Length: 86.9cm x Width: 7.0cm x Height: 99.2cm
A portrait painting of Mayor John McKane Hughes that is half-length with Hughes seated facing at an oblique angle to the viewer, his left shoulder outermost. The figure is wearing a black suit coat, a black waistcoat, a white high-collared shirt and a blue-grey tie. The subject has grey-brown hair parted on the side, a short grey-brown moustache, and blue eyes gazing out at the viewer. The background is a blend of blue-grey, tan and green.
The painting is housed in a early 20th century carved and gilt wood frame. Plain back edge, reverse ogee outer edge; imbricated laurel leaf top edge, ripple moulding scotia, ribbon and stick, plain narrow bevel and plain wide frieze to sight edge. There is a plaque on the central bottom edge of the frame that has "JOHN M.HUGHES MAYOR 1917-1918" inscribed in black. On the back of the painting are several small metal hooks on a wooden board and a hanging hardware on the each side of the edge.
Born outside Kingston in Storrington, Hughes was a bookkeeper for various companies before becoming Superintendent of Kingston Hosiery Company and eventually a partner in the Bailey Broom Company. Hughes served as the president of the Chamber of Commerce for many years. His mayoral term coincided with the opening of the LaSalle Causeway (1917).
