We have a copy of "The Love Letters of Mark Twain" edited by Dixon Wecter that was owned by Clara. In the introduction SLC is described as having "blue-green eyes." You can see Clara's alteration in the attached photo! 




Mallory 

-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]> On Behalf Of Barbara Schmidt
Sent: Tuesday, July 09, 2019 2:36 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: carrot-top Twain

As to eye color, Clemens’s 1891 passport application is also online at ancestry.  It matches the 1867 passport application regarding eye color.
The eye color is stated as gray in both applications.

Barb

On Tuesday, July 9, 2019, Alan Kitty <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> I completely disagree about conflicting eye color evidence. You have a 
> photograph depicting apparent blue. My eye color is hazel. But 
> depending upon the weather, sky and landscape tone, and clothing 
> color, they reflect gray, blue or green. And I have had more than one 
> audience member comment about my blue eyes.
>
> Also, I would say that Twain’s own comment about his “auburn” hair 
> (although I do not recall where I read the remark) is a more credible 
> source than commentary by any less involved observer.
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> > On Jul 9, 2019, at 1:02 PM, Mac Donnell Rare Books <
> [log in to unmask]> wrote:
> >
> > The evidence is in conflict on the matter of Twain's hair color.  W 
> > D
> Howells, who met Twain in 1869 had this to say about his hair color ca.
> 1885 when Twain was 50 (My Mark Twain p. 29):
> >
> > "Clemens was then hard upon fifty, and he had kept, as he did to the
> end, the slender figure of his youth, but the
> > ashes of the burnt-out years were beginning to gray the fires of 
> > that
> splendid shock of red hair."
> >
> > There is no conflicting evidence about the color of his eyes. They 
> > were
> blue. Not hazel, or blue-green, but very blue. I have an unpublished 
> color photo (autochrome) of Twain taken on December 13, 1908 that 
> clearly shows his blue eyes, the yellow cast on his mustache (caused 
> by smoking), and his pink cheeks.
> >
> > Kevin
> > @
> > Mac Donnell Rare Books
> > 9307 Glenlake Drive
> > Austin TX 78730
> > 512-345-4139
> > Member: ABAA, ILAB, BSA
> >
> > You can browse our books at:
> > www.macdonnellrarebooks.com
>