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Although the carver is yet to be identified, he is believed to have worked exclusively in the Baltimore/Wilmington, DE area. See pp. 20-21, Fred Fried's Artists in Wood. The Indians shown in Figures 12 and 13 were carved by the same hand. Mr. Fried also mentions a third figure by the same carver in his own private collection. The exact carving date is also unknown, but the figure can safely be dated in the range from the mid 1850's to 1860's, based on the style of the plinth base with removable cigar figure and on census records identifying the original cigar store owner. On page 101 of Robert Looney's book, Old Philadelphia, there is a photograph dated 1860 showing the identical cigar store figure on the identical stand. The fact that the original stand is still with this Indian is remarkable and extremely unusual. While there are many carved counter top figures still in existence today, very few of them still retain their original bases, not to mention so much of their original paint.
The display stand shows the name of the original tobacco shop, "L. Kurtz and Son" with the early spelling of "segars." The second painting shows the name "Chas F. Kurtz" with the modern spelling of "cigars." The second painter also signed his work with the signature "Wilson."
The following is a complete history of the original owner(s) from U.S. Census records*:
L. Kurtz and Son - painted first on the plinth
Chas. F, Kurtz - second name painted on the plinth.
Lewis Kurtz appears in the 1880 Census of Millville, Cumberland County, NJ, as "keeper" of a "segar" store. His age is listed at 61. He is living with his son Charles F. Kurtz, age 33, also listed as a "segar" storekeeper. Both listed their place of birth as Wurtenburg, Germany, and both emigrated in 1851.
Charles and Lewis Kurtz are both listed in the 1910 Census of Millville. Lewis is now 91.
Charles is listed again in the 1920 Census and appears for the final time in the 1930 Census of Millville as a "merchant of tobacco store.
*Census data supplied by Sumpter Priddy, antique dealer and historian.
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