Oil on canvas in a fine carved and gilded frame,
dated 1931, 48” x 37”
Artist: Joseph B. Kahill

Henry B. Cleaves served as Governor of Maine from 1893 to 1897 and established, by bequest, the law library bearing his and his brother Nathan’s names. After Henry and Nathan passed, their sister, Mary S. Mason, intended to commission portraits of both brothers but died before doing so. In 1931, the Cumberland Bar Association fulfilled her wishes by commissioning the paintings, which were approved by Mary’s husband before being displayed in the library.

Oil on canvas in a fine carved and gilded frame,
dated 1931, 48” x 37”
Artist: Joseph B. Kahill

Completed in 1931, this portrait of Nathan Cleaves, who served as a Probate Court Judge from 1876 to 1880, hung alongside his brother Henry’s portrait in Cleaves Law Library, then located in the federal courthouse. After the Accord of 1933, which combined the Cleaves Law Library and Greenleaf Law Library, both paintings were moved to the state courthouse, where they continue to honor the brothers whose names the library bears.

Oil on canvas in a fine carved and gilded frame,
dated 1935, 24” x 20”
Artist: Joseph B. Kahill

A prominent banker and Maine legislator, William W. Mason was the brother-in-law of Nathan and Henry Cleaves and the executor of Henry’s will. In recognition of his contributions to the library, his portrait was added to the library in 1935 and described at the time as an excellent likeness of a man who had proved himself a great benefactor of the institution.

Oil on canvas in a gold painted cove frame,
circa 1860, 30” x 25”
Artist: Unknown (American School 19th century)

Thomas Amory Deblois served as U.S. Attorney for Maine from 1849 to 1853 and practiced law in partnership with Samuel Fessenden for more than three decades. Following his death in 1867, the Cumberland Bar Association held a special meeting to honor Deblois, who had been a member for more than fifty years.

In 2022, his portrait underwent conservation to repair tears and water damage. The restoration was made possible through the generosity of Drummond Woodsum and its support for the preservation of the library’s fine art collection.

Oil on canvas in a flat frame painted gold,
dated 1912, 30” x 25”
Artist: Joseph B. Kahill

Nathan Webb, who served as judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine from 1882 to 1902, was a longtime supporter of the library. In 1946, his daughter, Mrs. Latham True, donated this portrait to the Cumberland Bar Association, which is a copy of the original portrait hanging in the federal courthouse.

The painting has suffered a substantial tear, and the library hopes to raise the $5,750 needed for its conservation.

Oil on canvas in a gold cove frame,
dated 1896, 30” x 25”
Artist: J.E. Barclay

A Maine attorney and public servant, Bion Bradbury practiced law in Calais before moving to Portland in 1864. He served multiple terms in the state legislature and participated in national political conventions. His death was acknowledged by the Cumberland Bar Association at its meeting on July 2, 1887.

Pastel on paper under glass in a gold reproduction frame, dated 1908, 29” x 22”
Artist: Joseph B. Kahill

Thomas H. Haskell served as an Associate Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court from 1884 to 1900 and was a longtime trustee and devoted supporter of the Greenleaf Law Library, a predecessor of the Cleaves Law Library. Following Haskell’s death, his widow donated his personal law library and a portrait by Delbert Dana Coombs. That portrait was destroyed in the 1908 Portland City Hall fire where the library was then located. The Cumberland Bar Association later acquired a new portrait by Joseph B. Kahill for the Supreme Judicial Court courtroom, together with this preparatory pastel study displayed in Cleaves Law Library. Haskell’s contributions to the library were also recognized during memorial proceedings held on August 7, 1901. The memorial was introduced by Henry B. Cleaves who was president of the Cumberland Bar Association.

Oil on canvas in a gold frame,
dated 1957, 36” x 25.5”
Artist: Vivian Milner Akers

William B. Nulty served as Associate Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court from 1949 until his death in 1953. A member of the Cumberland Bar Association, Nulty was also a generous benefactor of the Cleaves Law Library, providing significant financial support for the library through his will.

In recognition of his judicial service and generosity, the Cumberland Bar Association commissioned this portrait, which was unveiled during a special session of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court on February 11, 1958. Nearly 100 judges, attorneys, former students and friends attended the ceremony. The portrait was installed in the library following the ceremony.

Oil on canvas in a painted oval opening frame,
circa 1860, 26.5” x 21”
Artist: Unknown

Nathaniel S. Littlefield was a Bridgton attorney whose public career included service as the town’s postmaster, President of the Maine Senate, and two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Cumberland Bar Association announced his passing at its meeting on August 18, 1882.

Oil on canvas in a gilded and molded frame,
circa 1847-1848, 30” x 25”
Artist: Chester Harding

Daniel Webster was one of the most prominent American lawyers, orators, and statesmen of the nineteenth century, serving in the U.S. Senate and twice as Secretary of State. This portrait was painted by Chester Harding, one of the leading American portrait artists of his time. According to historical records, Joshua Seward, a Boston livery stable owner and friend of both Webster and Harding, commissioned the painting, and Webster personally sat for the artist. The portrait was purchased in 1887 by lawyer Cyrus Woodman, and his son Edward Woodman (also a lawyer) donated it to the Cumberland Bar Association in 1939.

Webster’s connection to the library extends beyond the portrait itself. In 1837, Webster appeared opposite Simon Greenleaf before the United States Supreme Court in Charles River Bridge v. Warren Bridge—a landmark case concerning the constitutional protection of corporate charters in which the oral argument spanned five days. Greenleaf’s personal law library is part of Cleaves Law Library’s collection.

The portrait is temporarily unavailable for display while undergoing conservation.

Oil on canvas in a gold painted cove frame,
circa 1911, 66.25” x 40.25”
Artist: Joseph B. Kahill

Prentiss Mellen was the first Chief Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, following a term in the United States Senate representing Massachusetts. He also served as a trustee of Bowdoin College and, after retiring from the bench, chaired the commission responsible for revising and codifying Maine’s statutes in 1840.

His connection to the library dates to March 8, 1811, when he and twenty other members of the bar pledged financial support to increase and preserve the institution then known as the “Cumberland Law Library.” A century later, his great-granddaughter, Margaret D.G. Bursley, commissioned this portrait using an earlier family portrait and engravings as references. The Cumberland Bar Association accepted her gift on December 11, 1911, and arranged for the painting to be displayed in the Supreme Judicial Court courtroom.

Oil on canvas in a stepped frame painted gold,
dated 1943, 49.5” x 37”
Artist: Joseph B. Kahill

Scott Wilson was appointed to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court as an Associate Justice in 1918 and then as Chief Justice from 1925 to 1929, when President Hoover appointed Wilson to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. A longtime member of the Cumberland Bar Association, Wilson offered his portrait to the Association in 1940. His son, Nathaniel Wilson, formally presented the painting on his behalf. The painting is on display in the Supreme Judicial Court courtroom.

Oil on canvas in a fine carved and gilded frame,
dated 1921, 50” x 45”
Artist: Giovanni Troccoli

William L. Putnam was a prominent attorney, politician, and federal judge who served on the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. This portrait was donated to the Cumberland Bar Association and accepted at its meeting on March 11, 1921, on the condition that the portrait be displayed in the federal courthouse in Portland, where it remains to this day.