Portraits Abound

Now that the museum has closed for the season, we have turned to the job of preparing the lone remaining 3rd floor room in need of renovation - the Lincoln Library. The work will include having the 1950s era wallpaper removed, repairs done to the plaster walls and ceiling, and painting of the ceiling, walls and floor. This means carefully storing our Civil War exhibit objects. It has also required some major furniture relocation with the help of our docents and staff.

The Lincoln Library is one of my favorite rooms in the museum. It has a high domed ceiling and a huge Victorian converted gas light chandelier, circa 1864. The room was named by Alice and holds the collection of President Lincoln objects, letters, books and photographs that she gathered for the museum and for her husband, William. Other interesting pieces include a custom-built case holding World War I era commemorative medals, and a beautiful late Federal mahogany Ladies' secretaire bookcase. The bookcase, or desk, holds many interesting smaller objects and is always fun to look through during a tour.

Among the Lincoln associated objects in the collection are two I want to provide more detail about. One is a Hanley Staffordshire pottery plaque, "Portrait of Abraham Lincoln" modeled in 1909 from a portrait taken in 1864, and made by Sherwin and Cotton Eastwood Tile Works. The tile is an amazingly lifelike image of Lincoln that was probably transfer-printed onto the porcelain before glazing. The glaze is similar in tone to a sepia photograph, and the porcelain itself is subtly shaped, or raised, to represent Lincoln's facial features. This piece was produced and sold in honor of the 100th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth - February 12, 1909.

Lincoln was the first United States president photographed while in office. There were over 100 photos taken of him during his lifetime. The inscription on the back of the tile claims the image was created using "the only untouched negative in the United States", later this photograph was reproduced in another wonderful object in our Lincoln collection. The Photographs of Abraham Lincoln, 1911, compiled by Frederick Hill Meserve, contains a chronological record of all of the photos taken of Lincoln in his lifetime. Incidentally, the earliest known photo of Lincoln was captured circa 1848 when he was a Representative in Congress from Illinois.

There were just 102 copies printed of the first edition of the Meserve book - with a listing of recipients in the front. Our copy, signed by Mr. Meserve, is number 96. According to "Supplement Number One" published in 1917 - our copy first belonged to Mr. William C. VanAntwerp, who worked for stock brokerage EF Hutton. Frederick Meserve (1865-1962) was likely inspired to collect Civil War era photographs (at a time when mot people did not significantly value them) partly due to the fact that his father, Willian Neal Merserve, was a soldier of the Civil War and was wounded in battle at Antietam.

When we open again for tours in the spring the Lincoln Library will be an even more wonderful room to visit. The Civil War exhibit will again be on display for all to enjoy. Until then, one can visit the museum to attend events and perhaps peek through the door at the renovation in progress.

Happy New Year!

In Lincoln's Hand

With the sesquicentennial of the Civil War in full swing there are myriad ways to relive and learn more about that tumultuous time for our United States. One such way I am excited about is going to see the recent Spielberg film "Lincoln" which, somewhat surprisingly, covers only the final four months of President Abraham Lincoln's life. Here at The Alice we have an exhibit that highlights collection items related to that tragically bloody chapter in our young nation's history. It includes carte-de-visite photographs of many things from that era including soldiers from the 16th New York Infantry Regiment, ironclad ships, and famous generals of the time. Also on view are engravings of Lincoln and other then-current objects.

The museum collection includes some very unique pieces, such as letters written by three of William Miner's uncles who served in the Union Army during the Civil War, along with other letters included on our website for your perusal. This website letter archive was written by a Plattsburgh soldier named Charles Moore. Read them here, http://www.minermuseum.org/ by clicking the button made from a photo of President Lincoln. Or go directly to the letters by following this link, http://www.minermuseum.org/ALICELETTERS/museum_letters_intro.htm

What may surprise you is that we have two documents in this exhibit that were signed by Lincoln himself! Like the new Spielberg movie, both date from the final months of his life. I will tell you more, but you owe it to yourself to come to the Lincoln Library and view them in person.

On Tuesday, November 8, 1864 President Lincoln was elected for his second term in office. The following Monday he wrote one of the simplest and smallest job recommendations I have ever seen. This little note is in the collection and on display in our Lincoln Library. It is about the same size as a business card. Hand written and signed by the president the card reads, "I shall be glad if any Department or Bureau can give this woman employment. A. Lincoln Nov. 14, 1864". We will likely never know who she was or why Lincoln wrote the recommendation, he apparently wrote many over the years. Hopefully, it was enough to land her a job! 

