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Civil War date Lincoln Autograph Album - with Noted Provenance.

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:7,000.00 USD Estimated At:14,000.00 - 18,000.00 USD
Civil War date Lincoln Autograph Album - with Noted Provenance.
Autograph album compiled early 1863, with magnificent, uncommonly large "Yours truly, A. Lincoln" centered on the first leaf after gilded title page, in cocoa brown on ivory. Such is the superiority of this album's Lincoln signature that it was the sole illustration on outside back cover of the momentous Roy P. Crocker Collection of Important Lincolniana by Sotheby Parke Bernet, N.Y., 1979 (original catalogue accompanies); this album was lot 220 therein. Lincoln followed by some 183 signatures of his wartime Cabinet, Congressmen, Senators, and other luminaries. Full mocha suede, deeply blind-embossed with floral spray motifs, "Autographs" gold-stamped. 5 x 7 3/4, all edges gilt, matching title page in metallic gold ink, "Autographs / Hayes & Zell, Philadelphia," on white clay-coated.

With Judaica association: bookseller's label on inside board, "Metropolitan Book Store, Philp & Solomons, 332 Pennsylvania Ave., Washington, D.C." Adolphus Solomons was a leading Jew of Washington, D.C., and publisher for famed Civil War photographer Alexander Gardner, whose similarly-named Metropolitan Gallery was located above the bookshop. An associate of Brady, among Gardner's vast body of work are iconic photographs of Lincoln. A friend of Presidents - from Lincoln to McKinley - Solomons served as a link between Lincoln and the Jewish community. Stationer to Congress and the Armed Forces during the war, "when the Volunteer Act of 1861 mandated that only Christians could be military chaplains, the Board of Delegates of American Israelites sent Rabbi Arnold Fischel to Washington to lobby for change. Using Solomons's bookstore as his headquarters, Fischel succeeded when Lincoln signed a law on July 17, 1862, for the first time permitting rabbis to become chaplains."--Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington. Solomons declined the Governorship of D.C., as it would have required working on the Sabbath. Instrumental in early funding of today's Mt. Sinai Hospital, established as a Jewish hospital in New York City, he co-founded the American Red Cross with Clara Barton.

On individual leaves following Lincoln, in order: M(ontgomery Blair, P(ost) M(aster) G(eneral) * "Edwin M. Stanton, Sec. of War, Feb. 23, 1863" * Gideon Welles, 'Sec. of Navy], 3d Mar. 1863 * J.P. Usher, Sec. of Interior * William H. Seward, 'Sec. of State] * Galusha A. Grow, Glenwood, Pa. 'Speaker of House] * Balance generally three per page, including: F.C. Beaman (Mich.); R.E. Trowbridge, Birmingham, Mich.; John Hutchins, Warren, Ohio; Wm. Morris Davis, Milestown, Philad(elphi)a; William Wall, N.Y.; G.W. White, Stockwell, Ind.; Robt. McKnight, Pa.; A.B. Orin, Troy, N.Y.; William Windam, Winona, Minn.; James F. Wilson, Fairfield; J.P. Chamberlain, Seneca Falls, N.Y.; A.A. Sargent, Cal.; W.A. Wheeler, Malone, N.Y. 'Vice Pres. 1876-84]; Wm. Kellogg, Canton, Ill. 'of Kellogg Cereal family]; R(oscoe) Conkling, N.Y.; Schuyler Colfax, South Bend, Ind. 'Vice Pres. 1869-73]; Thaddeus Stevens; Erastus Corning, Albany, N.Y.; J.J. Crittenden, Kent(uck)y; Clement Laird Vallandigham, "Dayton, Ohio, Feb. 27, 1863," in sprawling blue ink; A.J. Hamilton, Brig. Gen.; and many, many others. Ten blank leaves at rear.

Interestingly, those signatures with dates suggest that much of the album was compiled, by its enthusiastic and diligent collector, within the short time between Feb. 23-Mar. 3, 1863. Congress was exceedingly busy during that period: on Mar. 3 alone, they granted Lincoln the power to suspend habeas corpus, adopted the Conscription Act with its exemption leading to that summer's Draft Riots, increased the number of Supreme Court Justices, authorized raising $810 million in loans, notes, bonds, and currency - and, before the sun set on that same day, adopted a resolution opposing foreign intervention in the Civil War.

Spine largely perished but binding tight, minor interior daylight between gatherings at spine, wear at board tips and edges, else internally clean, bright, fresh, and very fine. Of the mouth-watering number of Lincoln exemplars in the vast Crocker Collection, this album's signature was evidently chosen by Sotheby as the most flattering, to grace their catalogue's back cover. For both advanced Lincoln collectors and generalists, this example is worthy of consideration. Off the market since the Crocker sale in 1979. ,000 (with Crocker catalogue, Sotheby envelope, and lot bookmark)