[Keith H. Thompson]

This portrait of Sam Thompson has no family history to my knowledge and research, but it looks authentic to me, and I put the date anytime after 1888 when the Dauvray Cup Medals were distributed. As an aside, I will mention that my family donated Sam's actual Dauvray Cup Medal to the HOF in 1974. As a boy, I remember seeing in it in its original blue silken case on my mother's sewing machine. It was kept in Sam's gold lined, solid silver trophy awarded to him by the Philadelphia fans for winning a contest for "the most valuable" player. This trophy was on prominent display at the HOF the last time I was there, and the medal has been seen on traveling exhibition.

I believe the case may be made that the portrait under consideration in this thread was inspired by and almost certainly commissioned by Aunt Ida, either while they were "engaged" or shortly after their marriage in 1888. Ida Mareska came from a socially prominent family in Detroit. Sam came from a rural upbringing, and (in my opinion) the idea of sitting for a portrait in formal attire in his Dauvray Cup Medal would not have been original with him.

My great interest in this portrait is that it may be the only original interpretation by any contemporary of Sam's eye and hair color. I personally feel that it is not a very good likeness. My first thought was -- "that's Uncle Cy!"