Judge Thomas Waties

Charles Fraser, Judge Thomas Waties, 1820, watercolor on ivory, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Catherine Walden Myer Fund, 1934.5.1
Copied Charles Fraser, Judge Thomas Waties, 1820, watercolor on ivory, sight 3 3⁄4 x 3 1⁄8 in. (9.5 x 7.8 cm) oval, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Catherine Walden Myer Fund, 1934.5.1
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Judge Thomas Waties
Artist
Date
1820
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
sight 3 3⁄4 x 3 1⁄8 in. (9.5 x 7.8 cm) oval
Credit Line
Museum purchase through the Catherine Walden Myer Fund
Mediums
Mediums Description
watercolor on ivory
Classifications
Subjects
  • Occupation — law — judge
  • Portrait male — Waties, Thomas — bust
Object Number
1934.5.1
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1934.5.1

Artwork Description

Thomas Waties (1760-1828) was a native of Georgetown, South Carolina, who rose to prominence as a lawyer and jurist. During the American Revolution, he was captured on a ship and sent first to England, and then to France. In Paris, he met Benjamin Franklin, who helped procure his passage back to South Carolina. In 1780, Waties served as captain under Brigadier General Francis Marion, the “Swamp Fox.” His public service included voting as part of the South Carolina Convention to ratify the federal Constitution in 1788.