Thread: SEG presentation: BEP Memorial Books

We haven't had a presentation from a member of the Security Engravings Group for some time, so I thought I'd offer this...

While doing some other research on the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, I got reacquainted with an area I'd forgotten about: Congressional memorial books.

These were collections of eulogies presented in one or both houses following the death of a senator, representative or dignitary. They were published by the Government Printing Office and most, though not all, contain Bureau engraved portraits as frontis-pieces. More than 300 of these books were produced between 1861 (Stephen Douglas) and 1922 (Carl C. Van Dyke). After 1922 photographic portraits were used.

The books are typically hard bound with gold lettering on the cover. They generally ran from 100 to 150 pages. An example is this one of Senator Andrew Johnson (and previously President) published in 1876. The pages, like most of the other books, measure about 10.5 x 7 inches...

I wanted to learn whether any of these BEP portraits appear on U.S. currency. Vice President Thomas A. Hendricks, for instance, appears on an 1886 $10 silver certficate--did that portrait match the one in his memorial book?

Alas, no, they are entirely different engravings. In fact, remarkably few BEP portraits made the leap from memorial books to money. Out of all the books, only four engraved portraits were reproduced on currency: Presidents Lincoln and Garfield, Senator Charles Sumner, and Samuel Morse, inventor of the telegraph...

The Lincoln portrait, ornately engraved by Henry Gugler, appeared in "Memorial Address on the Life and Character of Abraham Lincoln," published in 1866. This was the first book to include a BEP frontis-piece. The portrait was used previously on the 1864 $20 Interest Bearing Treasury Note and $20 Compound Interest Treasury Note. (This is not a note I own, just an example for comparison.)

Garfield's portrait, the centerpiece of an elaborate engraving for the president's 1882 memorial book, also appears on the $5 National Bank Note of the same year (again, a sample note from someone else's collection). This memorial engraving was also issued separately with a black frame and is considered one of the earliest souvenir cards.

The 1874 memorial book for Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner includes a Bureau portrait that later graced the $500 silver certificates of 1878 and 1880. (The note shown is actually from a 1996 souvenir card.)

Samuel Morse was one of only two non-politicians honored with Congressional eulogies -- the other was Joseph Henry, director of the Smithsonian Institution. The portrait from Morse's 1875 memorial book also appears on the back of the 1896 $2 silver certificate. (The note shown is also from a souvenir card, from the 1976 ANA show.)

Memorial books, for those interested, can be found relatively inexpensively online -- often $5 to $10 each. Those that appear on currency are the most sought after and generally run $50 or more. A nice copy of the Lincoln book may bring close to $200. You'll find a complete list, up to 1909, here:
http://books.google.com/books?id=eh0...page&q&f=false

Very interesting Greg, I hadn't heard of these books before. Love the engravings with the signatures on them!

Thanks for writing this up for us.

Dave

This is amazing Greg! Thanks for a new SEG thread too! Great work.

Very nice presentation Greg. I had never seen one of these, they look really interesting! Thanks for sharing!!!

Thought I'd post a few more portraits for you, including the one of Joseph Henry of the Smithsonian I mentioned earlier. The Benjamin Hill portrait is the only one I've found so far by the BEP that is rectangular. I'm not sure why, but there must be a story behind it.

Greg, that Benjamin Hill portrait is quite stunning. I mean, they all are, really, but for some reason that one glows with a life, to me. I will have to start learning about these more carefully as I'd like to eventually add that plate if not others to my own collection some day. This is really a nice thread you've shared. I really appreciate the examples and information you have collected for us to learn about.

Chris, the full title of that book would be "Memorial Addresses on the Life and Character of Benjamin Harvey Hill, a Senator from Georgia" (1883). You can find it through Bookfinder.com and other online booksellers. However, be careful, as there are many print-to-order sellers of cheap reprint versions -- this is true for all these memorial books. The original will be published by the Government Printing Office. Also, before you buy, confirm with the seller that there is no foxing, stains or other damage to the engraving. I've had to return a couple because this wasn't disclosed in the description.

I just got out my magnifying glass and did a close inspection of that paper Benjamin Hill is holding in his hand. In tiny letters it reads "Hatch, sc" -- engraver Lorenzo Hatch snuck his signature onto the portrait! While he was with the BEP (1872-1887) Hatch also engraved the Garfield portrait above.

That is really cool! Love it!

Had too much time on my hands today, so I thought I'd post one more thing and then find something productive to do.


There is another book that contains a portrait used on currency. This one is not a memorial book, however. It's the 1885 book "The Dedication of the Washington National Monument." It has a great frontispiece that is often included among souvenir card listings as a forerunner card.


The engraving includes a portrait of Washington, facing left, that you will also find on $1 U.S. Notes from 1869-1917, the reverse of the 1896 $1 silver certificate, and the face of the 1905 & '22 $20 gold certificate. The latter you can find here, thanks to ronterry: New Acquistions

Very Nice Greg, just picked up the HC book on Amazon.

Hc?

Greg:

Quite simply put, this was an outsatnding effort you put forth sharing such incredibile vignettes and history.
I applaud you for the fantastic collection you have and your generosity to share it with us.

God Bless.