River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-09-04

quainted with the English and the Con- |
tinental schools, but, as his work was to !
be Americanized, he desired to make il
thoroughly so. He made tie acouain /,
lance of Mr.. Thomas Eaklns, an artist of |
no little reputation, and this soon ripen- |
ed into warm friendship. Their inter |
ests being identical, to Mr.. Eakins was
communicated many of the thoughts of
the foreign artist regarding the work he
had on hand. Mr.. Morgan desired to
present as the principal figure on the
coin representative head Of the Ameri-
can female beauty. His first inclination
= as to make fanciful head of Goddess
OF Liberty or something of the sort
which would be pleasing in ITS appear
ance, and yet have no real significance.
Two designs of this sort were made but
did not come up to the expectations
of the great artist. Then it was
determined that the head should be the
representation of some living American
girl, who should sit while the artist
sketched her features. But where to pro-
cure such lady vas question which
bothered Mr.. Morgan. He examined the
eountenances of the young women who
make 1t their business to pose as models
Tor artists of the academy, and among
the large number he could find none who
suited his purposes. He went 10 the
Woman $ School of Design, but in all the
sketchings and casts there examined he
could find nothing when accorded with
his views. Then the services of his new
found friend, Mr.. Eakins, were called in,
and that gentleman induced you lady
friend of the family to sit as the model
for Mr.. Morgan. This lady Is the one
whose face IS now stamped on the coin OF
the country.
"The posings took place at the resi-
dence of Mr.. Eakins, ON Mount Vernon
street, below Eighteenth, where the lady
was initiated into the difficulties and
mysteries Of art 1t was a question for d
long time as to just what form the head
! and its ornaments should consist of. Large
caps were made to represent the Goddess
of Liberty, and all sorts of things. The
| position was rather trying to a young
! lady no had never sal before. The de
| sIgner is represented as having said that
| the profile OF the miss was ''the most per
| feet he bad ever seen, i'll England or II
this country After four or five sitting
tracings sufficient to proceed with thu
! work had been secured, and Mr.. Morgan
dismissed his model After this the de
sioner took his various sketches, and from
them wrought out the head, which is IN
| prominent figure ON the front OF the dol
lar of the daddies.
''The person who is TIE subject of thi
sketch, and whose features form TIN
| groundwork for the design on the coin
is very estimable and modest youns
lady. Her name is Miss Anna w. vii
liams, and she resides with her mothe
and aunt at No. 1923 Spring Gardel
street, in this city, where the family ha
lived for a number of years. 1t did no
occur to her at the time of the sitting
that she would become historically ia
nous, and had such "A thought eve
crossed her mind, the designer of the dol
lar would have been compelled to seel
elsewhere for subject Miss William
is blonde and of very fair complexion
By many she is regarded as pretty. Sh
is lightly below the average height, ant
of good figure. 1t would be impossible
TO recognize her by the head as it appear
on the dollar, because there are numerou
artistic changes, made to suit the eye q
the designer. This is particularly tn
case with the full-rounded chin, which i
said by those who know to resemble tha
of the wife of Mr.. Morgan. The Grecial
nose and the delicate lips are those o
Miss Williams; and this characteristic
strongly marked in other members OF tn
| Williams family. OF course the Blow
hair, the folded Liberty cap, and the 9th
er ornamentations are the addenda of tn
artist, and made to set off the figure s
that 1t would appear to better advantage.