Posted 15 days ago
kwqd
(1175 items)
This painting is an oil on artist board and, minus frame, measures 14" x 18". The frame appears to be the original frame. The artist was Viva McIntyre Tiffin. A thrift shop find many years ago. I just came across it while going through a stack of paintings in my storage area. During my research, I discovered that Viva and her husband Thomas were my distant cousins.
Viva was born in 1892 in Macoupin County, IL. She was married to Thomas Orville Tiffin on Christmas Day in 1917 in Normal, IL. They may have met at what is now Illinois State University though neither completed a single year of college. They had two children, a still born daughter Harriett Joan in 1919, and a son Thomas Harold, who died in 1934 at the age of 10 years seven months in Ft. Meyers, Florida of heart complications brought on by sinusitis. His death certificate said his heart issues were chronic so the family may have been vacationing when he died. The death certificate gave his place of residence as Monticello, IL.
Thomas was working as a school supply salesman in 1920, owner of an auto dealership in 1930 and as the manager of a parts department at a garage in 1940 and 1950, all in Illinois. They brought Viva's father into their home after the death his wife in the 1930s and he lived with them until after 1950. Viva is never listed with an occupation in census records.
It is not unusual to come across work by women artists after 1900 who had no children and husbands with substantial occupations. Viva was a bit different as neither she or her husband were educated beyond graduating from high school, though not many women graduated from high school before 1920. Thomas was not occupied in the types of work that seemed to offer them a lot of resources, though he owned the home they lived in. This house still stands and is a substantial, four bedroom home. At the time the Tiffins first lived there, it was on the outskirts of the city. It was built in 1925.
Judging by this painting, Viva spent considerable effort to develop her talent, though was still an amateur artist. I can find no reference to her training or work as an artist. I suspect that she had some training and perhaps belonged to a local art society or club. If not for census records, however, and this painting, her work would likely be forgotten. Thomas Tiffin lived to be nearly 100 years old. Viva died in 1963 and Thomas in 1984.
This was a fun research opportunity.
That is some research. Perhaps not the most exciting life but then most of us do not tend to have exciting lives.
It has it's appeal..nice history.
Thanks for checking out my VMT painting, WhenIsraelbelieves, dav2no1, mikelv85, Jenni, vcal, fortapache, Vintagelady10dogs, Kevin and Vynil33rpm!
Thanks for your comments, fortapache and dav2no1! One of my favorite things is to research and document obscure artists.
I Googled the name, and it came up in Family Search, a genealogy website which I use to track down my own old relatives. I'm not certain if she's the same person or not, only the maiden name and married names match and maybe that was just a lucky coincidence lol!
This is all it said about her.
When Viva McIntyre was born on 5 February 1892, in Illinois, United States, her father, Hugh Abraham McIntyre, was 23 and her mother, Harriet F. Trout, was 25. She married Thomas Orville Tiffin on 25 December 1917, in Normal, McLean, Illinois, United States. They were the parents of at least 1 son. She lived in Litchfield, Montgomery, Illinois, United States in 1910 and Monticello, Piatt, Illinois, United States in 1930. She died on 10 January 1963, in Bloomington, McLean, Illinois, United States, at the age of 70, and was buried in Bloomington, McLean, Illinois, United States.
I signed in, looked her up and found a couple things someone in her family had posted.
https://freeimage.host/i/2dcneWl
https://freeimage.host/i/2dcoIIf
I just figured out why her name came up in my family search so easily. She's a distant relative of mine. She was the daughter of some old, (unkwn to me) relative of my father's named Jane Lady of Rathfarnham
That was me who added those memories, John. I adopted Thomas and Viva since they died without issue. Note my user name in those memories as submitter. I am supposedly distantly related to both Thomas and Viva, though I do not consider that to be proved. Both lineages are pretty fanciful and much work would need to done to prove a relationship in primary records, if that could even be done. I maintain my line on Family Search and Wikitree. At any rate, it earned this painting a place on the wall in one of my homes.
Thank you for the reply, kwqd.
I can't say for sure if I'm really related to her or not, she's just included in my family tree, on my father's side for whatever reason. I mostly research relatives I know of via other relatives, just up to a certain point and my father never mentioned her, so it was a surprise when I discovered her on the tree having looked her up because of your post.
It is a nice painting, enjoy!
Thanks for checking out Viva's painting, PhilDMorris, Drake47, rgrebov, Leelani, Merrill33, sherrilou, Reise and kev123!