Janean, Thanks for clarification on this. Henry Clay was a of course a descendent of the emigrant John Clay, and anyone descending from that line is eligible for sundry lineage societies including yours truly (who has never acted upon it.) [This makes miss all the more the late Robert Young Clay, former cheif archivist of the Virginia State Library-now Library of Virginia. Suffice it to say I greatly miss Robert Young Clay. I'm sure many of you do too. Back to the portrait: It truly is a great piece of Americana folk art. I am very glad it is now hanging in a museum in Texas (though I think it should be hanging Kentucky, but hey, their loss) Craig On Apr 3, 2011, at 12:04 PM, Janean Ray wrote: > It wasn't owned by the museum in Texas at the time it was shown on the > Roadshow. The museum contacted the show after the fact. Here are some > notes about that. > > July 15, 2009 > > FORT WORTH, TX.- When The Illustrious Guest (1847) appeared on the PBS > program Antiques Roadshow earlier this year, appraiser Alan Fausel of the > Bonhams auction house said the painting "could hang in a museum." Now it is > on display. The 19th-century painting by James Henry Beard depicts legendary > Kentucky statesman Henry Clay (1777-1852) as a guest at a country tavern > while on the campaign trail. The work is on long-term loan to the Amon > Carter Museum by a private collector. > <snip>