This miniature portrait is signed "J Ramsier" for John Ramsier (1861-1936), a Kentucky artist noted for his photographic style. Miniaturist John Ramsier worked in Louisville in the late 19th century and early 20th century. As a Swiss immigrant he came to America in 1883, working for several photographic studios in New Albany, Indiana, and Louisville. Ramsier established his own studio in 1893, but a fire put an end to the business. Ramsier, who had trained as a photographer and worked as a tinter of photographs, decided to specialize in miniatures. His clientele was international.
He was especially renowned for copying older works into the miniature format. One of the more famous examples of such work is "Mrs. Henrietta Hunt Morgan and John Hunt Morgan," which is owned by the Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation in Lexington, Kentucky. This portrait seems to be a similar example.
According to the Jones and Weber exhibition catalog, "The Kentucky Painter from the Frontier Era to the Great War," it is estimated that Ramsier executed over 3,000 "likenesses" in his 33-year career. Ramsier's papers reside at the Filson Historical Society in Louisville, Kentucky.
The sitter in this portrait is unknown. 1031b
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