Description:

William McKinley
Washington, DC, ca. March 7, 1884 - April 24, 1884
William McKinley & 250+ Congressmen Signed Mid-Term 1884 Album - Includes Both Black Members of HR, as well as Civil War Generals, Future Governors, Ministers & Cabinet Members!
Signed album

A truly remarkable autograph album containing approximately 298 signatures of U.S. Congressmen serving in the 48th U.S. Congress, including two signatures by William McKinley (1843-1901), then Ohio Congressman and future 25th U.S. President. McKinley's first signature is as "Wm McKinley Jr / Canton O" and his second signature is as "Wm McKinley Jr / Canton / Ohio." The album was signed over a period of time between ca. March 7, 1884 - April 24, 1884, or around the mid-term of the Congressional session. At least two autographs indicate that the album was signed in the House of Representatives in Washington, D.C. The autograph collector may have been from Dubuque, Iowa, as special attention is paid to 3rd district Iowa Congressman David B. Henderson (included insert pictured.) Although the album is missing its front and back covers, the fancy gilt-embossed front title page and gilt textblock more than compensate for this. The binding is tight and intact, with a few stray threads. Isolated edge darkening and ink bleed through within the otherwise clean and crisp pages. Unpaginated, but signatures are found on at least 119 pages. 7.25" x 9.125" x .625."

The album signers were all sitting members of the Democratic-majority House of Representatives, which, at the beginning of the 48th Congressional session in March 1883, numbered 324 members along with 8 non-voting territorial members, for a total of 332 members. The album contains approximately 298 signatures (between 1-3 per page), although some of these are duplicates. Taking into account the occasional duplicates, we've estimated that there are probably around 250 unique signatures, which imputes a signing percentage of 75% of the House of Representatives!

The album has a rich abundance of important signers; included are a future president, former Union and Confederate generals, past or future state governors, ministers, and cabinet members, as well as both Black Congressmen at the time: Robert Smalls from South Carolina and James E. O'Hara from North Carolina.
Signers came from 37 of 38 states (excluding Oregon), and the album also features signatures from 3 of 8 non-voting members from U.S. territories: Montana, Utah, and Arizona.

Notable signers include, divided by category and then alphabetically:

Political - Presidents

- William McKinley, Ohio Congressman, future 25th U.S. President

Political - Former or Future State Governors

- Samuel Willis Tucker Lanham, Texas Congressman, future Governor of Texas (1903-1907)

- Benton McMillin, Tennessee Congressman, future Governor of Tennessee (1899-1903)

- William Calvin Oates, Alabama Congressman, future Governor of Alabama (1894-1896)

- George Washington Steele, Indiana Congressman, future Governor of Oklahoma Territory (1890-1891)

- James Webb Throckmorton, Texas Congressman, former Governor of Texas (1866-1867)

Political - Former or Future Ministers, Ambassadors & Envoys

- Samuel S. Cox, New York Congressman, future Ambassador to Ottoman Empire (1885-1886)

- Andrew G. Curtin, Pennsylvania Congressman, former Ambassador to Russian Empire (1869-1872)

- John A. Kassan, Iowa Congressman, former Minister to Austria (1877-1881), future Envoy to German Empire (1884-1885)

Former or Future Cabinet Members

- John Davis Long, Massachusetts Congressman, future U.S. Secretary of the Navy (1897-1902)

- James Wilson, Iowa Congressman, future U.S. Secretary of Agriculture (1897-1913)

Military - Former Union Generals

- John Henry Ketcham, New York Congressman, former Union Major General

- James Sidney Robinson, Ohio Congressman, former Union Brigadier General

- William S. Rosecrans, California Congressman, former Union Major General

- Henry Warner Slocum, New York Congressman, former Union Major General

Military - Former Confederate Generals

- William Ruffin Cox, North Carolina Congressman, former Confederate Brigadier General

- George Gibbs Dibrell, Tennessee Congressman, former Confederate Brigadier General

- Charles Miller Shelley, Alabama Congressman, former Confederate Brigadier General

Miscellaneous Interest

- James H. Blount, Georgia Congressman, later tasked by President Grover Cleveland with formulating 1893 Blount Report opposing the annexation of Hawaii

- John T. Caine, non-voting Congressman from
Utah Territory

- Martin McGinnis, non-voting Congressman from Montana Territory

- James E. O'Hara, North Carolina Congressman. 1 of 2 Black Congressmen in the 48th Congress.

- Granville H. Oury, non-voting Congressman from Arizona Territory

- Sereno E. Payne, New York Congressman, future House Majority Leader (1899-1911)

- Thomas B. Reed, Maine Congressman, future U.S. Speaker of the House (1889-1891)(1895-1899)

- Robert Smalls, South Carolina Congressman, ex-slave who commandeered Confederate transport ship! 1 of 2 Black Congressmen in the 48th Congress.

- Ezra B. Taylor, Ohio Congressman who won President James A. Garfield's vacant Congressional seat

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: 7.25" x 9.125" x .625"
  • Medium: Signed album

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