A Present from L. Hine, Age 82, to Mrs. Charity Kelsey, in 1863, Very Tender Carved Pine Slide Lid Box 19th century pith painting (And holding it by the

(And holding it by the handle

and I can't help but to imagine a wife just out of the frame begging him to endure it

which would be used to tag deliveries of freshly caught fish to the businesses that would sell them--in this case a variety of fishmongers in seaport districts of Manhattan and Boston

it varies a bit in darkness but all is readable

) were presented in Josh Lowenfels booth at the 2019 Outsider Art Fair

A Present from L. Hine, Age 82, to Mrs. Charity Kelsey, in 1863, Very Tender Carved Pine Slide Lid Box 19th century pith painting (And holding it by theThe great charms of this one are a bit subtle, but it's one of my favorite recent finds. Carved into the sides of the hand carved slide lid box on one side right side up, on the other upside down is the following: A Present from L. Hine to Mrs. Charity Kelsey and BrotheR [the R at the end of the next line] My age is 82 y Born Oc 5 1781." Which would mean the box was carved in 1863. And with a nice detail of deeper carving at the spot where he carved