The sitter photographed in middle age.
Apparently originally from Baltimore, but after her marriage lived at 16 East 72 Street, New York. Marie Yates Stirling (born July 19, 1870) was the daughter of Rear Admiral Yates Stirling, Jr., and Ellen (Haley) Stirling. She married James Lee Tailer (1870-1918), son of Robert Tailer, of New York in 1894. She and her husband (who died in 1918, aged 47), a first cousin of T. Suffern Tailer, summered frequently at Richfield Springs at an estate called Bella Vista. In 1929 they lived at 126 East 63rd Street, New York. She died on 10 November 1943.
In 1915 their daughter Marie Tailer married Stuart Bryce Wing (1890-1975), son of Mr and Mrs L. Stuart Wing of New York; her uncle gave her away and was Lieut. Commander Yates Stirling Jr, the son of Rear-Admiral and Mrs Yates Stirling. Her paternal grandfather was Robert W. Tailer. Harvey Ladew was one of the ushers at the St. James Episcopal Church, Madison Avenue. She made a second marriage to H. Granger Gaither (1886-1964) by whom she had a daughter Marie Tailer Gaither (1895-1954).
Her brothers were Rear Admiral Yates Stirling, Jr., who commanded the Yangtze Patrol of the United States Asiatic Fleet; Commander Archibald Stirling, Executive Officer of the USS Florida of the Atlantic Fleet; her sisters were Mrs. J. Penbroke Thom and Miss Helen Stirling of Baltimore.
She was also painted in watercolour miniature by Carl Weidner (1865-1906), a gift of the estate of Peter Marié in 1905 to the New York Historical Society.
The New York Times, March 2, 1897, described it as having ‘…excellent painting of details and of texture…’ As it was a three quarter length according to the newpaper, it is possible that the photograph reproduced here – if it is indeed a portrait by Muller-Ury – is actually cropped.
