MRS. PALMER’S PORTRAIT.
ADDRESSES DELIVERED ON THE OCCASION OF ITS UNVEILING.
The Board of Lady Managers having ordered a portrait made of Mrs. Bertha Honore Palmer, to be placed in the Assembly Hall of the Woman’s Building, with other distinguished women, and after the close of the Exposition to be permanently installed in the Woman’s Memorial Building, Mrs. James P. Eagle and Mrs. Mary S. Lockwood were appointed a committee to see that the order was executed.
The following are the remarks made by Mrs. Lockwood, Mrs. Eagle and Mrs. Wheeler at the unveiling of the portrait:
PRESENTATION OF PORTRAIT BY MRS. MARY S. LOCKWOOD.
When the question arose among the lady managers, “ What can we do that will best commemorate the work of women in the Exposition?” this happy thought came to us: We have in our midst the foremost artist of the age, Mr. Anders L. Zorn, who could put upon canvas the embodiment of that genius that has led us for three years over mountains of difficulty, through valleys of humiliation, to the crowning peaks of victory, listening to no such word as “ fail,” always helpful in voice and heart, ever ready to encourage in our days of discouragement, and always just in her verdict of “ Well done! ”
In the after-time, when our names have been forgotten, those who will come after us will look upon the portrait we now present to you, and see not only a likeness of our president, but the attributes which surrounded her, that helped us to help the women of this nineteenth century.
We thank her for the time and opportunity she has given us to accomplish our wishes. We also thank the artist for what he has done to commemorate the work, the life, the likeness of our president of the Board of Lady Managers of the World’s Columbian Exposition, Mrs. Bertha Honore Palmer.
UNVEILING OF THE PORTRAIT BY MRS. JAMES P. EAGLE.
The most important work of the Board of Lady Managers is now drawing to a close. Some have called this last day a funeral day, since such a sense of sadness must steal into each heart when we think of the separations, and of our beautiful Woman’s Building being robbed of its wealth of paintings, statuary, lace, wood carving, libraries, statistics, all these and more that have been exhibited to the credit, honor and advancement of the women of every land.
We have not claimed perfection in any department of our work. We have not reached our ideals. We very seldom do in any undertaking; but the visible work of the board has overstepped the expectations of the most enthusiastic and friendly; while the unseen and incomputable has touched the hand of woman in every nation to lead her to greener pastures and richer fields. The seed-time is just over. A little patient resting and waiting, then comes the ripened harvest.
Here have communed together women from every state and almost every nation. More than twenty nations have spoken from this platform for the Committee on Congresses, and almost every state has sent a representative. Other committees have been instrumental in bringing together many people from many lands.
As a member of the Board of Lady Managers I hope I may be excused for reference to questions so nearly personal. There are one hundred and fifteen members of that body, and I believe there never was such singleness of purpose in a body so
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