ALFRED JACOB MILLER (American, 1810-1875). BURNING OF STIEFFS FACTORY, BALTIMORE STREET, titled, dated Dec. 10th 59 and inscribed "Sketched at night" in pencil lower margin. Pastel on paper. Accompanied by mat listing prior exhibition sites, including "Walters Art Gallery - Peale Museum - Maryland Historical Society - Listed 'Amon Carter' Catalog" - Unframed, 5 in. x 8 in. Estimate $3,000-5,000
Note: Charles Maximilian Stieff emigrated from Germany to Baltimore in 1831, to where he began to import pianos eleven years later. The success of other Baltimore piano manufacturers motivated Stieff to travel to Europe where he studied the methods of the best piano manufactuers. Stieff returned to Baltimore and opened the Stieff Piano Factory which manufactured pianos for the next one hundred years. Stieff''s grandson established the renowned Stieff Silver Company in 1892, which purchased Samuel Kirk & Son, Inc. in 1979 and changed the firm''s name to The Kirk Stieff Company.
