KDHM Artifact Corner: WW1 Photograph

Our Artifact Corner takes a closer look at the history behind a WW1 photograph.

https://www.kentdelordhouse.org/

Hi everyone and welcome back to another artifact corner. Today we will be looking at a photograph taken during the First World War. This is a picture of William Davenport Platt. Platt was not a native to Plattsburgh, he was raised in Baltimore Maryland, but had many relatives here in Plattsburgh. So, why do we have his picture in our home? In digging through newspaper archives, we found an article from The Plattsburgh sentinel dated the 15th of February, 1918 which might shed some light on why we have Williams portrait.

Here is a excerpt from that article: “The visit of Mr. Platt to the Delord house was memorable in several ways. It was on the afternoon of September 26, 1916, and chanced to be when the treasured geraniums were being taken from the garden beds and placed in their winter quarters. Rain fell heavily and after seeing as much of the old house as the darkness of the afternoon permitted Mr. Platt remained to talk of local history. Learning that he was a portrait painter, his opinion was asked in regard to some of the portraits in the Blue Room. The water color or pastel of Joseph Webb, host of Washington, claimed his special attention and a light was brought that he might examine the workmanship more thoroughly. The flaws in the glass suggested to him that the glass was the original. On being asked if there was anything in the portraits of Judge and Madam Delord to show that they were painted by different artists, he replied, "No, but to an artist the portrait of the Judge would appear unfinished for it has none of the highlights so conspicuous in the portrait of Madam." The portraits he took from the wall and out of their frame: hoping to find the artists' signature.”

So we know William visited the Delord home in 1916, but what happened to William? The article goes on to explain his fate. “With genuine sorrow it has been learned that January 26, 1918, in an air raid at Mestre on the Italian frontier, Willam Davenport Platt, a talented artist and musician of Baltimore and a well-remembered guest at the Delord house, gave his life in freedom's cause. Another immortal name is thus added to the honor roll of this house of cherished memories. Platt and Fairchild decided to go to the aid of the probable victims, the two latter going ahead of the ambulance on their motorcycle. Just as the courtyard of the hospital was reached five bombs fell, killing four persons and wounding a number of patients. The Americans were killed outright.” The article also published a poem written for William by his friend Robert Garland, here is an excerpt: “I pray that on the night before you died, O Sole Mio soared beneath the stars, that throb above the sweet Venetian plain, and maybe, in that poignant happy hue, you thought of us at home. Do you remember, just before you sailed, how you and I, puffed at our cigarettes and laughed and spoke, about Democracy, spoke jestingly, because it meant so much to both of us? Through night and day keep ever at our side, We’re coming comrade, coming millions strong, so all the world may know, that you have not laid down your life in vain.”

William Platt died and was buried in Mestre Italy, but his visit to the Delord home and Plattsburgh stayed with the community. The Delord family always respected and honored members of our military, from Henry Delord offering credit in his store to the troops stationed in Plattsburgh during the War of 1812 to Reverend Frank Hall wining the Congressional Medal of Honor for his bravery at the Battle of Fredericksburg. Keeping a portrait of William and honoring the memory of a fallen soldier is something our family would have done with pride. The portrait is is great condition, and we are so lucky to have it in our collections. Thanks so much for stopping by.

The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Sunny Morning by MusicLFiles
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/7813-sunny-...
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://cemmusicproject.wixsite.com/m...