Lang's 'great historical picture' depicts the return of the 69th Regiment, New York State Militia, to New York City in the first year of the Civil War after a three months' tour of duty at Washington, D.C., and in Virginia. The unit was organized into a regiment in 1851 and on April 23, 1861, eleven days after the outbreak of the Civil War with the firing on Fort Sumter, the Sixty-Ninth left New York to serve in response to President Abraham Lincoln's call for 75,000 militia. It was mustered into the service of the United States at Washington on May 9 and fought in the first Battle of Bull Run (Manassas) on July 21, where its commander, Colonel Michael Corcoran, was captured by the Confederates. Three days later the regiment was released by the government at the conclusion of its tour of duty and returned to New York. Lang's view was taken from Bowling Green and depicts the debarkation of the regiment from the steamer 'John Potter' at Pier No. 1, North River, at the foot of Battery Place on the morning of July 27, 1861. The Goupil exhibition leaflet states that the incident 'gave scope to the artist; allowing him to introduce the magnificent Bay of New York as seen from Bowling Green, between Castle Garden and Washington Hotel, both of these building having become celebrated from associations of the past.' Castle Garden, originally constructed as a fort, is seen at the extreme left, and at the right is Washington Hotel at the corner of Broadway and Batter Place with cheering Irish dignitaries on the balcony. The regimental parade marched up Broadway to Union Square, and then down Fourth Avenue to Grand Street where they deposited their arms at the Essex Market Armory. The regiment was mustered out of United States service on August 3, 1861, and resumed its position as an artillery regiment in the state militia doing duty as infantry. The 69th Militia was succeeded by the 69th Regiment, New York Volunteers, which was organized in New York City for three years' service (or duration of the war) as one of the regiments of the Irish Brigade in November 1861. A large number of members of the 69th Militia joined the regiment for their new war service. The 69th Volunteers left the state in November 1861 and fought in the war until honorably discharged and mustered out in Virginia in June 1865. The minutes of the Society on October 5, 1886, described Lang's 'highly artistic and carefully painted historic picture in oil' as a 'highly acceptable gift' and 'now hangs in the Hall of the Society.'

This is one of the six portraits of his eldest children James Beekman (1732-1807) commissioned from John Durand in the 1760s. Named after his paternal grandfather, William Beekman (1754-1808) lived up to the scholarly hopes his parents had for him when they commissioned this portrait. Portrayed at age thirteen, he holds a book filled with Latin text, while Virgil’s Aeneid and Ovid’s Metamorphoses sit on the shelf behind him. William graduated from “Prince Town Colledge” (now Princeton University) in 1773 and returned for an additional year of study in 1774. John Durand (1731-1805) first began working in Virginia in 1765, but by 1766 had moved to New York City to paint portraits of the Beekman children for their father. Durand’s background and training are unknown, but his use of rococo colors, interest in historical paintings and reference to his name in French lead art historians to believe he was born or trained in France. He left New York in 1768 as one of the city’s most celebrated painters and moved to Virginia, where his painting style changed. He lived in Virginia for most of the remainder of his life, though his late paintings never gained him the critical acclaim or popular response that his early New York works did. All six portraits of the Beekman children bear elaborately carved and gilded frames by the New York carver James Strachan, which are superior examples of rococo ornament, a style all the rage among the American colonial elite during the mid-eighteenth century. The children's portraits, as well as those of James Beekman and his wife, remained in the Beekman family until presented to the New-York Historical Society through the Beekman Family Association.

Elizabeth Naden lived in Boston with her stepfather, Major Abraham Mortier, and her mother, Martha Naden Mortier, before becoming the wife of John Appy in 1757. Appy, secretary to the general and judge advocate of the British Army in North America, left her a widow four years later. In 1767 she married Goldsborough Banyar, Sr., and went to live in Albany where she remained for the rest of her life.

none, see correspondence from David B. Lawall, auther of Asher B. Durand, A Documentry Catalogue of the Narrative and Landscape Paintings, 1978, NY: Garland Publishing Inc.

Evelyn Foster was born in New York, the daughter of Pell W. Foster, an engineer and manufacturer. She married Irving S. Olds on October 13, 1917. This is the second portrait Wickwire painted of her in 1931.

Washington came for three sittings in the fall of 1795 to the second floor of the American Philosophical Society building in Philadelphia where the Peale Museum was then located. This portrait remained in the Peale Museum until it was purchased at the sale of 1854 by the donor.

The subject was the son of Diedrich Meier, the burgomaster of Bremen, and Amalia (Schmidt) Meier. He immigrated to New York in 1798 established a mercantile firm which became Oelrichs and Company. Meier also served as consul to the Bremen Republic. His homestead, Willowbank, was located near the Hudson River at 119th Street.