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Abraham Lincoln: An Important Grouping of Items Related to His Funeral in Washington. ...
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Description
Abraham Lincoln: An Important Grouping of Items Related to His Funeral in Washington. The items were preserved by Samuel Wetmore, who clearly had rather high-level access to the events following Lincoln's assassination. While our research has failed to unearth detailed information on Samuel himself, it is clear that he belonged to a prominent family which was connected, presumably by marriage, to the famous Peabody family.In 1885, the trustees of the Peabody Education Fund gave a tribute to Samuel Wetmore and General Grant, and one George Peabody Wetmore, possibly a son of Samuel, was on the supervisory commission and signed the testimonial to Lincoln which was placed in the cornerstone of the Lincoln Memorial in 1915. Samuel Wetmore was part of the delegation from the New York Union League that attended the events surrounding Lincoln's funeral, and served as a member of the Citizens Committee for the funeral.
While the provenance of this archive is in itself interesting, the real importance and value lie in the nature of the very rare and collectable items it includes:
(1) A rare, black-bordered White House pass from April 19, 1865, accompanied by two silk and crepe badges Wetmore wore at the funeral, one marked "Union League Club New York", and the other "Citizens of New York". The provenance is detailed in 19th century handwriting, possibly Wetmore's, on the envelope which contained the badges.
(2) Souvenirs taken at the White House from the catafalque which held the president's body, and from his funeral car, with their original envelopes.
(3) Rare card for admission to the Funeral Obsequies, along with black-bordered letter of transmittal.
(4) Program of the Obsequies, listing Samuel Wetmore as a member of the General Committee.
(5) Funeral order of procession, with Wetmore's notations: "President Lincoln's Funeral/Washington, D.C. April 19th 1865".
(6) A May 1865 invitation to attend a White House reception to meet the new president, Andrew Johnson, along with some red, white, and blue flag ribbons which were used in badges.
(7) 1850 letter from George Peabody, wealthy merchant, banker, and philanthropist, to Samuel Wetmore.
In all, a truly remarkable grouping which includes various individual items highly sought-after by Lincoln collectors. The temptation to break up the archive and offer these items individually was strong, but in the end it was felt that this unique group deserved to remain together.
Auction Info
2012 December 11-12 Political, Western Legends & Americana Signature Auction - Dallas #6092 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
December, 2012
11th-12th
Tuesday-Wednesday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 5
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 2,524
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
19.5% of the successful bid per lot.
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