Antique Oval Frame with 1890s Portrait of Carrie Barrell Jennings + Hidden Cupid Lithograph

This antique oval frame holds more than meets the eye. On display is a sepia portrait of Carrie Barrell Jennings, wife of John G. Jennings, married in Sangamon County, Illinois in 1886. A handwritten family note affixed to the back documents her lineage, connecting her to multiple generations of the Jennings family.

Behind the portrait, the frame still holds its original chromolithograph filler print — “Cupid Awake” (1897), published by the Taber Prang Art Co. of Springfield, Massachusetts. These charming Cupid prints were commonly sold with frames in the late 19th century, but rarely survive in place. Together, they create a layered snapshot of Victorian life: a ready-made art print re-purposed to preserve a family’s treasured likeness.

The oval frame itself (approx. 7.5" x 5.5") retains its warm gilt finish with visible age and patina, adding to its authentic antique appeal. The portrait and lithograph are both intact; the frame shows expected surface wear from more than a century of history.

✨ A rare chance to own not just an antique portrait with documented provenance, but also a hidden late-Victorian art print that has quietly endured for over 125 years.

Dimensions & Details:

• Frame: 7.5" H x 5.5" W

• Weight: 6 oz

• Materials: Wood frame with gilt finish, glass front

• Portrait: Sepia photograph with handwritten family note

• Hidden print: Cupid Awake lithograph, Taber Prang Art Co., copyright 1897

• Condition: Surface wear and patina consistent with age; glass intact; backboard stable