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3D Object Lincoln inkwell; a gift from Charles D. Proston.

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About this Item

Title

  • Lincoln inkwell; a gift from Charles D. Proston.

Names

  • Tiffany (Creator)

Created / Published

  • New York City, New York, 1865

Headings

  • -  Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865
  • -  Lincoln's possessions
  • -  Proston, Charles D
  • -  Physical Objects
  • -  Realia
  • -  United States -- Arizona

Genre

  • Physical Objects
  • Realia

Notes

  • -  A gift from Mary Lincoln Isham to the Library of Congress in 1937.
  • -  Made of sterling silver from Poston's mine. Impressed or otherwise affixed on the inkwell: Abraham Lincoln. Charles D. Posten, Arizona 1865. Ditat Deus. E Pluribus Unum.
  • -  The inkwell is sculptural with three figures atop an architectural base with ball in claw feet. The central figure (Columbia, dressed in toga with sword, wreath and shield) is attached to a handbell which is removable from the base. The side figures depict a seated Indian (right) and a seated frontiersman (left). At the four corners are lamp-like architectural ornaments. Each is numbered below the base and under each ornament (visible when dismantled). They may have been intended to hold pens. The front of the base is engraved with "Abraham Lincoln" and the back "From Charles D. Posten Arizona 1865." In the front around the circular center ring is a relief: "E Pluribus Unum: surrounded by an incised line. On the ring below this is engraved "ditat deus". The inkwell is composed of many parts which are removable from the base. The appendages are held by screws. Behind the front and back engraved name plates are compartments. The front one has two holes accessible from the top and would seem to be for dipping into ink. Each hole has a small saucer dish which is easily removable. The drawer in the back has a lid (removable), and may have been used for extra pen nibs or possibly sand. Each drawer is held in place by a small lever.
  • -  Charles Debrill Poston (April 20, 1825- June 24, 1902), explorer and author, delegate from Arizona Territory to Congress, was born in Hardon County, Kentucky. N Washington he directed his attention to gaining a territorial organization for Arizona, and when the Territory of Arizona was created, he returned to the Southwest late in 1863 as superintendent of Indian affairs. Accompanied by J. Ross Browne [q.v.] he traveled through the Apache country, visiting the different tribes and at the same time gaining the support that elected him first delegate to Congress from Arizona. He served from Dec. 5, 1864, to Mar. 3, 1865, and advocated the building of irrigation works on the ground that they would aid the reservation tribes to becoming self-supporting (The Speech of Charles D. Poston .. On Indian Affairs in the House of Representatives .. Mar. 2, 1865). He obtained a congressional appropriation for the promotion of irrigation. By his defeat for reelection in 1864, his political career was closed.

Medium

  • 24.5 high x 32 long x 12.5 wide (cm)

Call Number/Physical Location

  • Thatcher Grill, Rare Book Division

Source Collection

  • The Alfred Whital Stern Collection of Lincolniana

Repository

  • Rare Book And Special Collections Division

Digital Id

Online Format

  • image

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress believes that many of the papers in The Alfred Whital Stern Collection of Lincolniana collection are in the public domain or have no known copyright restrictions and are free to use and reuse. For example, any songs published in the United States before 1923 are in the public domain. The Library has also obtained permission for the use of many other materials, and presents additional materials pursuant to fair use under United States copyright law. Researchers should watch for documents that may be copyrighted (for example, published in the United States less than 95 years ago, or unpublished and the author died less than 70 years ago).

You are responsible for deciding whether your use of the items in this collection is legal. You will need written permission from the rightsholders to copy, distribute, or otherwise use copyrighted materials except as allowed by fair use or other statutory exemptions. Some materials may be protected under international law. You may also need permission from holders of other rights, such as publicity and/or privacy rights.

Credit Line: Library of Congress, Rare Book and Special Collections Division, Alfred Whital Stern Collection of Lincolniana.

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Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Tiffany. Lincoln inkwell; a gift from Charles D. Proston. New York City, New York, 1865. Image. https://www.loc.gov/item/scsm001300/.

APA citation style:

Tiffany. (1865) Lincoln inkwell; a gift from Charles D. Proston. New York City, New York. [Image] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/scsm001300/.

MLA citation style:

Tiffany. Lincoln inkwell; a gift from Charles D. Proston. New York City, New York, 1865. Image. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/scsm001300/>.