Two weeks after the recommendation was written a young Union Captain named George E. Gouraud (1841-1912), along with 5,000 troops under the command of Maj. Gen. John P. Hatch, entered into the Battle of Honey Hill, SC. Further details can be found by searching the internet, but I will say that it was not a positive outcome for the Union troops. 89 Union soldiers were killed, 629 were wounded, and 28 men went missing, while the Confederate casualties amounted to 8 killed and 39 wounded during the battle, which took place on November 30, 1864.

Gouraud was awarded the rank of Major, "by brevet... for gallant conduct on the field of battle in the engagement at Honey Hill, South Carolina..." His military rank certificate is in the Civil War exhibit here at The Alice. The document was signed by Secretary of War, E.M. Stanton and by Abraham Lincoln, President, and dated March 22, 1865. Gouraud was later awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Battle of Honey Hill. (Incidentally, George Gouraud became famous in 1888 for introducing the Edison Phonograph Cylinder to England.)

Just days after the Battle of Honey Hill, on December 6, 1865, the 13th Amendment to the Constitution was adopted outlawing slavery and involuntary servitude. On March 4, 1865 Lincoln was inaugurated for his second term as President. A few weeks later, on March 22nd, he and Edwin M. Stanton signed the military rank certificate for George Gouraud. Less than a month later Lincoln lay dead from the assassin's bullet. It was Stanton at the president's bedside who uttered the famous quote, "Now he belongs to the ages."

A Civil War Medal of Honor

On May 24, 1861 Charles Moore wrote a brief note to his father, Colonel A.C. Moore (retired), in it he stated, "I received my appointment of Quartermaster Sergeant of the 16th last evening and was sworn in this morning and am now on duty. I got my appointment through General Wool and Major Palmer. I have not time to write more, but when you write to me direct to CFM Quartermaster Sergeant of the 16th Regiment NY State, Albany, New York. Your son, C.F. Moore" Charles must have been very proud and relieved to have finally secured himself a role in the Union Army after trying all means of procuring a position - first with the Navy, then the Army - until his appointment as Quartermaster Sergeant.

The Medal of Honor

To commemorate the sesquicentennial of the American Civil War there is a new exhibit in the Lincoln Library at The Alice. Included in the exhibit are a few of Charles Moore's letters home to his parents, along with those written by three of William Miner's uncles, all of whom served for the Union during the war. The Lincoln Library usually holds many objects associated with our President, such as photographs and engravings of Lincoln and artifacts that once belonged to him. Also found in the Lincoln Library is a framed document signed by Abraham Lincoln conferring upon Captain George E. Gouraud of the United States Volunteers the rank of Major, "by brevet... for Gallant conduct on the field of battle in the engagement at Honey Hill, South Carolina, 31st December, 1864." Despite what the certificate reads, the date of the battle was actually November 30, 1864.

Through research of this document I have found an exciting bit of information we were not previously aware of here at The Alice - that we hold the military rank certificate for a man who was later awarded the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government, the Medal of Honor! Captain Gouraud eventually became Colonel Gouraud, and his rise can be traced back to the Battle at Honey Hill, South Carolina. Gouraud's Medal of Honor citation reads, "While under severe fire of the enemy, which drove back command, rendered valuable assistance in rallying the men." And the men on the Union side needed all the assistance they could get that day as they were severely defeated by the Confederate troops. When the chaos finally subsided, the Union has lost 89 men, 629 were wounded, and 28 went missing. George Gouraud was born in New York, New York in 1840. Following his military service he worked as an agent for Thomas Edison in London, where he introduced the new Edison Phonograph cylinder recording technology to England in 1888.

George E. Gouraud

We often point out Col. Gouraud's certificate to our tour participants primarily, until our research shed new light on its significance, because it was an original document signed by Abraham Lincoln. Now, however, we can include a little more information about the interesting man who earned it! Should you visit The Alice in the next few months you will have a chance to see the Civil War exhibit in the Lincoln Library - including Charles Moore's letters, the certificate of rank for our Medal of Honor recipient George Gouraud, carte-de-visite photographs of soldiers, Abraham Lincoln's inkwell and foot bath, and even a few objects related to the Confederate United States!

Lincoln Presidential China at The Alice T. Miner Museum

Written by Tricia Davies

When being introduced to the collection of American decorative arts at the Alice T. Miner Museum it is hard not to be impressed by the imposing piece of porcelain that looms large on one of the top shelves of the Ballroom. The stately punch bowl-like object, embellished with a purple and gilt border and the United States Coat of Arms, is striking on a purely aesthetic basis and yet it is the story of its provenance that suggests it could be a true American treasure.

