George Washington Whistler and Lady Whistler Haden

Auguste Edouart cut portraits of George Whistler and his daughter seven months apart but placed them on the same page in conversation with each other. Miss Whistler holds a magnifying glass in one hand, which she likely used for needlework. By the time Auguste Edouart cut Miss Whistler’s portrait, her father had set out for Russia where he served as chief engineer for the construction of the 420-mile railroad from Saint Petersburg to Moscow. Mr. Whistler was well prepared for this task. He had worked as a locomotive engineer, supervising the construction of numerous railroads and canals in the United States and had trained students at the U.S. Military Academy. Miss Whistler married Francis Seymour Haden in 1847 and lived much of her adult life in London. Her own talents included playing the piano, at which she was famously depicted by her half brother, the artist James McNeill Whistler.