Sallie White portrait
A portrait of Sallie White, wife of William Allen White, hangs in the stairway at Red Rocks State Historic Site. The portrait of Sallie as a young woman was so dark, it was nearly impossible to view any details.
Three members of the Kansas Historical Foundation Board of Directors joined together to donate funds for the conservation. This important life-sized portrait, which has been restored, is again on display in Emporia.
The Honorable Paul Buchanan, J. Eric Engstrom, and Hal Ross, all of Wichita, donated the nearly $4,000 to conserve the painting. “We have been working on a new tour and enhanced visitor experiences at Red Rocks,” said Jennie Chin, executive director of the Kansas Historical Society. “The painting of Sallie White, hanging on the second floor of the house had become darkened over time. We identified this conservation as one of our needs for the site.”
The three Wichita board members quickly became interested in assisting with the effort. “We were familiar with the work of conservator Peggy Van Witt,” said J. Eric Engstrom. “She was one of the reasons we felt comfortable with the project.”
Please contact Wade Wallace, wwallace@kshistory.org, or 785-272-8681, ext. 210, for more information, or make a donation through our Museum Store Online.
