 in libraries a stable source of income. So once the Rogers Act passed, the San Francisco Free Library was able to open its doors the following year in its first building, which was actually, it was a shared building. It was in a large auditorium on the second floor of Pacific Hall, which was on Bush Street just west of Kearney. So they are on the top floor. So on opening night on Saturday, June 7th, 1879, both Senator Rogers and Hallity made, there's a big party, and there also were many auspicious statements about the future of both San Francisco and the library itself. So Hallity would then spend the 80s and 90s overseeing the proliferation of his cable tramway and cable car worldwide, so he's very busy. He also headed up the Chamber of Industry, which was a progenitor to the Chamber of Commerce, and he continued serving as regent of the University of California, specifically managing the finances and also supervising the development of the Lick Observatory, the California School of Mechanical Arts, and the Wilmerding School of Industrial Arts. So he didn't slow down, backing up a little bit in time. On November 18th, 1868, he would marry Martha Woods. She was much younger then. She was the daughter of a Sacramento carpenter, and he probably met Father Woods on one of his contracting jobs. So by all accounts, they had a very happy marriage, and these obviously are portraits of their later years. And this is a wonderful shot of their family life at their summer home in Portola Valley called Eagle Home Farm. Hallity's in the center with his face turned away from the camera, and Martha is to his right. Unfortunately, they had no natural children, but they practically raised their niece Florence, who's sitting on the steps behind him, behind Hallity, and they also adopted a cousin's child, Andrew Hallity Brown, who had been raised in their household since infancy. So that's the little guy in the front. Hallity would die in his bed on April 24th, 1900. He had suffered for years from congestive heart failure and after some time he finally succumbed, leaving his wife and young son, Andrew Hallity Brown. Mrs. Hallity would outlive him by 37 years, and I just feel so sorry for her because she lost her husband in April, and within 18 months had lost her mother, and also the little boy. So this portrait was of great comfort to her. In her later years, it would hang in her bedroom at the Heritage House on Laguna Street, and that's a nursing home still there. So the portrait was painted by a family friend, Harriet Foster Beecher in early 1898. She was a student at the San Francisco Art Association, and this was one of the organizations that Hallity helped found. She would eventually paint a second portrait after Hallity's death, and that portrait resides at the Bancroft Library at the University of California. And I dare say our portrait is better because he looks more alive in this one. So Beecher, she was related to the Beecher family, Henry Ward Beecher. Lyman Beecher, yeah, Harriet Beecher Stowe. Harriet Foster Beecher would marry into the family, but I'm sure she had very interesting parties with her in-laws. She was a mover and shaker in the art world, and would be known for her plain air works. In 1915, she also was one of the very few women artists that would be selected to serve on the Panama Pacific International Expositions Advisory Committee for Western Art. All right, so a couple years ago, the library had plans to move Hallity's portrait in order to make way for the 1854 Bridgens map, and it's surrounding archival case, which you can view anytime on the second floor. So I was very concerned about this new installation and the moving of the portrait because I felt strongly that Hallity should have a good vista of at least one of the reading rooms. He has a good vista here. Anyway, when the portrait was removed, it was immediately clear that it needed some repairs. Oh, also I should say, the little label on the back was put there once the painting was finished because it debuted in Chicago at an art show, and it did a little tour and then made its way back here to San Francisco. So as you can see, and from your beautiful little program, the elaborately carved gesso frame was actually separating from the wood frame and cracked in several places, and the gold leaf was sadly discolored. But Peter Verkoven, the master gilder and frame maker of Ada Kuhl was called in to rescue our portrait, and ultimately he would re-carve and replace the missing ornamental features. He would fill in and replace the gesso ornamental frame, the sections that were missing, and he'd reapply the gold leaf, and then he refit the painting. He didn't do all that with the painting actually in the frame. He'd refit the painting with appropriate tension into the refurbished, beautiful frame. And now Mr. Hallity is set to face another hundred years with us. Thank you for hosting me tonight.