Letter from Harriet Lane to Lily Macalester asking her pardon for not writing earlier; Mrs. Plitt still at Wheatland; Uncle well and calm as he awaits the outcome of the election today; wishing Lily had written more as a political writer; Robert Eden’s former dark red moustache; Eskridge getting along well using a crutch and cane; the toll that the campaign took on the family; in the election “right will prevail”; Emily Schaumburg’s staying with the Porters; Colonel Pleasonton’s engagement to a widow with many children and Addy’s reaction; and suggests that Lily’s father might follow the same example to give Lily some children to play with. Photocopy; the original is in the library of Mount Vernon Ladies Association. Wheatland.
James Buchanan Papers, Penn State University Libraries,
https://libraries.psu.edu/findingaids/1458.htm
Related Item Notes
James Buchanan Family Papers
MG-96 James Buchanan Collection
Historical Society of Pennsylvania microfilm
Photograph collections
Curatorial collections
Wheatland Mansion
Notes
May 2020 PastPerfect Conversion
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Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Accession Number
JBMS1995.402m
Other Number
JBFP Part 2, Series 1, Subseries 1, Folder 3d
Description Level
Item
Custodial History
The James Buchanan Family Papers were collected by the James Buchanan Foundation for the Preservation of Wheatland. This collection was relocated from the Wheatland mansion to the LancasterHistory archives in the Spring of 2009. Digitization of the James Buchanan Family Papers was funded by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, PHMC Appl ID # 201808013051, 2019-2020.
Print of portrait of President James Buchanan. Buchanan stands in center, facing left with his right hand on a small book that rests on a table. Behind him is an upholstered chair with an eagle and shield on the seatback.
Page 192 of "Gleason's Pictorial Drawing-Room Companion" from 1854. Includes an article on James Buchanan with images of him as Minister to England and of Wheatland. Also includes musings on "What is the hardest mode to die?"
American Rococo Revival Walnut Sofa. The serpentine back centered by a rose and shell scrolled carved crest, the back joined to closed arms, with a serpentine apron and raised on cabriole legs terminating in casters, silk velvet upholstery.
Sheraton-inspired mahogany veneer night table with satinwood inlay accents that outline the apron, drawer and keyhole, as well as the legs. The table top has eight sides and surmounts four saber legs that also support a lower inward-curved shelf.
Engraving print taken from "History of the United States" publication dated 1869. Image shows full-length portrayal of President James Buchanan in formal dress suit extending his left hand that is holding a paper document. Facing the President are the four Japanese Delegates to the United States dressed in traditional garb. To the President's left are cabinet members, Lewis Cass, Secretary of State and Howell Cobb, Secretary of Treasury. Standing behind the President is Miss Harriet Lane, Hostess and an unidentified gentleman.
Provenance
Michael Hall, Dealer - Grove City, OH to Samuel Slaymaker, Lancaster, PA to The James Buchanan Foundation for the Preservation of Wheatland
Left earlobe has broken off. Base is chipped. Various smudge marks all over.
Object ID
W.1960.006.001
Notes
James Buchanan Henry inherited this bust when his Uncle James Buchanan died; his cousin, Harriet Lane Johnston inherited the matching bust, which she later donated to the Corcoran Gallery of Art.
James Buchanan Henry bequeathed this bust to his son, Frank Anderson Henry, who donated it to the James Buchanan Foundation in 1960.
Oblong shaped walnut veneered container with a back-hinged lid, beveled shape raised central flat area carved with egg-bead molding. Brass 8-point star bail handles are on each end; one handle missing. Brass round keyhole escutcheon is centered on the top front façade of the box with egg & bead molding around the base surmounting four flat-bun shaped feet. Interior features two boxes with back hinged lids as storage compartments for tea leaves. In the center is a circular aperture lined with felt holding a star cut glass mixing bowl to blend tea leaves.
One of eleven pieces from James Buchanan's French Parisian Pink dinner service. Designed and decorated by Jean-Pierre Feuillet in Paris at his studio on rue de la Paix no. 20. A small oval-shaped platter with a central gold medallion and gilt cavetto below a wide pink band within a gilt edge.
Made by Nast or Darte Freres factory. Jean-Pierre Feuillet, designer.
Provenance
French Ambassador, Louis Adolphe Aimé Fourier, comte de Bacourt
One of eleven pieces from James Buchanan's French Parisian Pink dinner service. Designed and decorated by Jean-Pierre Feuillet in Paris at his studio on rue de la Paix no. 20. This soup bowl has a central gold medallion and gilt cavetto below a wide pink band with a gilt edge.
Made by Nast or Darte Freres factory. Jean-Pierre Feuillet, designer.
