LIBRARY NOTES
An Old Trustee Gains a New Look
Monday, January 1, 2007
Head Librarian Mark Bartlett and Events Coordinator Sara Elliott Holliday
with Molly and William Ambler and the portrait they restored.
Visiting the Reference Room, member
William Nash Ambler noticed an elegant portrait
of Frederic de Peyster, severely darkened by age
and dirt. He was particularly struck by the portrait
because he is a descendant of de Peyster, and because
his wife, Molly Ott Ambler, works with many art
restorers. The Amblers contacted Library staff and
arranged for artist and conservator Simon Parkes
to clean and restore the painting. Its return put the
finishing touch on the refinishing of the room over
the summer. The Library is grateful to the Amblers
for seeing both a need and a solution, and we are
proud to have a unique historical item beautifully
restored.
The Hon. Frederic de Peyster, LL.D. (1796-1882)
was a Library trustee and chairman for many years
and an enormous influence on the institution in the
distinction of its activities and the friendliness of its
tone at that time.
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