The Fathers of the Constitution Part 10

Other correspondence shows that Rosenthal received about twenty dollars for each plate which he etched for the "Club."

The following arrangement of data follows the order of the names as signed to the Const.i.tution. The Emmet numbers identify the etchings in the bound volume from which they have been reproduced.

1. George Washington, President (also delegate from Virginia), Emmet 9497, inscribed "Joseph Wright Pinxit Phila. 1784. Albert Rosenthal Phila. 1888. Aqua fortis."

NEW HAMPSHIRE.

2. John Langdon, Emmet 9439, inscribed "Etched by Albert Rosenthal Phila. 1888 after Painting by Trumbull."

Mr. Walter Langdon, of Hyde Park, N. Y., in January, 1885, sent to Dr. Emmet a photograph of a "portrait of Governor John Langdon LL.D." An oil miniature painted on wood by Col. John Trumbull, in 1792, is in the Yale School of Fine Arts. There is also painting of Langdon in Independence Hall, by James Sharpless.

3. Nicholas Gilman, Emmet 9441, inscribed "Etched by Albert Rosenthal Phila. 1888." A drawing by the same artist formerly hung in Independence Hall. The two are not at all alike. No contemporary attribution is made and the Emmet correspondence reveals nothing.

Ma.s.sACHUSETTS.

4. Nathaniel Gorham, Emmet 9443. It was etched by Albert Rosenthal but without inscription of any kind or date. A painting by him, in likeness identical, formerly hung in Independence Hall. No evidence in Emmet correspondence.

5. Rufus King, Emmet 9445, inscribed "Etched by Albert Rosenthal Phila. 1888 after Painting by Trumbull." King was painted by Col. John Trumbull from life and the portrait is in the Yale School of Fine Arts. Gilbert Stuart painted a portrait of King and there is one by Charles Willson Peale in Independence Hall.

6. William Samuel Johnson, Emmet 9447, inscribed "Etched by Albert Rosenthal Phila. 1888 from Painting by Gilbert Stuart." A painting by Rosenthal after Stuart hung in Independence Hall. Stuart's portrait of Dr. Johnson "was one of the first, if not the first, painted by Stuart after his return from England." Dated on back 1792. Also copied by Graham Mason, Life of Stuart, 208.

7. Roger Sherman, Emmet 9449, inscribed "Etched by Albert Rosenthal Phila. 1888 after Painting by Earle." The identical portrait copied by Thomas Hicks, after Ralph Earle, is in Independence Hall.

NEW YORK.

8. Alexander Hamilton, Emmet 9452, inscribed "Etched by Albert Rosenthal 1888 after Trumbull." A full length portrait, painted by Col. John Trumbull, is in the City Hall, New York. Other Hamilton portraits by Trumbull are in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, the Boston Museum of Art, and in private possession.

NEW JERSEY.

9. William Livingston, Emmet 9454, inscribed "Etched by Albert Rosenthal Phila., 1888." A similar portrait, painted by Rosenthal, formerly hung in Independence Hall. No correspondence relating to it is in the Emmet Collection.

10. David Brearley. There is no portrait. Emmet 9456 is a drawing of a Brearley coat-of-arms taken from a book-plate.

11. William Paterson, Emmet 9458, inscribed "Albert Rosenthal Phila. 1888." A painted portrait by an unknown artist was hung in Independence Hall. The Emmet correspondence reveals nothing.

12. Jonathan Dayton, Emmet 9460, inscribed "Albert Rosenthal." A painting by Rosenthal also formerly hung in Independence Hall. The two are dissimilar. The etching is a profile, but the painting is nearly a full-face portrait. The Emmet correspondence reveals no evidence.

PENNSYLVANIA.

13. Benjamin Franklin, Emmet 9463, inscribed "C. W. Peale Pinxit. Albert Rosenthal Sc."

14. Thomas Mifflin, Emmet 9466, inscribed "Etched by Albert Rosenthal Phila. 1888 after Painting by Gilbert Stuart." A portrait by Charles Willson Peale, in civilian dress, is in Independence Hall. The Stuart portrait shows Mifflin in military uniform.

15. Robert Morris, Emmet 9470, inscribed "Gilbert Stuart Pinxit. Albert Rosenthal Sc." The original painting is in the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Stuart painted Morris in 1795. A copy was owned by the late Charles Henry Hart; a replica also existed in the possession of Morris's granddaughter.-Mason, "Life of Stuart," 225.

16. George Clymer, Emmet 9475, inscribed "Etched by Albert Rosenthal Phila. 1888 after Painting by C. W. Peale." There is a similar type portrait, yet not identical, in Independence Hall, where the copy was attributed to Dalton Edward Marchant.

17. Thomas Fitzsimons. There is no portrait and the Emmet correspondence offers no information.

18. Jared Ingersoll, Emmet 9468, inscribed "Etched by Albert Rosenthal after Painting by C. W. Peale." A portrait of the same origin, said to have been copied by George Lambdin, "after Rembrandt Peale," hung in Independence Hall.

