Rescued 100+ year old photo...hidden behind a needlepoint sampler, needs a home!

While at an auction this Summer, I was bidding on some large frames and prints... Winning the bid, I had my choice of items and I picked a number of antique prints... I chose this one because I liked the large old frame, not so much caring for the modern piece of needlepoint that was framed... but deciding I could use it to frame something else.

After I got it home and got to looking at it closer, I noticed on the back there was some writing.... Which I thought was odd, because while the frame was clearly antique, the needlepoint sampler looked to be from the 1960s or after....

"Adolph Ferdinand Billet

Born April 7, 1887

Died July 8, 1898

only son of Adolph & Emilie Billet

and four sisters Clara, Emma, Alma and Lynda"

The writing was a name and birth/death dates for a young child. At this point I began to suspect there was more to this "sampler" than I first thought.





And so I began to take it apart... and what I found underneath this mid-century piece of needlepoint was a lovely antique portrait!

Adolph Billet

While this young boy would have no descendants, I'm hoping there might be a Billet relative out there who would treasure this large portrait, that deserves to be displayed and not hidden & used as backing!

It seems that this family lived near Good Thunder, in Blue Earth County, Minnesota. Hopefully there is someone out there that wants to add this portrait to their family archive!