John Martin (1823-1904) of Bangor drew his self portrait in 1889 as part of a scrapbook in which he pasted newspaper clippings and he wrote and illustrated various aspects of his life.

The scrapbook focuses on his experiences working at Katahdin Iron Works, in a "wild land township" near Brownville, starting in 1888. The illustration is on page 57 of the book and accompanies a written description of himself: "General business man, Expert Accountant, Landscape Gardener, Rustic designer, Origin of Martins perfect Waltz & March."

He had worked most of his life as an accountant and shopkeeper, but also was interested in gardening, fashion, architecture, and, especially, dance.