- Joined
- May 12, 2010
- Location
- Now Florida but always a Kentuckian
Katherine Helm was the daughter of Confederate General Ben Hardin Helm and Emile Todd Helm, who was the half-sister of Mary Todd Lincoln. Katherine was most well known for her portrait of Mary Todd Lincoln which now hangs in the White House.
This portrait was painted based on how she imagined her aunt looked at Lincoln's inauguration in 1861. She was also known for portraits of governors and other heroes of the South. She did them from both photographs and her imagination.
Miss Helm studied art at the Art Student's League in New York City. She maintained an art studio in New York City for several years. In 1912 she returned to Kentucky and painted at Helm Place on Bowman's Mill Road until her death in 1937.
Many of Miss Helm's works were displayed in the Kentucky Building at the World's Fair in Saint Louis.
Katherine Helm also wrote a biography on Mary Lincoln. It is "The True Story of Mary, Wife of Lincoln". It was based on information from her mother and diaries and letters of the Todd family. Katherine Helm visited the Lincolns at the White House when her mother was there after the death of General Helm.
This portrait was painted based on how she imagined her aunt looked at Lincoln's inauguration in 1861. She was also known for portraits of governors and other heroes of the South. She did them from both photographs and her imagination.
Miss Helm studied art at the Art Student's League in New York City. She maintained an art studio in New York City for several years. In 1912 she returned to Kentucky and painted at Helm Place on Bowman's Mill Road until her death in 1937.
Many of Miss Helm's works were displayed in the Kentucky Building at the World's Fair in Saint Louis.
Katherine Helm also wrote a biography on Mary Lincoln. It is "The True Story of Mary, Wife of Lincoln". It was based on information from her mother and diaries and letters of the Todd family. Katherine Helm visited the Lincolns at the White House when her mother was there after the death of General Helm.