Bower (Lawrence F.) Autograph Collection, 1802-1904

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Summary

Title:
Autograph Collection of Lawrence F. Bower
Dates:
1802-1904
Creators:
Bower, Lawrence F.
Abstract:
This collection consists of a small group of unrelated letters collected for their autograph values by Lawrence F. Bower around 1889 and specializing in naval and military officers (particularly rear admirals), of the War of 1812 and the Civil War.
Extent:
63 pieces in 1 box
Language:
English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Autograph Collection of Lawrence F. Bower, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection consists of a small group of unrelated letters collected for their autograph values by Lawrence F. Bower around 1889 and specializing in naval and military officers (particularly rear admirals), of the War of 1812 and the Civil War. Bower wrote personally to many of the retired Civil War officers who were living in the last decade of the nineteenth century, requesting their autographs, and, in addition, collected a few letters of historical value. Judging from the contents of the answers to these requests, Mr. Bower was only a boy at the time.

The letters addressed to Bower, which comprise 34 pieces, or over one-half of the collection, are dated from 1889 to 1904; while the items of historical value (28 pieces) cover quite evenly the period of 1802-1898, with the exception of a gap between 1829 and 1855.

The autographs include:

  • Bainbridge, William
  • Barney, Joshua
  • Boyd, John Parker
  • Chaille-Long, Charles
  • Du Pont, Samuel Francis
  • Franklin, Samuel Rhoads
  • Harmar, Josiah
  • Howard, Oliver Otis
  • Hull, Isaac
  • Johnson, Bradley Tyler
  • Johnston, Joseph Eggleston
  • Lane, James Henry
  • Longstreet, James
  • MacDonough, Thomas
  • Meade, George Gordon
  • Meigs, Josiah
  • Melville, George Wallace
  • Perry, Matthew Calbraith
  • Perry, Oliver Hazard
  • Pope, John
  • Porter, David
  • Porter, David Dixon
  • Preble, George Henry
  • Rodgers, Christopher Raymond Perry
  • Scott, Winfield
  • Sheridan, Philip Henry
  • Sigel, Franz
Note: Individuals represented only by letters addressed to Bower which are of interest only for the autograph, have been omitted.

Notable items include:

  • Bainbridge, William (1774-1833) To Benjamin Williams Crownishield, Secretary of the Navy, in support of the application of Alexander Gordon for a midshipman's warrant 1817, Aug 1
  • Barney, Joshua (1759-1818) List of papers concerning his claims against the French government, etc., with instructions for his agent 1802, July 9
  • Chaille-Long, Charles (1842-1917) To F P >Noble, Secretary of the World's Congress Auxiliary at Chicago, referring to his article on The Origin and Progress of African Exploration and Discovery... 1893, July 3
  • Franklin, Samuel Rhoads (1825-1909) To Capt Smith of the U.S.S Bermuda, instructing him to transfer his passengers and stores for New Orleans to another ship and proceed to the coast of Texas 1865, Jan 31
  • MacDonough, Thomas (1783-1825) To Raymond Perry, referring to the distribution of the Lake Champlain prize money 1815, Sep 1
  • Meigs, Josiah (1757-1822), and Stephen Decatur (1779-1820) To James Monroe, then Secretary of State, recommending Col Samuel Green, editor of the Connecticut Gazette, as the publisher of the laws of the United States in Connecticut 1816, Feb 22
  • Perry, Oliver Hazard (1785-1819) To William Sanford Rogers, giving news of war activities in Newport harbor 1812, Dec 15

Biographical / historical:

Lawrence F. Bower began his autograph collection around 1889 specializing in naval and military officers of the War of 1812 and the Civil War. He wrote personally to many of the officers still living in the 1890s requesting their autographs.

Acquisition information:
Purchased as Lot 18 in the American Art Association sale of January 9, 1923.
Rules or conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Processed by The Huntington Library staff in 1977; supplementary encoding and revision supplied by Xiuzhi Zhou in 2000, and Diann Benti in June 2017.
Date Prepared:
© 2000
Date Encoded:
Machine readable finding aid encoded by Diann Benti in June 2017 .

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.

Terms of access:

The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Autograph Collection of Lawrence F. Bower, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
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