Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-02-11
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

:
i NEW PUBLICATIONS.
g The National Portrait Gallery of Distinguished
Americans Nth Biographical Sketches. In four volumes,
Philadelphia; D. RICE A. N. HART, 1854"
History Of the Indian Tribes of North America, with
Biographical Sketches and Anecdotes Of the Principal
Chiefs embellished with hundred and twenty por
traits from the Indian Gallery in the Department of
i War, Washington. By Thomas L. MCKENNEY, late of
the Indian Department, Washington and JAMES HALL,
Esq, of Cincinnati. In three volumes; Philadelphia,
published by d. RICE A. N. HART, No. u Minor
street, 1854" Imperial octave, PIP. 392.
Thefrst work here mentioned was originally undertaken
more than twenty years ago, by Mr.. JAMES LoNGAcRE
of Philadelphia, who Joined in it by Mr.. JAMES
HERRING, of New York. We took occasion on the publ
cation Of their first volume to invite the public attention
to it enterprise of extraordinary merit richly de-
serving the patronage Of our countrymen Since that
time it has passed through various hands to its present
proprieors and publishers who by their
many costly improvements in the style Of execution and
the addition several portraits and biographical sketches
have acquired greatly enhanced claim the thanks Of
every American who delights in witnessing the progress
of the fine arts in his country These magnificent
volumes certainly exceed in richness and elegance of dis
play any thing Of the kind before issued from the
American press indeed doubt whether in any nation
the combination of the bndery and the press
plished splendid array Of art. The publishers
have spared neither labor expense to bring
the execution Of their work to the utmost degree of peg
lection of which the existing of the and
trades employed upon it would admit OF the literary
merit Of the biographies would be superuous speak
the of them written by authors of high repu
aon and the press every where has already
its commendaton 1t has been good fortune to have
known the greater portion of the distinguished
whose portraits given and from vivid reco
lection of them enabled to speak confidently of
the fidelity Of the delineations
There are two portraits of Washington in the first
lume: the from picture by Col. Trumbu, painted
while he was member Of the Generals military family
the other from Stuarts well known portrait of him after
he became President Of the United States. Both are
faithful copies their respective originals But besides
these two fine engravngs, the ttlepage is embeshed
with medallion Of the Father Of his Country which is
of the richest and most exquisitey beautiful spec
mems of art we have
Eight biographies and eleven new engravngs have been
added since the former edition of the work. the sketches
being brought down to the present time The four volumes
all of which printed in limited numbers contain no
less than hundred and ortyou portraits and their
corresponding biographical sketches
From what have said of the superb appearance of
the work the public will at that it could not
have been got up without immense outlay of capital
and that the usual Of trade among booksellers
would be far in its operations to afford any thing
like reasonable hope of that prompt remuneration SO
important to of business and especially to young
and enterprising firm This makes it necessary that the
" Portrait Gallery" should be sold only order in
other words, that it should sell itself by its arac
tons We have said that the whole work is printed; but
only few copies yet bound for the publishers
willing to leave every purchaser the privilege Of choos
ing the style of binding which may suit his taste
and besides bind the whole edition. in the least
expensive manner, would add so much to the<expendi-
lures already incurred that the publishers could hardly
be expected to take upon themselves the risk without
some that the whole could be Sold To this
end the Junior partner Of the house, Mr.. A. n HART is
in this city, with the intention, understand, of
waiting upon the citizens and soourners here in person.
that all who desire to copy and we are disposed
to think that who afford it will be without that
desire when they have the work, may give their
orders for it in the style Of binding that may please them
best. Mr.. Hart visits us highly and strongly recon-
mended to Of most prominent men, and his
gentlemanly department will gain for him. trust
spectul reception from all upon whom he may call.
We cannot close this notice without repeating that this
work fairly and honestly deserves the most liberal and
extensive encouragement not only favorable ndica
ton of the perfection to which the fine arts in the United
States rapidly and surely tending but something
which, in its literary and historical character may
awaken in the youth of country spirit of patriot
ism, of for the heroes and statesmen whose
lives have shed lustre republic and of generous
emulation Of the virtues which gained them the place they
hold among the distinguished Of the nation.
The second work. the title Of whchis to be found above
affords another evidence of the enterprsng spirit of
Messrs Rice Hart. The public have been long fam-
liar with Mr. McKenneys peculiar fitness for the task Of
giving interest to the biographical sketches and anecdotes
Of North American Indians. His long service in the
Indian Department his official intercourse with the Chiefs
and his known devotion the duties Of the Bureau
long entrusted to his superintendent gave him op
portunities which few possessed OF acquiring that
intimate knowledge Of the Indian character which
bled him to throw into his sketches natural freshness
and vitality that cannot fail to attract readers of every
class
The third volume of this work is enriched by en-
craving from original portrait Of Pscahoatas the In
dian Princess honoraby identified with the first set
tiers of Virginia by extraordinary combination OF
circumstances, prefer to believe by of those
interpretations Of Providence which continually occur
ring to without consciousness it became known to
the present publishers that there existed in the family
of of the Virginia descendants of this aboriginal
Princess original portrait Of her. painted soon after
her arrival in England the wife of Richard Roe This
it is known took place in 1916 and the death, of Poca
honas occurred in 1917 that the portrait must have
been painted in Of those years The account of the
in which it into the possession of its pre-
owners is deeply interesting matter of history
As soon as its existence known, Mr.. Suliy of
most illustrious painters, employed to make
copy Of it for this work He found 1t much injured by
time and probably more by careless handling; but
ceeded after great pains in restoring all its important
features to enable him to make perfect copy. The
genuineness of the original is well authenticated that
ncreduty itself would hardly dispute it, and the
rateness of the copy will not be doubted by any body
who knows the character of Mr.. Suly. We look upon
this portrait valuable addition to historical
antiquities that rather than not possess it we