gansevoort Melvill (Mrs. Allan Melvill)
Painting by Ezra Ames, c. 1815

Image Credit: Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

Soon we have to start planning for a stupendous Bicentennial Bash!

August 1, 1819 was a Sunday. Here is the newspaper ad (or one of them) Allan Melvill ran the next morning, one day after the birth of his second son. From the New York Mercantile Advertiser, August 2, 1819.

New York Mercantile Advertiser - Monday, August 2, 1819

MISSES’ & MENS’ LEGHORN HATS.

ONE case Ladies’ and Misses’ Yellow Leghorn Hats, Nos. 18 to 33, with extra Crowns, and Mens’ fine Black do, Nos. 10 to 25—Also, 1 case Ladies’ very superior Yellow do, Nos. 50 to 57, with extra crowns to match, for sale by

ALLAN MELVILL
123 Pearl-st, Hanover Square.

Allan Melvill regularly advertised his French imports in other commercial papers such as the New York Gazette. Unusually, in April he offered works of original art by Dutch masters and a selection of engravings.

New York Gazette - April 24, 1819

ORIGINAL PAINTINGS—Received direct from Paris, by the Adonis, a valuable collection of Paintings in appropriate frames, by eminent masters, of the Dutch School; and a variety of Engravings framed and glazed, worth the attention of amateurs and artists, for sale by

ALLAN MELVILL,
123 Pearl-st. Hanover-square.  --New York Gazette, Saturday, April 24, 1819; found in the Newspaper Archives at Genealogy Bank.

When Herman's first Christmas came around, his father still had the paintings. The same advertisement (without mentioning the Adonis) ran December 25, 1819 in the New York Mercantile Advertiser.