Exceptional matte-finish 4.5 x 6.25 H. Walter Barnett portrait of Twain, affixed to its original 9.5 x 12 photographer's mount, signed and inscribed in fountain pen below the image, "Mark Twain, In reverent memory of John Garth, and an unbroken friendship of 55 years. June, 1902." In very good to fine condition, with scattered light creasing, and small tears and chips to the edges of the mount.
Often cited as inspiration for the character of Tom Sawyer, John Garth met young Samuel Clemens as a grade school classmate and remained a close friend until his death in 1899. As the author's popularity soared, he sent copies of his books directly to Woodside, Garth's summerhouse in Hannibal, Missouri—a familiar vacation spot for Clemens throughout the 1870s and 1880s. Three years after Garth's death, Clemens returned to Hannibal to his pay his respects to Garth's widow and daughter, offering this beautifully inscribed photo as a token of his remembrance.
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