Quadruple looped chain with ring on end; sliding metal bead, turned and molded; chain looped through ornate, thick ring around larger, thinner double ring connected to handle of signet. Ornate piece with scroll, acorn, foliate, and cabbage rose motifs. B
Provenance
said to have been worn by Buchanan during his Presidency. Given by Miss Mary Kittera Snyder to the donors. Mary was thought to be Buchanan's intended for marriage in the 1840s. She or her sister became postmistress of Selin's Grove PA. where the donors l
Passport for Samuel Ashmead, June 25, 1846. Signed by James Buchanan. Framed between two pieces of glass with narrow black wooden frame. Two small metal eye hooks with picture wire at top of frame.
Provenance
Samuel Ashmead was a botanist from the Germantown, PA area. He was the donor's husband's great-great grandfather. Passport hung in the donor's husband's grandfather's house for as long as she could remember.
Framed between two pieces of glass. Top right corner has 2 rips in paper caused by humidity and too small of frame. Paper has been folded into fourths with small hole at center of sheet. Also folds horizontally into thirds. Brown spots or stains all over
Object ID
W.MSS07.4.2
Place of Origin
Washington, D.C.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Framed black & white engraving of James Buchanan. Oval-shaped portrait with J.B. at center. he wears a black jacket, unbuttoned, with a buttoned vest and high white collar and white bow tie. Stern look on face, hair peaked at top.
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
American Empire chair; back top rail is a wide concave veneer with gilded decoration surmounting downward sloping arm rests and an urn shaped vertical splat back. The arms are supported by curved uprights surmounting a plain curved apron with an upholstered slip seat. The front legs are flat and shaped in reverse ogee curves with front edges rounded. The rear legs are square and have a backward saber curve.
Provenance
Buchanan, James
To - Buchanan, Edward Young
To - Ewing, Alice C. Buchanan
To - Ewing, Alice B.
To - Niece, Marshall, Cornelia Lausdale Brooke (Mrs. Donnel)
James Buchanan to Edward Y. Buchanan to Alice Cunningham Buchanan to Alice Buchanan Ewing, her daughter. Alice B. Ewing her niece, Mrs. Donnell Marshall / Cornelia Lausdale Brooke, daughter to Cornelia Lausdale Ewing and Robert E. Brooke.
American Empire chair; back top rail is a wide concave veneer with gilded decoration surmounting downward sloping arm rests and an urn shaped vertical splat back. The arms are supported by curved uprights surmounting a plain curved apron with an upholstered slip seat. The front legs are flat and shaped in reverse ogee curves with front edges rounded. The rear legs are square and have a backward saber curve.
Provenance
Buchanan, James
To - Buchanan, Edward Young
To - Ewing, Alice C. Buchanan
To - Ewing, Alice B.
To - Niece, Marshall, Cornelia Lausdale Brooke (Mrs. Donnel)
James Buchanan to Edward Y. Buchanan to Alice Cunningham Buchanan to Alice Buchanan Ewing, her daughter. Alice B. Ewing her niece, Mrs. Donnell Marshall / Cornelia Lausdale Brooke, daughter to Cornelia Lausdale Ewing and Robert E. Brooke.
American Empire chair; the back top rail is a wide concave veneer with gilded decoration surmounting downward sloping arm rests and an urn shaped vertical splat back. The arms are supported by curved uprights surmounting a plain curved apron with an upholstered slip seat. The front legs are flat and shaped in reverse ogee curves with front edges rounded. The rear legs are square and have a backward saber curve.
Provenance
Buchanan, James
To - Buchanan, Edward Young
To - Ewing, Alice C. Buchanan
To - Ewing, Alice B.
To - Niece, Marshall, Cornelia Lausdale Brooke (Mrs. Donnel)
James Buchanan to Edward Y. Buchanan to Alice Cunningham Buchanan to Alice Buchanan Ewing, her daughter. Alice B. Ewing her niece, Mrs. Donnell Marshall / Cornelia Lausdale Brooke, daughter to Cornelia Lausdale Ewing and Robert E. Brooke.
Quadruple looped chain with ring on end; sliding metal bead, turned and molded; chain looped through ornate, thick ring around larger, thinner double ring connected to handle of signet. Ornate piece with scroll, acorn, foliate, and cabbage rose motifs. B
Said to have been worn by James Buchanan during his Presidency. Given by Miss Mary Kittera Snyder to the donors. Mary Kittera Snyder was thought to be Buchanan's intended for marriage in the 1840s. She or her sister became postmistress of Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania
Small watch key with hollow tin tip; brass head, circular, attached by clip to ivory piece. Flat, oblong, stained. accessioned twice BG35.81 and 89.175
Provenance
Watch Fob had been given by Buchanan to father or husband of Mrs. Anne Sutton of Lancaster.
Mahogany sleigh bed. Sleigh-shaped bed with a headboard higher than footboard. Outcurved top rails. Cyma curved footboard. Headboard has side pieces with cyma curves. Low to ground. Side rails have curved top edge. Feet are rounded blocks that are caster
Provenance
Buchanan, James
to Johnston, Harriet Lane (niece)
to Kennedy, May (cousin)
to Taylor, Mrs. Edmund R. (Julia) (May's sister)
to Taylor, Mr. Edmund R. Taylor Jr. (Julia's grandson)
Walnut bed finish bleached by sun exposure, especially on back & headboard and footboard. Minor scratches on the wood througout.
Object ID
W.1989.344.001
Notes
Belonged to James Buchanan and Harriet Lane Johnston. According to letter from donor's wife, 'there is no written authentication of its origin, but my husband received the bed from his grandmother, Mrs. E.R. Taylor of Charles Town, Jefferson County, W. V
Mr. and Mrs. Edmund R. Taylor, Jr. donated a set of 8 linen handtowels marked with Harriet Lane Johnston's monogram and a letter from Francis Scott Key to James Buchanan at the same time of the bed donation. A campaign card was also donated at this time.
The matching sleigh bed is currently (2022) owned by Evelyn Byrd Hutton (evelynbyrdhutton@gmail.com), a sister of Betsy Henry Lehman & daughter to Reginald Buchanan Henry, Jr.