19. James Wilson, Emmet 9472, inscribed "Etched by Albert Rosenthal 1888." Seems to have been derived from a painting by Charles Willson Peale in Independence Hall.

20. Gouverneur Morris, Emmet 9477, inscribed "Etched by Albert Rosenthal Phila. 1888 after a copy by Marchant from Painting by T. Sully." The Emmet correspondence has no reference to it.

DELAWARE.

21. George Read, Emmet 9479, inscribed "Etched by Albert Rosenthal Phila. 1888." There is in Emmet 9481 a stipple plate "Engraved by J. B. Longacre from a Painting by Pine." It is upon the Longacre-Pine portrait that Rosenthal and others, like H. B. Hall, have depended for their portrait of Read.

22. Gunning Bedford, Jr., Emmet 9483, inscribed "Etched by Albert Rosenthal Phila. 1888." Rosenthal also painted a portrait, "after Charles Willson Peale," for Independence Hall. The etching is the same portrait. On May 13, 1883, Mr. Simon Gratz wrote to Dr. Emmet: "A very fair lithograph can, I think, be made from the photograph of Gunning Bedford, Jun.; which I have just received from you. I shall call the artist's attention to the excess of shadow on the cravat." The source was a photograph furnished by the Bedford descendants.

23. John d.i.c.kinson, Emmet 9485, inscribed "Etched by Albert Rosenthal Phila. 1888 after Painting by C. W. Peale." The Peale painting is in Independence Hall.

24. Richard Ba.s.sett, Emmet 9487, inscribed "Albert Rosenthal." There was also a painting by Rosenthal in Independence Hall. While similar in type, they are not identical. They vary in physiognomy and arrangement of hair. There is nothing in the Emmet correspondence about this portrait.

25. Jacob Broom. There is no portrait and no information in the Emmet correspondence.

MARYLAND.

26. James McHenry, Emmet 9490, inscribed "Etched by Albert Rosenthal Phila. 1888." Rosenthal also painted a portrait for Independence Hall "after Saint-Memin." They are not alike. The etching faces three-quarters to the right, whilst the St. Memin is a profile portrait. In January, 1885, Henry F. Thompson, of Baltimore, wrote to Dr. Emmet: "If you wish them, you can get Portraits and Memoirs of James McHenry and John E. Howard from their grandson J. Howard McHenry whose address is No. 48 Mount Vernon Place, Baltimore."

27. Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer, Emmet 9494, inscribed "Etched by Albert Rosenthal Phila. 1888 after Trumbull." Rosenthal also painted a portrait for Independence Hall. They are not identical. A drawn visage is presented in the latter. In January, 1885, Henry F. Thompson of Baltimore, wrote to Dr. Emmet: "Mr. Daniel Jenifer has a Portrait of his Grand Uncle Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer and will be glad to make arrangements for you to get a copy of it.... His address is No. 281 Linden Ave, Baltimore." In June, of the same year, Simon Gratz wrote to Emmet: "The Dan. of St. Thos. Jenifer is so bad, that I am almost afraid to give it to Rosenthal. Have you a better photograph of this man (from the picture in Washington [sic.]), spoken of in one of your letters?"

28. Daniel Carroll, Emmet 9492, inscribed "Etched by Albert Rosenthal, Phila. 1888." Henry F. Thompson, of Baltimore, in January, 1885, wrote to Dr. Emmet: "If you will write to Genl. John Carroll No. 61 Mount Vernon Place you can get a copy of Mr. Carroll's (generally known as Barrister Carroll) Portrait."

VIRGINIA.

29. John Blair, Emmet 9500, inscribed "Albert Rosenthal Etcher." He also painted a portrait for Independence Hall. The two are of the same type but not alike. The etching is a younger looking picture. There is no evidence in the Emmet correspondence.

30. James Madison, Jr., Emmet 9502, inscribed "Etched by Albert Rosenthal Phila. 1888 after Painting by G. Stuart." Stuart painted several paintings of Madison, as shown in Mason, Life of Stuart, pp. 218-9. Possibly the Rosenthal etching was derived from the picture in the possession of the Coles family of Philadelphia.

NORTH CAROLINA.

31. William Blount, Emmet 9504, inscribed "Etched by Albert Rosenthal Phila. 1888." He also painted a portrait for Independence Hall. The two are alike. In November, 1885, Moses White, of Knoxville, Tenn., wrote thus: "Genl. Marcus J. Wright, published, last year, a life of Win. Blount, which contains a likeness of him.... This is the only likeness of Gov. Blount that I ever saw." This letter was written to Mr. Bathurst L. Smith, who forwarded it to Dr. Emmet.

