Mechanics Hall Portraits: Clara Barton

Clara Barton (1821-1912) cared for the wounded during the Civil War. Inspired by the work of the International Red Cross in Europe, she founded and was president of the American Red Cross for twenty-three years. Born in Oxford, Massachusetts, her lifelong love of learning and her passionate interest in education resulted in her establishing one of the first public schools in New Jersey. She went to work for the US Patent Office where she was reputedly the first woman hired for a government job. Witnessing the almost total lack of first-aid facilities during the Civil War, she spearheaded an effort to provide supplies to hospitals and battlefield camps. After the War she headed the government's Missing Soldiers Office tracking down thousands of lost soldiers and contacting their families.

About the Artist: Clara Barton's portrait is the work of Daniel E. Greene. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Mr. Greene was educated at the Art Academy of Cincinnati and the Art Students League of New York. Currently living in North Salem, New York, he has exhibited internationally and his paintings are in over 500 public and private collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. He has received numerous awards including election to the National Academy of Design, the American Artist's Magazine's first life time achievement award in the category of oil painting, and the John Singer Sargent Award for life long dedication to the achievement of excellence in portraiture from the American Society of portrait artists. Greene's "Urban Realism" series exhibited in 1992 and 1994 received international media attention. In May of 1998 he presented Hillary Rodham Clinton with a pastel portrait of Eleanor Roosevelt in a special White House ceremony.