Tiles, hand-painted by Mary Ann Hodgson Collins (Mrs. Edward H. Collins). The OH ledger notes that the tiles depict reproductions of David Copperfield. The catalog card notes that they were done after D. K. Brown's (Hablot Knight Browne (Phiz)) illustrations from 1850. Further research indicates that the images were actually done after Fred Barnard's images in the Household Edition, London: Chapman and Hall, 1871-1879. This date fits better with the time period the pieces were done (1889) and the imagery better matched the illustrations on the tiles.
See file for additional information., Mary Ann Hodgson Collins
Biographical Sketch
By Alisa Zahller and Leigh Jeremias
January 21, 2015
Mary Ann Hodgson Collins (1839-1928) was the youngest child born to Margaret Potts Hodgson and John Hodgson: her siblings were Elizabeth J. (1834-1858), Joseph H. (1835-1911), and William G. Hodgson (1838- ). Born in Essex County New York in 1839, Mary came to Colorado in 1861 with her brothers Joseph and William Hodgson—Colorado Pioneers of 1859— her mother Margaret and sister-in-law Lucretia. In 1863, she traveled back to New York but health issues resulted in a permanent move to Colorado a short time later.
In 1865 Mary Hodgson married Edward H. Collins in Arapahoe, Colorado. Mary and Edward Collins had no children. In 1876, she took her first art lesson in landscape painting with W. F. Porter, a landscape painter who also taught Helen Chain. A few years later she started teaching painting and drawing. Known for her floral compositions, she also painted landscapes. Inspiration for her work came for Colorado scenes and also her travels in Europe. A member of Denver’s art community she was friends with fellow women artists Henrietta Bromwell and Luella (Varney) Serras.
Luella (Verney) Serras was a Christian Science student of Mr. and Mrs Collins. After recovering from tuberculosis, both Mary and Edward became Christian Scientists. Established as an official religion by Mary Baker Eddy in 1879, Christian Science practitioners take inspiration from the bible; believe in God and His son Christ and among other beliefs, that natural healing can occur through prayer. In Colorado the Christian Science movement gained momentum, when in 1885 a class on the religion was taught in a Denver home. Other classes followed. In 1887, Mary and Edward Collins attended a class taught by Mary baker Eddy—documents held by the Mary Baker Eddy library in Boston show that Mary and Edward Collins were students of Baker, corresponding with her in the late 1880s. Of particular note to the History Colorado Collins collection is correspondence regarding portrait busts of Eddy by Luella (Varney) Serras. By 1888, there were enough followers in Denver to form a local organization and by 1891 this organization was incorporated as a church. By 1900, Christian Science was one of the fastest growing religions the United States.
After the death of her husband in 1900, Mary Collins continued to paint and practice her faith as a Christian Scientist. By 1910, at the age of 68, she was living with her brother Joseph Hodgson and sister-in-law Lucretia at 2927 Champa Street. This house still stands in Denver. Mary Collins died on January 18, 1928; she was 89. Mary Ann Hodgson Collins is buried at Fairmont Cemetery in Denver.