Previous image preload Next image preload
Back to catalog
Lot 68
image_0 image_1 image_2
William Henry Harrison asks fr medal for widow of fallen sailor from War of 1812
William Henry Harrison asks fr medal for widow of fallen sailor from War of 1812
image_0 image_1 image_2
Description:

A touching letter from William Henry Harrison requesting the delivery medal posthumously issued to a naval officer killed in action aboard the USS United States in its historic victory over the HMS Macedonia," to gratify and aged mother who is very solicitous to see this National Testimony of the merits of a beloved son before her death."

WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON (1773-1841) Fine content Autograph Letter Signed, "W. H. Harrison," 1 page, 7.5" x 9.75", Cincinnati, May 11, 1824, addressed in his hand on the verso to "The Hon[ora]ble Samuel. S. Southard Esar. Secy of the Navy Washington." Laid in to a larger sheet, light toning, expected folds, else very good.

Harrison writes in full: "Mr Henry B. Funk the only brother of Lieut. Jno M. Funk who was killed on board the Constitution United States, in the action with the Guerriere Macedonia has requested me to write to you & request that the Medal which was voted to him by the Resolution of Congress of the 29th Jany. 1813 should be delivered to the bearer E. S. Haines Esqr. The Evidence of Mr H. B. Funk being the nearest male relative of Lieutenant funk is in the hands of William Worthington Esqr. of Georgetown D.C. Mr Funk has understood that the medal was finished & now in the navy office. His solicitude to obtain it arises from his wish to gratify and aged mother who is very solicitous to see this National Testimony of the merits of a beloved son before her death."

An example of the medal Harrison discusses recently sold at a New England auction for $20,000!

From the library of John Augustin Daly (1838-1899). Daly, one of the most important figures in nineteenth-century American theater, worked as a critic, manager, playwright and stage director. At the time of his death, he owned two major theaters, one in New York and the other in London. Daly is considered personally responsible for the careers of such acting greats as John Drew Jr. Maurice Barrymore, Fanny Davenport, Maude Adams, Sara Jewett, Isadora Duncan, Tyrone Power, Sr. and many others.

Daly was also an avid book lover and collector, amassing an enormous library of books and original manuscripts. That collection was dispersed in an epic, two-week auction at the American Art Association in New York in March 1900. The present letter was part of an extra-illustrated volume, described in the catalog as a "Unique copy, with autograph letters of all the Presidents inserted..." Walter Benjamin, writing in The Collector, described the sale as a "blaze of glory, due to the total having reached nearly $200,000." Benjamin attributed the sale's incredible success to "a small bookseller on 42d street, who appeared at the sale with apparently unlimited cash, and was soon the master of the situation." That "small bookseller," was George D. Smith (d. 1920), who, up until that time, had been an obscure and unsuccessful book dealer who began his career in 1883 with Dodd & Mead. Smith would dominate the market for the next two decades, working as an agent for some of the wealthiest collectors in the country—most notably Henry E. Huntington, for whom Smith purchased a portion of the Duke of Devonshire Library in 1914 for $1.5 million (American Art Association, Catalogue of the Valuable Literary and Art Property Gathered by the Late Augustin Daly, New York, 1900; The Collector, New York, May 1900, 1-2; Publisher's Weekly, March 13, 1920, 801; Ibid, March 21, 1914, 1008; "Geo. D. Smith Dies in HIs Book Store, New York Times, March 5, 1928, 13).

The extra-illustrated volume of presidents from which this piece derives fetched $850, nearly four times above the going rate for presidential sets at the time. According to Walter Benjamin, Smith quickly resold the volume for $1,000. The collection did not surface again until it appeared in a minor auction in early 2016. (The Collector, New York, May 1900, 1-2)

Provenance: John Augustin Daly; American Art Association, New York, March 19, 1900, Lot 3122; George D. Smith, New York.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. Shipping and handling costs are competitive as we maintain discounted contracts with FedEx. If you have any questions, contact University Archives prior to bidding. After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 5 business days following receipt of full payment for item. We currently ship via FedEx but if your purchase is shipping to a P.O. Box, we ship via USPS. All items are insured. We ship from our offices in Westport, CT. We may opt to use a third party shipper for very fragile, bulky or oversized items. Items requiring third party shipping will be denoted in the item description. Packages shipped internationally will have full value declared on shipping form. International buyers will be responsible for any customs fees incurred.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Westport, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 20% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000