Object XXXX.0907 in The Alice T. Miner Museum Collection

The porcelain piece in question was included in a 1917 inventory of Alice T. Miner's ceramics and glass. Conducting the inventory was noted scholar and collector Emma Hodge who called the piece a "Paris porcelain Wine Cistern" or "wine cooler" interchangeably, and described it as being part of President Abraham Lincoln's State dinner service. The wine cooler had been donated by Emma to her friend Alice for the Alice T. Miner Colonial Collection Museum which opened to the public in 1924.

It was with difficulty that subsequent staff at the museum sought out more information on the wine cooler. Emma Hodge may have inadvertently confused the situation by connecting the authenticity of the wine cooler to pieces from the Lincoln service reportedly in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago and the Historical Society Rooms in Chicago. Evidence of the other pieces, which Emma suggested "have the proper documents attesting these facts" and could authenticate a link to the Lincoln White House, has not been found.

What has been found, following the publication of a catalogue of American Presidential China in The Robert L. McNeil, Jr. Collection at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA), are similarities between the so-called wine cooler at The Alice and a chamberstick pictured in the new book and a slop bowl pictured on the PMA website. All three pieces feature decorations which not only echo the design of the Lincoln state dinner service, but feature extra flourishes. According to the catalogue, bedroom pieces ordered by Mary Lincoln as a "toilet set" were "differentiated by quatrefoil and tassel motifs." These are the same four-lobed flower-like forms painted on the wine cooler's purple border, and the same tassels which hang delicately down from the border decoration into the whiteness of the wine cooler's porcelain body.

Chamberstick from the Lincoln White House Toilet Set

Slop Bowl from the Lincoln White House Toilet Set

In an attempt to understand if and how a wine cooler might fit into a toilet set and in hopes of authenticating the collection object as a Lincoln White House piece, Tricia Davies contacted David Barquist who is the H. Richard Dietrich, Jr. Curator of American Decorative Arts at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and who wrote the introduction for the American Presidential China catalogue. Mr. Barquist responded immediately after receiving images and a description of the wine cooler. He related that the July 1861 invoice for Mary Lincoln's toilet set included a ewer, basin, chamber pot, soap dish, brush tray, jug, foot bath, slop jar, pair of chambersticks, powder box, and sponge bowl. He also asserted his belief that "the object in your museum's collection is in fact the foot bath from this set."

We still don't know exactly how Emma Hodge came to own Mary Lincoln's foot bath. A letter at The Alice indicates that a White House usher acquired the Lincoln piece while serving the Hayes through McKinley administrations. Further research needs to be done on this White House connection and efforts are being made to secure a copy of the invoice that lists the foot bath as part of the Lincoln set. David Barquist mentioned the possibility that the other porcelain Hodge references as being in Chicago may have been some of the numerous reproductions of Lincoln China made in the nineteenth century "and thus not retained by those institutions." Indeed, our research supports this theory.

The assertion that the object in the Alice T. Miner Museum is a foot bath has the power to change the way we look at the piece and how we share it with visitors. Previously imagined on a sideboard bearing wine, now the porcelain piece can be envisioned filled with water and, well, feet. The foot bath can be taken out of the formal context of the public state rooms and placed more privately in the family quarters of the Lincoln White House. The foot bath can also be reinterpreted as one of a set of twelve bedroom pieces, rather than one of a set of 658 pieces ordered by Mary Lincoln to complete the initial dinner and dessert service. No wonder one can't help but be impressed.

To commemorate the sesquicentennial of the Civil War this object is currently on exhibit in the Lincoln Library along with other images and objects representing or formerly belonging to Abraham Lincoln. Included in this exhibit are letters home written by local men during the Civil War. The Alice collection includes letters written by Charles Moore, and three of Will Miner's uncles who served during the war.

Charles F. Moore Civil War Letters

The Alice has a very diverse and deep collection. The most obvious elements of the collection are those one would see on a tour of the museum: decorative arts, furniture, samplers, pewter settings, lovely paintings, engravings, and prints... What most visitors do not explore are the archives.

Among the many letters, photographs, and papers in the archives relating to Alice and William Miner are; postcards from Europe, volumes full of holiday cards from the 1900s, letters written by famous Americans such as Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, journals written by William Miner's relatives, and a wonderful collection of over 100 Japanese woodblock prints.


I have written about a few of these precious documents before, and exhibited may of those mentioned. A few years ago the museum transposed a very interesting collection of letters written by a north country lad named Charles Moore. These letters are on our website, www.minermuseum.org, as a permanent "floating" exhibit. We have placed images of the letters along with a typed version for easy reading.


If you would like to read about young Mr. Moore's experiences serving as Quartermaster with the 16th NY Infantry and later with 16th NY Sprague Light Cavalry defending Washington, DC, in his own words, simply go to the website, click the "Enter" button on the front page, and then click the link next to President Lincoln's photograph on the top right of every page.