Women of Strafford County
From the book "New Hampshire Women" A collection of portraits and biographical sketches of daughters and residents of the granite state, who are worthy representatives of their sex in the various walks and conditions of life. Published by The New Hampshire Publishing Co., Concord, NH, J.G. Patterson, Jr. President, ©1895
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Martha A. Hayes Safford |
Not often are towns able to retain the more distinguished of their
daughters to the years of their womanly prime, but this good fortune is given
to Farmington by Mrs. Safford, the well-known artist. She is a daughter of
Israel and Anne (Edgerly) Hayes, and descended from notable people of whom
one was Col. Thomas Tash of the Revolution. At the age of eighteen she was
married to James Fearing Safford, formerly of Maine, a veteran of the Civil
War. One son, now arrived at manhood, blesses the happy union. Inheriting
refined and artistic tastes, and encouraged by her husband, she devoted close
attention to painting and crayon portraiture, under excellent teachers, for
the years succeeding her marriage, and has become one of the best instructors
in her specialties, in New Hampshire, and one of the Granite state. She
sketches from nature almost invariably, and adds to her unusually correct
drawing a fine sense of the fitness of things, and an enviable eye for color.
With the magic of her brush, a scene which has pleased us is set again
before us, in outline true, and in its own beauty of tint; still may we feel
the charm of flower and leaf, the glowing sphere from the willing tree, and
the lesser globe and oval, from shrubs here and there invite us, and still
does the fruit of the vine hold the delicacy of its virgin bloom; while every
accessory of a picture has received its meed of attention from the
conscientious artist. Yet not through all these comes her chief pleasure,
for more than the simple delight of the eye is the recalling of the features
of those whom we "have loved long since, yet lost awhile," in which Mrs.
Safford is especially gifted, working often from the faint shadows of some
old and imperfect portrait, and completing a likeness which is priceless.
Any good artist may portray well from life, but one whose intution of the
spirit is allied to the skill of eye and hand offers to us the gift of
genius.
This wonderful file, a rare find, was submitted by Michelle McKenzie who at some personal cost donates them to share with you. Pictures scanned by Michelle McKenzie;
text transcribed by C. ParzialeBack to Main Page