On October 23, 1910, the Aberdeen American News reported that Frank Ashford was departing back to Paris. He had been in Aberdeen over the summer and set up a studio in the Citizens Bank Building, which would have just opened as one of the tallest buildings in South Dakota. The article reports of Ashford’s growing notoriety and described a painting of his that will be in the Paris Salon upon his return. It mentioned the painting was titled “Marguerite” and featured a beautiful woman sitting at table pulling petals off Marguerite daisies. It described the painting as vibrantly colorful.

In March of 2026, we received an email from a very helpful woman who noticed a Frank Ashford painting at an estate sale of the Women’s Club of Minneapolis. She looked up Ashford and found this website and contacted us. We arranged for a good friend to attend the estate sale in an attempt to purchase it. He was successful in obtaining it for us. Turns out, it is the painting described in the newspaper article. It is signed F. C. Ashford Paris 1909, in the upper left corner. It is approximately 38 x 27 inches. It is worth $2,500 in the condition shown.

The painting was taken directly to a conservation studio for a thorough review of its condition and restoration plan. We anticipate the value increasing once it’s restored and conserved.