KUSSNER, Amalia - Putnam

Amelia Kussner or as her friends love to call her, “Amelia,” has just returned from South Africa where she painted the miniature of Cecil Rhodes. If the Boer prediction is correct that they will take Rhodes a prisoner, the miniature may be the last one of the famous Englishman for his friends declare that he would never survive captivity.  Amelia Kussner is known in these later days of art as  he revivalist of the miniature. The ancient and honorable little oil painting had gone out of fashion when she started it up again by painting the smallest and daintiest portraits that ever graced ivory. She declared at the time that they were little life sketches made small for convenience. They could be worn inside a watch case or placed in the tiniest photograph frame.  Peter Marie, one of the wealthiest old beaux of New York had long been collection miniatures, one of the most charming being a portrait of Mrs. Cleveland, made when she was the “girl-wife” of the President of the US.  Miss Kussner’s miniatures et other art collectors wild, and soon all the society women of the country were begging her to paint them on ivory. Miss Kussner’s harvest was a harvest for other miniature painters, for the demand became great enough to keep them all supplied with work.  For years Miss Kussner has been unable to accent half the orders sent her and it is said that now she takes her choice of patrons, selecting those who are most interesting to her.  

New York Nov 19 – Two distinguished NY young women are entrapped in the beleaguered city of Kimberley South Africa in company with Cecil Rhodes, the “diamond king,” who is worth $100,000,000.  One of the young women is Amelia Kussner of Indiana the most celebrated miniature artist in the world who has painted the portraits of New York’s noted society leaders, the famous titled beauties abroad and many of the crowned heads of Europe. The other a NY girl who is surrounded by the Boers and may become their captive is Nancy Huston Banks, the novelist, essayist and magazine writer. When Nancy Banks’ last dispatch, carried out by a native runner came from Kimberley about a week ago the town had settled down into a state of desperate siege. Starvation rations had been ordered. Four slices of bread, three tablespoonfuls of beans, three slices of bacon and one cup of coffee were the daily allowance. This is only one of the odd fortunes of war which has so suddenly befallen these two favorites of NY society, accustomed to the most agreeable luxuries of life. These plucky young women just happened to reach the war territory last month at the outbreak of hostilities. Miss Kussner had an appointment to meet Cecil Rhodes, the South African multi-millionaire at Cape Town and paint his miniature. It never occurred to her to turn back because war as about to be declared and finding that Mr. Rhodes had gone on to Kimberly, Miss Kussner and her friend cheerfully followed. Miss Nancy Banks, who went to Kimberley as a war correspondent arrived at Cape Town on the steamship Norman from London only two days before the outbreak of hostilities in the Transvaal. Miss Kussner was already in Cape Town. The two young women are most devoted friends. They started at once for Kimberley the great diamond mining town 700 miles north in the Kaffir country. Their adventures began on the train in which they went north from Cape Town. On Oct 11 when the war ultimatum expired the Boers held up their train on the frontier, but allowed it to proceed to Kimberley as only noncombatants were supposed to be aboard. When the resolute American girls arrived in Kimberley the siege had already begun. Mr. Rhodes was somewhat dismayed at the unexpected appearance of the young Americans. As the Boers had closed all avenues of retreat there was nothing to do but to welcome the visitors and Mr. Rhodes promised Miss Kussner a daily sitting. The small garrison of half a battalion of the Royal North Lancashire Regiment and 2,000 local militia troops were working night and day throwing up intrenchments on the outskirts of the town. Opposed to them were 5,000 Boers. School and churches were being prepared for hospitals.  Miners from the adjoining diamond fields were being enlisted and drilled in the streets. What had a week before been a lively mining camp like one of our own Western towns was transformed into a military post. The two American women were thus thrown at once into the most exciting scenes of war.  Nancy Banks tells, in her vivid descriptive style in one of the last newspaper ___ sent out of the besieged town how from their window sin the largest hotel of the town they could see the forces of the Boers gathering on the surrounding hills and planting batteries. Then came a still more exciting day when they saw the Boers make assault upon the town to be driven back repeatedly by the British garrison and volunteers. When these assault failed, a new terror threatened. The Boers began to drop shells which burs tin the streets and among the houses. Occasionally a shell would fall in the diamond mines where great quantities of dynamite are stores exploding these magazines with the roar as of an earthquake. Yet, under circumstances which would have inspired most women with a sickening fear, these plucky American women indulged in the pastime of picking up fragments of shells in the streets as mementoes. But Amelia Kussner did not allow the state of war to interfere with the business which took her to Kimberley. Every morning, according to a cable dispatch a week ago, at a stated hour Mr. Rhodes called and had a sitting for his portrait in miniature. The little artists certainly has had an exceptional opportunity of seeing Cecil Rhodes (survived this and on into a 2nd Boer war – heard of Rhodes scholarships, that’d be his $), called the Colossus of South Africa in his most heroic moods and doubtless she will have an interesting story to tell when she returns to the US.

Source: San Francisco Chronicle Wed 4 July 1900 Wed p 11

New Yrok, July 3 – Miss Amelia Kussner, the celebrated painter of miniatures, was married to Capt. Charles Dupont Coudert in the vestry of St. Patrick’s Cathedral this evening. Only the mothers of the bride and bridegroom, Mrs. Charles Coudert and Mrs. Kussner were present. Young Mrs. Coudert is an American woman and has painted miniatures of the leading women of NY and London society of the Prince of wales and imperial family of Russia. She is not only distinguished in her own land, but also is one of the principal miniature painters of Europe. She painted the Czar and other members of the imperial family  last summer, receiving from them handsome presents besides autograph photographs. Last autumn Miss Kussner added greatly to her reputation by making a long journey to South Africa to paint Cecil Rhodes’ miniature. When the miniature was nearly finished threatened hostilities compelled Rhodes to leave for Kimberley where he remained during the seige.  Miss Kussner left Cape Town and came here via England.  Capt. Coudert, who is perhaps 28 years old, is a son of the late Charles Coudert, a distinguished lawyer and nephew of Frederick R. Coudert. He was graduated form Columbia Univ and admitted to the bar in 1898. He gained his military title in the Spanish War. President McKinley nominated him to be commissary ,with rank of Capt. He was on duty in Washington for awhile but desired active service and at his own request was sent to the Philippines, where he served under Otis & Hall and from where he returned last Nov.

Source: Greencastle Star Press, 23 Feb 1895 p 3

Source: Terre Haute Saturday Evening Mail 27 June 1891 p 8

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