Engraving of James Buchanan. Tinted engraving. James Buchanan stands 3/4 front to his left at center of picture dressed in a black suit with white tie. James Buchanan has left hand resting on upright brown book on table to his left. Table has round top with green baize cloth.
J. C. Buttre, 48 Franklin St., New York, New York.
James Buchanan's inaugural address speech printed on silk. Rectangular white silk with cobalt blue printing. Border c. 1' wide of morning glory vines. Heading: 'The Inaugural Address March 4, 1857. President Buchanan.' A round medallion and pictue medal
Copy of painting of Harriet Lane. Brownish-green background, lighter to lower right. Harriet Lane is seated, torso 1/4 to her left, head facing forward. Right hand in lap holding handle of gold fan. Left hand holding white handkerchief resting on table top.
Donor commissioned copy based on original portrait by G. C. Munzig in 1899. Original portrait gifted to Mr. Speer through his aunt, Mary Clarke Speer Denny, who was a companion to Harriet Lane Johnston. This copy was painted by Ted Morrow of Baltimore, Maryland. He also painted two other copies.
Rosewood chest of drawers has a white marble top with round-carved front corners surmounting turned columns terminating at bun cyma-curved feet. Chest has three drawers with two bulls-eye shaped wood pulls and a centered keyhole with circular raised trim. Centered on the marble top is a rosewood framed mirror with a serpentine crest flanked by scroll cut shelf brackets.
Framed lithographic image of John C. Breckinridge,14th Vice President of the United States. Mr. Breckinridge head and torso is facing to his right, wearing a black cravat with gold tie pin over a stock standing collar, black vest and black suit coat. Background includes the oval back to a chair, velvet red drapery and the base of a column.
Portrait of James Buchanan, painted by William McMaster. The artist painted this as a copy of his July 1856 Buchanan portrait after the General Election in November 1856. This portrait was commissioned by the Empire Club, which was a powerful political organization in New York during the mid-19th century. Captain Isaiah Rynders was the founder of the Club; his "sluggers" committed voter intimidation and election fraud on behalf of Tammany Hall throughout the 1840s and 1850s. The Empire Club purportedly paid McMaster $1,000 (equal to $28,571 today) to paint a copy of McMaster's July 1856 Buchanan portrait. This copy was hung in the Capitol Rotunda when Buchanan took office; however, at some point during his term, as his popularity began to sink, it was removed. Mounted in a Rococo Revival gilt wood and gesso frame with ornamental projecting corners featuring ornate scrolling foliage patterns with centre repose engraved with sculptural shells & acanthus leaves and fleur-de-lis patterns.
James Buchanan, Fifteenth President of the United States
Description
Framed Currier print of James Buchanan. Buchanan sits at center, face diagonally to the left. He wears a white button-up shirt with high collar and white bow tie under chin. Black vest with four buttons all buttoned. Black jacket with lapels, two buttons
Wardrobe with mirrored door. Overhanging cornice molded. Frieze has cock-bead molding, same molding on drawer front and down front sides. Rounded corners. Mirror in single door front is rounded at top corners with floral relief framing. Keyhole escutcheo
David A. Weaver, Cabinet Work, Quarryville, PA completed refinishing in 1993.
Object ID
W.1992.012.001
Notes
Accessioned twice - second accession number is 00.33.1. Removed folder 00.33.1 on 27 June 2011 and merged with file 92.12. All documentation is now in file 92.12.
Rosewood bed with walnut, poplar, and pine. Headboard higher than footboard, but identical in shape. Arched crest with c-curved finish. This is repeated with molding below and on footboard. Molding is cyma-curved and appears on the outside of footboard and inside of headboard. The top of each post is capped with a round finial that transitions to squat bun above a smooth cylinder above a ring and ball shape that transitions to ring and vase surmounting an octagonal post terminates on bun feet Scroll cut brackets connect the posts to the side rails that feature cyma-curved molding.
Bed is higher at headboard than at footboard. Footboard height is 42.625'.
Condition
Excellent
Condition Date
2022-11-10
Condition Notes
Restoration done in 1992-1993 by David Weaver, cabinetmaker, Quarryville, PA. Restoration of rosewood.
Object ID
W.1992.001.039
Notes
Harriet had this custom built with large dimensions to accomodate her Uncle James Buchanan's size. It was intended for his use whenever he would visit her at her Baltimore, Maryland home.
James Buchanan's Inaugural Rail Car Window Screen was painted by Philip Kraus to depict the northern façade of Buchanan's Wheatland home. The farm's carriage house is seen in the West meadow; in the foreground the artist painted the east carriage path, trees and meadow grasses.
Philip Kraus was a German artist living in Baltimore, Maryland. The mid-19th century contemporary name for this type of artwork was known as "stained glass". Kraus was commissioned to paint the screen by Robert Magraw, then president of the Northern Central Railroad for James Buchanan's inauguration rail car.
The elaborate, high relief carved stand was made after Buchanan's inauguration for William Magruder, Mayor of Washington, D.C. He purchased the window screen from Robert Magraw.
On March 2, 1857, Buchanan would begin his journey to Washington, D.C. for his inauguration. For the trip from Lancaster to Washington, D.C., Supt. of the Phila. & Columbia Railroad, Joseph B. Baker, had prepared four rail cars for Buchanan that were decorated with patriotic scenes. One decorative touch included the use of window screens that were painted with images of Wheatland. These window screens were composed of painted or "stained" glass that could be placed in the existing window wells.
Buchanan's train traveled to Baltimore and then to Washington, D.C. The increasing affordability of railroad travel not only made Buchanan's inauguration trip possible, it also permitted many other people throughout the nation to attend the events. The crowds in Washington, D.C. for Buchanan's inauguration were the largest in history up to that time. He was sworn into office on March 4, 1857.
Place of Origin
Baltimore, Maryland
Credit
Acquired through the generosity of Andrew Bieber, Michael Birkner and Robin Wagner-Birkner, Margot Brubaker, Tom and Jan Dunlevy, Thomas G. Englert, Jerre and Phyllis Frankhouser, Dr. Wendell L. Funk, Eugene and Bernadette Gardner, Anne and Gene Gardner, Susan and James Volker.
