Alexandrina Robertson Harris (1886–1978) was an American painter of

portrait miniature A portrait miniature is a miniature portrait painting, usually executed in gouache, watercolor, or enamel. Portrait miniatures developed out of the techniques of the miniatures in illuminated manuscripts, and were popular among 16th-century eli ...

s. Harris was born in

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...

but later emigrated to the United States. She studied at

Adelphi College Adelphi University is a private university in Garden City, New York. Adelphi also has centers in Manhattan, Hudson Valley, and Suffolk County. There is also a virtual, online campus for remote students. It is the oldest institution of higher ed ...

, receiving while there a number of prize for her work. From 1933 until 1935 she was president of the

National Association of Women Artists The National Association of Women Artists, Inc. (NAWA) is a United States organization, founded in 1889 to gain recognition for professional women fine artists in an era when that field was strongly male-oriented. It sponsors exhibitions, awards ...

, in which role she advocated for the position of the arts in American life. She was serving as president of the

American Society of Miniature Painters The American Society of Miniature Painters (ASMP) was an association of miniature painters, organized in March 1899. The ten founding members of the ASMP included Virginia Richmond Reynolds, Isaac A. Josephi, William Jacob Baer, Alice Beckington ...

at its disbandment in 1965, and in conjunction with

Rosina Cox Boardman Rosina Cox Boardman (1878–1970) was an American painter of portrait miniatures and botanical illustrations. Early life Born in New York City in 1878, Boardman was a descendant of several of the oldest families in the state, including the Livin ...

arranged the presentation of twenty-two works by its members to the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

. Harris was serving as a vice-president of the Brooklyn Society of Artists in 1919; three years later she received the Charlotte Richie Smith Memorial Prize for a portrait miniature from the

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

Water Color Club. Harris is represented in the collections of the

Smithsonian American Art Museum The Smithsonian American Art Museum (commonly known as SAAM, and formerly the National Museum of American Art) is a museum in Washington, D.C., part of the Smithsonian Institution. Together with its branch museum, the Renwick Gallery, SAAM holds o ...

by three miniature portraits, all in watercolor on ivory. One, from about 1920, depicts ''Professor J.B. Whittaker'', under whom she had studied at Adelphi College; the other two depict ''

Amelia Earhart Amelia Mary Earhart ( , born July 24, 1897; disappeared July 2, 1937; declared dead January 5, 1939) was an American aviation pioneer and writer. Earhart was the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She set many oth ...

'' (c. 1935) and ''

Jacqueline Cochran Jacqueline Cochran (May 11, 1906 – August 9, 1980) was an American pilot and business executive. She pioneered women's aviation as one of the most prominent racing pilots of her generation. She set numerous records and was the first woman to br ...

'' (c. 1950) A 1937 work in the same medium, ''Portrait of Mrs. Amorette Frazer'', is held by the

Brooklyn Museum The Brooklyn Museum is an art museum located in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. At , the museum is New York City's second largest and contains an art collection with around 1.5 million objects. Located near the Prospect Heights, Crown H ...

References

1886 births 1978 deaths American portrait painters Portrait miniaturists 20th-century American painters 20th-century American women painters Artists from Aberdeen Scottish emigrants to the United States Adelphi University alumni {{US-painter-1880s-stub