Manuscripts

Decoration Day anti-slavery poem

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Description: An anonymous poem written on the occasion of Decoration Day, a precursor to Memorial Day first officially celebrated on May 1868. The first celebration of the Union dead took place in Charleston, S.C. on May 1, 1865. The poem begins with: "To Day a Nation mourns her sons / Who died for Liberty. / She mourns above those faithful ones / Whose blood set thousands free." The poem celebrates the new era when "through loyal Chief, and Patriot Band / The blacks and whites now equal stand." .
Type: Manuscripts(Opens in new tab)
Production date: approximately 1870.
Call number: mssHM 83161
Provenance: Purchased through Nick Aretakis Americana at PBA Galleries, Sale 599, Lot 9, October 2016.
Dimensions: 32 cm :

Big Sur: [poem]

Manuscripts

A maniscript of a poem donated by Langston Hughes to a special poetry file, at the request of fellow poet Beulah May.

mssHM 63815

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Anti-Slavery Constitutional Amendment photomontage

Visual Materials

A large photographic montage composed of portraits of President Abraham Lincoln, Vice President Hannibal Hamlin, and the 157 Congressional senators and representatives who voted in favor of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which abolished slavery. An accompanying picture key identifies each of the 159 legislators. The photomontage was produced by George May Powell of Powell & Co. to celebrate the formal legislative adoption of the Emancipation Proclamation, the 13th Amendment, on January 31, 1865. Powell, a Lincoln supporter and statistician in the Treasury Department during the Civil War, produced the image in various sizes, and this item is among the largest. In compiling photographs of the legislators, Powell most likely used many of Mathew Brady's photographic portraits. Lincoln's face is cropped from a photograph taken by Anthony Berger of Brady's studio on February 9, 1864.

photPF 26045

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A Gazelle: poem

Manuscripts

Bound with the poem are the proof sheets of: On the World's Poet.

mssHM 2106

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John Burroughs letter to "Miss White" and poem

Manuscripts

John Burroughs wrote this letter to "Miss White" from his home in West Park, New York, talking about his poem "Waiting" (written in 1862). He explains that the poem reflected his future philosophy of life. Accompanying the letter is a handwritten copy of the poem in Burroughs' hand. Both items are glued on album pages.

mssHM 82430

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Uncle Tom: [poem, 7 drafts] :

Manuscripts

A manuscript of seven drafts of the poem Uncle Tom, donated by Langston Hughes to a special poetry file, at the request of fellow poet Beulah May.

mssHM 63819 (a-g)

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Independence : poem, early draft

Manuscripts

Manuscript (holograph) of an early draft of "Independence," a poem in 4 stanzas of 4 lines each. On the reverse: 2 stanzas of verse (in pencil).

mssHM 13186

Decoration Day anti-slavery poem

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Big Sur: [poem]

Anti-Slavery Constitutional Amendment photomontage

A Gazelle: poem

John Burroughs letter to "Miss White" and poem

Uncle Tom: [poem, 7 drafts] :

Independence : poem, early draft