Mildred Thompson, Lola Germon’s great-grandniece, later salvaged a
packet of old letters and legal documents from Laurence Brumidi’s trunk
now stored at the home of a relative, all of which helps to unravel the
tangled Brumidi story.
A deed to certain Washington property dated November 19, 1864, and
signed by Constantino Brumidi and wife, Lola V. Brumidi, is the earliest
document found containing Lola’s signature. The latest document in this
Thompson collection signed by Lola as Mrs. Brumidi is an indenture
signed by both Constantino Brumidi and Lola V. Germon Brumidi borrowing
$2,500 in 1870. The next document in point of time bearing Lola’s name
in this collection is a letter written to Mrs. Lola V. Walsh, 911 G St.,
N. W., on March 22, 1879, by a Washington lawyer announcing that he had
obtained a loan of $3,500 on the premises at 921 G St. (where the old
artist later died) and stating that since the deed conveying the
property to Lola was in his possession she could take charge of the
property and begin her repairs at once.
Sometime, then, between 1870 and 1879 Lola was evidently divorced from
the Italian artist and married to a Mr. Walsh. Tax receipts, insurance
receipts, and interest statements in this same Thompson collection,
signed by Lola and dated from 1880 to 1892 indicate that Lola V. Walsh
married a Mr. Kirkwood sometime between August 31, 1891, and August 30,
1892, at which later date a fire insurance receipt bears the signature,
Mrs. Lola V. Kirkwood.
The packet of documents from Laurence’s trunk contains also the
following valued items:
(1) Two letters written by “C. Brumidi” to the Architect of the
Capitol--one, dated August 26, 1876, and the other dated November 26,
1879, the latter being probably the last letter ever written by the
artist to the Architect. These two letters were no doubt given to
Laurence from the Brumidi file by Architect Clark himself. (2) Two
letters written to C. Brumidi by Senator Morrill of Vermont--one, dated
May 19th (probably 1865) and the other, dated June 20, 1878. (3) A
[Illustration: LOLA GERMON’S ALBUM
In the showing before you the artist and Lola focus attention to the
upper half of the right-hand page. The lower half portrays Elena
Brumidi, the artist’s daughter left behind in Italy, and the artist’s
son, Laurence, the child of his American wife Lola, in Washington. On
the left-hand page are pictures of four religious paintings. The upper
two have been identified as photographs of working sketches for Brumidi
paintings in St. Stephen’s Church, New York City, and the Cathedral of
St. Peter and St. Paul, Philadelphia. The lower two have not been
identified.]
business letter from a Washington lawyer to Laurence in Paris in 1893,
forwarding to him certain papers to be signed which would ultimately
give him $600 from his mother. (4) Laurence’s application in Washington
for a loan of $5000 in August, 1895. (5) Consummation of that $5000 loan
in September, 1895, by Laurence’s mother. (6) A letter from a London
artist to Laurence in Washington in 1897 in which the Londoner wrote, “I
hope you are increasing your bank account and that some day we will see
you back again as I suppose you long to be. Now brace up. I don’t think
you will ever be happy outside Paris or Italy.” (7) Two letters from
Lola V. Kirkwood to Laurence in Washington in 1902. (8) A photograph of
the original working sketch of the Dome Canopy. (9) An old clipping
entitled “His Wife His Model.” (10) The Bible given to C. Brumidi by the
American Bible Society when the artist landed in New York in 1852.
The two Brumidi letters kept through the years by Laurence will be
quoted in full, as they are further proof that Brumidi was paid by the
Government of the United States for his work on the Rotunda frieze
designs during his last years even when confined by illness to his
studio. Brumidi’s conscientious effort to make each day profitable to
his government as well as to himself is also a part of the following
letter: