Portraits of Dr. Philip Maxwell, for whom Maxwell Street is named, and his wife Jerusha. These are believed to be their wedding portraits, attributed to portraitist Abraham G. D. Tuthill, and date to 1822. A generous donation from the Richard H. Driehaus Charitable Lead Trust, and Dr. Samuel and Mrs. Wexler, paid for their conservation and repair. The portraits were donated to the Maxwell Street Foundation by Leslie Evans in 2010, a sixth generation descendant of Philip and Jerusha Maxwell. Listen to the amazing story of how the portraits’ family identity evolved in a StoryCorps conversation between Leslie Evans, donor, and Lori Grove, president of the Maxwell Street Foundation in August 2015. (2015, RT 7:21 minutes)
This interview was conducted in the StoryCorps studio inside the Chicago Cultural Center, for the Maxwell Street Foundation. Produced by the Maxwell Street Foundation, with interviews recorded by StoryCorps, a national nonprofit whose mission is to provide Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs wth the opportunity to record, share, and preserve the stories of our lives. www.storycorps.org
2017 Update: The Maxwell portraits are currently on display at St. Ignatius College Prep, that fronts the Maxwell Street neighborhood in Chicago. St. Ignatius College Prep is located at 1076 W. Roosevelt Rd. Call (312) 421-5900 about access to view the portraits. A viewing event is planned for early September. Please contact the Maxwell Street Foundation at to learn more about the portraits, their upcoming Chicago debut at St. Ignatius College Prep in September, or to inquire about a future loan of the portraits.