Q: This picture of Robert E. Lee painted on a tin "tray-like" frame has been in my wife's family for several generations. It has the inscription "compliments of Dr. D. Jayne & Sons, Philadelphia, Pa. USA." Can you tell me the history of this antique?A: Dr. David Jayne (b.1798-d.1866) was a doctor in New Jersey who began making patent medicines in the 1830s. He moved the business to Philadelphia in 1850, where he built the tallest building in the United States. Dr. D. Jayne & Sons was founded in 1855 by Dr. Jayne, one of his sons, a nephew, and his brother-in-law. After Dr. Jayne died in 1866, the company was called Dr. D. Jayne's Family Medicines. The original medicines continued to be sold until at least the 1930s, though some of the names were changed and the ingredients modified to comply with the 1906 Food and Drug Act. Your self-framed picture on tin of Robert E. Lee in his Confederate General uniform is similar to several other versions that were made about 1863 and distributed as ads in drugstores. The 24-by-36-inch size is worth more than $800.
