Julius Gray

Julius, Emma’s husband, was an accomplished man in Greensboro who was well-known across North Carolina. He was a founder of the Chamber of Commerce in Greensboro, and was also the president of both the Cape Fear and Yadkin Valley Railroad and the South Carolina-Central Pacific Railway Company. Browne painted his portrait around 1869, and the artist was able to capture Gray’s respected demeanor. One interesting aspect of Julius, and also Emma’s, portrait is that the frame maker’s sticker remain attached to the back of the frame (see image below). Thomas Hooper, of New York, made the frames; their gilded design and red stencil pattern make them unique in Blandwood’s collection.

Detail of Frame        Thomas Hooper’s Sticker