Thomas Jefferson’s Letter of Recommendation for James Westhall Ford, 30 September 1823
Letter of Recommendation for James Westhall Ford
Monticello Sep. 30. 23.
The bearer hereof, mr James W. Ford is a portrait painter by profession, and has been considerably employed as such in my neighborhood, for some weeks past, and with general approbation. he has drawn two portraits for me, both esteemed, but one of them particularly of President Monroe, is among the best likenesses which has been taken of him. his good execution, and the reasonableness of his terms render him worthy of encouragement and patronage.
Th: Jefferson
MS (ViU: TJP); in TJ’s hand; with signed notation by Thomas Jefferson Randolph, dated Richmond, 3 Mar. 1858, at foot of text: “The above letter is in the hand writing of Thomas Jefferson President of the US.” Not recorded in SJL.
TJ had paid Ford $50 a day earlier for portraits of his eldest daughter, Martha Jefferson Randolph, and James Monroe, the latter of which is not known to survive (MB, 2:1399). For the portrait of Randolph, see TJ to Ford, 1 Sept. [1823], and note.
Index Entries
- Ford, James Westhall; portrait of J. Monroe search
- Ford, James Westhall; portraits of M. J. Randolph search
- Ford, James Westhall; TJ recommends search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Correspondence; letters of application and recommendation from search
- Monroe, James (1758–1831); J. W. Ford portrait of search
- patronage; letters of application and recommendation from TJ search
- Randolph, Martha Jefferson (Patsy; TJ’s daughter; Thomas Mann Randolph’s wife); J. W. Ford portraits of search
- Randolph, Thomas Jefferson (1792–1875) (TJ’s grandson; Jane Hollins Nicholas Randolph’s husband); attests TJ’s handwriting search