Watercolor of Prout’s Neck, Maine, came in with stains, acid damage, and tape along the backside that was made with an acidic adhesive. Bathing in chemicals removed staining, and further baths deacidified the work. A new mat, backing, glass, and restoration of the original frame, finished this project.

The artist signed and dated the work, “L.M.H. 1893.” This vague information has been a bit of a challenge in identifying the artist. There is an Irish painter of the name Letitia Marion Hamilton (1878 – 1964) whose style and medium is a match. The challenging aspect is the date. If this work is by her, she would have been 15 at the time. But throughout her career she proved to be very talented, and the technique used in this watercolor would not have been beyond her. Known signatures for Letitia Marion Hamilton read as “LMH” or sometimes “L.M.H.” There is one discrepancy: the descender line in the M goes down halfway, while the one in this watercolor goes all the way. But, at a young age, she might not have developed her signature.