New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-11-25
AuERLc1N IcONOGRAPRY.
Mr.. HUNTINGToN's VALUABLE GIFT TO TIE NE
TROPoMTAN MUSEUM.
Frota The III AmQieur.


From The Art ALaatetr.
There has lately been presented to the Metro
'nolitan Museum by former Paris correspondent Of THE
NETWORK TRIBUNE Mr.. W. II. Huntington, important
and exceedingly curious collection Of American icon
ography. Mr. Huntington began this collection about
1866 and since then he has devoted heart, mind and
purse to gathering souvenirs and images Of Franklin,
Washington Lafayette and other celebrities eminent in
American history not only carrying ON his researches in
the dusty portfolios OF the innumerabe print dealers Of
Paris but being correspondence with Dutch, German,
Russian and japanese cOllabOTatOrs. Among the
many oddities the collection two pOlychrone Japan
ese faence plaques representing Franklin and Washing
Roughly speaking tie Huntington collection is com,
posed of some fifteen hundred cngraylngs prints and
Autographs ana over lhee hndred ous'e sld'uetts'
miniatures and forth. TIC mere enumeration Of the
materials of which the objects made Is curious
takes almost through the whole alphabet Tor there
are objects In alahastcr, biscuit brass, bronze, cameo
carnean clay, copper, enamel Iaencc gayauOplastie,
glass, ivory lron lead marble onyx pastel porcrMr
plaster parchment Seyres china, six, terfacOta,
snufFboxes rings dITwcrpus and otter ndcscrihablc
articles which figure the features OF the great AmcI
America in Revolutionary times, made set OF twelve
dlawerpulls Onamented with the heads Of patrotsa sct
we'll known 10 collectors. Among the choicest OBJ
jects IN the Huntington collection Is white biscuit group
Louis XVI and Franklin, rayine the treaty between
France and the United States. This group made,
probably by Lemire at Niederyiller az porcelain manu-
factory time IN the possession Oi General Custinc,
who served in the RochaInbeau expedition II r. believed
that only four copies OF TINS q CUP are IN existence one
of them found by MIR. HOppin in Rhode Island the
other three have all passed through the hpnds 81 Paris
dealers within the past ten years. An Illustration OF
this curious group given herewith Another rarity
small bronze equestrian statue Of Washington. mili-
cent piece OF work by HOudOn, and doubtless unique,
the bronze is evidently "cire pcrdue" Yet raT
ties are bronze satuctcs OF Franklin and Washing
ton, attributed with reason 10 Houdon crc perdGe
bust Of Lafayette used by Clsgef or the statue OF La
fayette which he engaged AT the moment OF Ai,
death English snuifbJN with portrait OF Franklin
signed "Sauyagc, which experts consider 60 have been
done from life rs il is different from all the Other pU
| traits; Il miniature, the authorship OF which has
| finally been attributed to Pcale, G.t,r having
| long been ascribed TO Copcy Guis mna
tom ten pieces OF WedswOod ware, including three
medalliOns OF Benjamin Franklin, Governor Franklin
| and William Temple Franklin. The collection OF wash
ington engTayng5 Is very i!ne one II comprises two
catalogue OF the engraved portraits Of Washington Pht
delphia, 1880, together with Thirty unknown 10 Jr
Baker, among which tseEty OF extreme rarity NO
tbly portrait by Savage In s pie head profile liae
| symbols and olive branches cOlOcd WOODEN
craving, grossly copied from Il ROy portrait, represent
ting bluecfeen brooches and wastcOa pink coat
Celebre General g. Washington, General dos Auclus-
IRENE rarity, and line engraving by Alexander Camp
bell Of George Washington, esq, General COmna-
der-in-C Of the Continental Army IN America"
number of collections OF tue engraved portraits OF
WaShin gUn have been formed alrca y, and
of Mr. Huntington contains large number rdritles and
curious ties" IL Is dOubtle surpassed in complete
several American collections On other hand
Mr. HnnngtOn's Franklin collection Is certainly the most
complete that has yet been made. Besides the Two L-
dred engraved portraits OF Washington and hundred
OF afayette, the Huntington GIT comprises almost
complete icOnOgaphy OF Kosclusko aud OF Paul Jones
two complete Du slmcrcs heads the heroes OF
the War OF Independence, i've hundred enayings
colonial Governors Generals and other pernnages re-
latng TO American history, together with
collection, Partisan dealer estimates that Il would
| fetcn at auction ten Thousand dollars.