![](https://www.aurorahistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Portraits-Holt-1024x1024.jpeg)
Happening Now — Portraits of the Past. Presenting 60 portraits in oil, acrylic, pen and ink, pencil, and photography, all drawn from our archives.
About this painting:
William F. Holt (1867-1940)
Hand-colored pastel based on a photograph; Artist, Casimir Arcouet
Part of the Aurora Historical Society’s Collections since the 1930s
William Holt, who made his living as a railroad office clerk, was an original member of the Aurora Zouaves, a precision military drill team that rose to championship fame in the 1890s. French-born artist Casimir Arcouet (1842-1902) came to the U.S. with his family as a child; in 1872, he came to Aurora. Arcouet was a prominent artist in all media: photography, painting, and sculpture.