1970.01

Bernard Uhle

Portrait

1970.01.01

H-54 W-38 inches

Mary Burt was a longtime resident of Philadelphia. She was the daughter of Nathaniel Burt and Mary Lehman, sister of William Lehman, a prominent and wealthy Philadelphian. William is extremely well-known in the Athenaeum history, for being a Board Member and bequeathing $10,000 to the library for building purposes. Mary was born just a few years prior to his passing in 1829, but the Burt family remained very involved in the establishment. While Mary never married, she remained a well-known woman in Philadelphian society. She and her sister Alice resided in their family home until their deaths. The Burt family legacy lived on, as a descendent, Mary Brooke Burt, became a stockholder and longtime friend of the Athenaeum for many years.

The portrait of Mary Burt was painted by Bernhard Uhle around 1891. Uhle exhibited in the 65th Annual Exhibit at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Her portrait was entered as "Portrait of a Lady," and was exhibited from December 1895 to February 1896. It is currently not on exhibit but held in the Vault at the Athenaeum.