32. Richard Dobbs Spaight, Emmet 9506, inscribed "Etched by Albert Rosenthal Phila. 1887." In Independence Hall is a portrait painted by James Sharpless. On comparison these two are of the same type but not alike. The etching presents an older facial appearance. On November 8, 1886, Gen. John Meredith Read, writing from Paris, said he had found in the possession of his friend in Paris, J. R. D. Shepard, "St. Memin's engraving of his great-grandfather Governor Spaight of North Carolina." In 1887 and 1888, Dr. Emmet and Mr. Gratz were jointly interested in having Albert Rosenthal engrave for them a portrait of Spaight. On December 9, 1887, Gratz wrote to Emmet: "Spaight is worthy of being etched; though I can scarcely agree with you that our lithograph is not a portrait of the M. O. C. Is it taken from the original Sharpless portrait, which hangs in our old State House? ... However if you are sure you have the right man in the photograph sent, we can afford to ignore the lithograph."

33. Hugh Williamson, Emmet 9508, inscribed "Etched by Albert Rosenthal after Painting by J. Trumbull Phila. 1888," Rosenthal also painted a copy "after John Wesley Jarvis" for Independence Hall. The two are undoubtedly from the same original source. The Emmet correspondence presents no information on this subject.

SOUTH CAROLINA.

34. John Rutledge, Emmet 9510, inscribed "Etched by Albert Rosenthal Phila. 1888 after J. Trumbull." The original painting was owned by the Misses Rutledge, of Charleston, S. C.

35. Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, Emmet 9519, inscribed "Etched by Albert Rosenthal Phila. 1888. Painting by Trumbull." An oil miniature on wood was painted by Col. John Trumbull, in 1791, which is in the Yale School of Fine Arts. Pinckney was also painted by Gilbert Stuart and the portrait was owned by the family at Runnymeade, S. C. Trumbull's portrait shows a younger face.

36. Charles Pinckney, Emmet 9514, inscribed "Etched by Albert Rosenthal Phila. 1888." He also painted a portrait for Independence Hall. They are alike. In the Emmet correspondence the following information, furnished to Dr. Emmet, is found: "Chas. Pinckney-Mr. Henry L. Pinckney of Stateburg [S. C.] has a picture of Gov. Pinckney." The owner of this portrait was a grandson of the subject. On January 12, 1885, P. G. De Saussure wrote to Emmet: "Half an hour ago I received from the Photographer two of the Pictures [one being] Charles Pinckney copied from a portrait owned by Mr. L. Pinckney-who lives in Stateburg, S. C." The owner had put the portrait at Dr. Emmet's disposal, in a letter of December 4, 1884, in which he gave its dimensions as "about 3 ft. nearly square," and added, "it is very precious to me."

37. Pierce Butler, Emmet 9516, inscribed "Etched by Albert Rosenthal Phila. 1888." He also painted a portrait for Independence Hall. They are dissimilar and dubious. Three letters in the Emmet correspondence refer to the Butler portraiture. On January 31, 1887, Mrs. Sarah B. Wister, of Philadelphia, wrote to Dr. Emmet: "I enclose photograph copies of two miniatures of Maj. Butler wh. Mr. Louis Butler [a bachelor then over seventy years old living in Paris, France] gave me not long ago: I did not know of their existence until 1882, & never heard of any likeness of my great-grandfather, except an oil-portrait wh. was last seen more than thirty years ago in a lumber room in his former house at the n. w. corner of 8th & Chestnut streets [Phila.], since then pulled down." On February 8th, Mrs. Wister wrote: "I am not surprised that the two miniatures do not strike you as being of the same person. Yet I believe there is no doubt of it; my cousin had them from his father who was Maj. Butler's son. The more youthful one is evidently by a poor artist, & therefore probably was a poor likeness." In her third letter to Dr. Emmet, on April 5, 1888, Mrs. Wister wrote: "I sent you back the photo. from the youthful miniature of Maj. Butler & regret very much that I have no copy of the other left; but four sets were made of wh. I sent you one & gave the others to his few living descendants. I regret this all the more as I am reluctant to trust the miniature again to a photographer. I live out of town so that there is some trouble in sending & calling for them; (I went personally last time, & there are no other likenesses of my great grandfather extant.)"

GEORGIA.

38. William Few, Emmet 9518, inscribed "Etched by Albert Rosenthal Phila. 1888." He also painted a portrait "after John Ramage," for Independence Hall. They are identical.

39. Abraham Baldwin, Emmet 9520, inscribed" Etched by Albert Rosenthal Phila. 1888." There is also a painting "after Fulton" in Independence Hall. They are of the same type but not exactly alike, yet likely from the same original. The variations may be just artist's vagaries. There is no information in the Emmet correspondence.

40. William Jackson, Secretary, Emmet 9436, inscribed "Etched by Albert Rosenthal Phila. 1888 after Painting by J. Trumbull." Rosenthal also painted a copy after Trumbull for Independence Hall. They are identical.