The celebrants saluting "Aunt Abie" in this birthday greeting are the children of Hugh and Janet Auchincloss, and were identified in a pencil inscription by Wilmarth Lewis; his notations on the verso assign authorship and a date of July 22, 1946. A sketch on the verso shows the couple's standard poodles presenting a birthday cake to Wilmarth and Annie Burr Lewis, aunt and uncle of the artist, whose enthusiasm for Walpole is humorously alluded to with a sign at the foot of the bed that reads "Horace Walpole Slept Here."