Provenance
French Ambassador, Louis Adolphe Aimé Fourier, comte de Bacourt
One of eleven pieces from James Buchanan's French Parisian Pink dinner service. Designed and decorated by Jean-Pierre Feuillet in Paris at his studio on rue de la Paix no. 20. This soup bowl has a central gold medallion and gilt cavetto below a wide pink band with a gilt edge.
Made by Nast or Darte Freres factory. Jean-Pierre Feuillet, designer.
Provenance
French Ambassador, Louis Adolphe Aimé Fourier, comte de Bacourt
One of eleven pieces from James Buchanan's French Parisian Pink dinner service. Designed and decorated by Jean-Pierre Feuillet in Paris at his studio on rue de la Paix no. 20. Large oval-shaped platter with a central gold medallion and gilt cavetto below a wide pink band within a gilt edge.
Made by Nast or Darte Freres factory. Jean-Pierre Feuillet, designer.
Provenance
French Ambassador, Louis Adolphe Aimé Fourier, comte de Bacourt
One of eleven pieces from James Buchanan's French Parisian Pink dinner service. Designed and decorated by Jean-Pierre Feuillet in Paris at his studio on rue de la Paix no. 20. Demitasse saucer has central gold medallion and gilt cavetto below a wide pink band within a gilt edge. On bottom is the decorator's signature.
Made by Nast or Darte Freres factory. Jean-Pierre Feuillet, designer.
Provenance
French Ambassador, Louis Adolphe Aimé Fourier, comte de Bacourt
One of eleven pieces from James Buchanan's French Parisian Pink dinner service. Designed and decorated by Jean-Pierre Feuillet in Paris at his studio on rue de la Paix no. 20. This service bowl has a landscape scene with a castle, a waterfall and two people fishing in shades of green, blue and tan within a gilt cavetto below a wide pink band within a gilt edge.
Made by Nast or Darte Freres factory. Jean-Pierre Feuillet, designer.
Provenance
French Ambassador, Louis Adolphe Aimé Fourier, comte de Bacourt
One of eleven pieces from James Buchanan's French Parisian Pink dinner service. Designed and decorated by Jean-Pierre Feuillet in Paris at his studio on rue de la Paix no. 20.
The cup has a painted winter scene of a man and dog with a bridge and house in background. The sides and back are pink with a gilt rim, cup interior, handle and foot trim. Bottom has designer's signature.
Made by the Nast or Darte Freres factory. Jean-Pierre Feuillet, designer.
Provenance
French Ambassador, Louis Adolphe Aimé Fourier, comte de Bacourt
One of eleven pieces from James Buchanan's French Parisian Pink dinner service. Designed and decorated by Jean-Pierre Feuillet in Paris at his studio on rue de la Paix no. 20. This service bowl has a floral center painted in a naturalistic palette in shades of yellow, green, blue and tan within a gilt cavetto below a wide pink band within a gilt edge.
Nast or Darte Freres factory. Jean-Pierre Feuillet, designer.
Provenance
French Ambassador, Louis Adolphe Aimé Fourier, comte de Bacourt
One of eleven pieces from James Buchanan's French Parisian Pink dinner service. Designed and decorated by Jean-Pierre Feuillet in Paris at his studio on rue de la Paix no. 20. This dessert dish has a floral hand-painted scene in a natural palette in shades of red, orange, yellow, blue and green within a gilt cavetto below a wide pink band within a gilt edge.
Made by Nast or Darte Freres factory. Jean-Pierre Feuillet, designer.
Provenance
French Ambassador, Louis Adolphe Aimé Fourier, comte de Bacourt
One of eleven pieces from James Buchanan's French Parisian Pink dinner service. Designed and decorated by Jean-Pierre Feuillet in Paris at his studio on rue de la Paix no. 20. This soup bowl has a central gold medallion and gilt cavetto below a wide pink band with a gilt edge.
Made by Nast or Darte Freres factory. Jean-Pierre Feuillet, designer.
Provenance
French Ambassador, Louis Adolphe Aimé Fourier, comte de Bacourt
Open scroll work on rectangular music stand; elaborate lyre-shaped pedal support with two pedals. Three massive legs with ten-faceted tapered legs. Sides of keyboard area scrolled with foliate carving. Around bottom is rope-like molding.
Ames, Kenneth L [ed], 'Victorian Furniture: Essays from a Victorian Society Autumn Symposium', Victorian Society in America, 1982.
Height (in)
37.437
Length (in)
98.5
Width (in)
57
Condition
Good
Condition Date
2022-11-17
Condition Notes
adjusted' piano 5/16/1949
Last cleaning & tuning September 2006
Several strings are broken and the sound board no longer holds its tuning.
Object ID
W.1936.001.004
Notes
Jonas Chickering (1798-1853), whose firm made the piano, began his career as a cabinetmaker in Ipswich, New Hampshire. In 1818 at the age of twenty, he went to Boston and apprenticed himself in one of the town's cabinet shops.
