Heart, Home, Tree of Life Family Record
-Two Century Folk Art

The Essex/Gloucester/Rockport area of Massachusetts, dated 1823. Watercolor and ink on paper, in what may be the original frame (frame size about 16 ¼ inches x 12). Originally found in an attic in Rockport, MA, this graphic family register is elevated dramatically by the stylized tree, with fruits and inverted hearts as placeholders for important family events, and the spectacular Federal house which is likely the family home. Faintly inscribed at the very bottom: "Drawn by Levi Sanborn February 24th, 1823”. Levi, a stone cutter from Rockport, was the grandson of Jeremiah Sanborn, the founder of Sanborton, NH and owner of Sanborn's Mill. As drawn on the register, Levi Sanborn and Lucy Tarr, of Gloucester, were married on Christmas Day, 1828. Their two children were also named Levi and Lucy. Research indicates that their daughter Lucy Jane was also married on Christmas Day. The 1850 Rockport census reports that the entire family lived near one another other in Rockport. Condition is good with expected toning and foxing. The paper has a loss in the extreme upper left corner, and a repair at the bottom-center. See THE ART OF THE FAMILY, Simons and Benes, for an extensive discussion and illustrations of Heart and Tree of Life Family Records. Impactful from across the room. A terrific combination of art and history. Bear in mind this work of art was made for a purpose, not a “craft”. It had real meaning and family importance.