Susan Huldah Forbes, niece of painter John Trumbull, married Benjamin Silliman in 1840, and gave birth to seven children. Her husband became an editor of the American Journal of Science, established the School of Applied Chemistry at Yale University in 1847 (now known as the Sheffield School of Science), and was a founding member of the National Academy of Sciences. Mr. Silliman’s greatest accomplishment is considered to have been his groundbreaking research in the early years of the petroleum industry. Mrs. Silliman is shown here in modest day wear. The frilled bonnet and decorative lace collar frame the sitter’s face, contrasting with her strong and intelligent features.
