The evening times., 1896-06-04
Congressman Object to Pairing
$4,000 for Lincoln S Portrait.
Mr.. TRAVIS WORK CRITICISED
While All Calm It to Be n Striking
Likeness, Many Say II Can BE
Bought for Less MOney-Its Pur-
chase Recommended by the House
Committee-Picture Career.

jdsl lDe
Representative Amos Cummings, made a re-
port recommending its purcnase for 81 o.
600. Mr.. Cummings says i'll this report:
This picture has been seen by thousands
OF Mr. Lncoin IiItlIpate Ifienus anu ac-
quaintances, ana is PRONOUNCED by all 10 be
the only true life-hke portrait oi him.
''Tneart tofInstantaDeousp photography was
in its infancy in 1865. Mr.. Lincoln was
one of those peculiar characters whose
features when 1T rest lacked expression,
anu the animation ana fire which naturally
belonged To MIN. IL was, therefore, i'm
pGssiDie to photograph him as he actually
was. When Mr.. Lincoln was in cunversa-
tion every feature of his gave expression 10
the subject spoken of, and SO strong was
this pecuiiarily that have seen him, when
speaking OF subjects that gave Lin pleasure,
actually lock handsome.
FAVORED BY THE COMMITTEE.
"It is the opinion cf all that the Travis
painting is an especially true and faithful
likeness of Lincoln and should ne placed in
conspicuous place in our National Capital,
that he loved so well aud gave his life for.
Since the subject has been before the Ii
brary Committee several letters have been
received regarding the purchase OF the
portrait for historical and other societies.
Among these, one from Hon. J ohm Moses, sec
retary OF The Chicago historical Society;
another from DR.. Matthews of Springfield.
H., member oil the governors staff land
was one OF the centennial commissioners)
But as II is fitting that this portrait uf
Inc lainented Lincoln should ne III possession
of the government. and this is ackno wledged
by artists, art critics aud friends to be
the most life like portrait Of him, your
committee unanimously recommend that
the Travis Portrait of Lincoln be pur-
chased nom me present owher, ana iilau
the sum of $4,000, the price asked there
for, he appropriated for that purpose
HUNG IN THE RIGGS HOUSE.
In spite of this favorable view of the
proposal taken by Mr.. Cummings there
seems TO be some opposition to the purchase
without even unlocking the portrait and
allowing members who are to vote upon
it 10 see IL for themselves. A strong un-
dercurrent of gossip about the matter has
developed, and some of the things said are
not complimentary to the portrait.
II ltISasserted, for instance, that the paint
Ing hung for a number of years in the
RIGGS House without attracting attention
as the greatest portrait of Abraham Lin
coin that was ever painted. It~was recog-
n;Zed as work OF considerable merit
and good deal talked about, but no.
body came forward with an offer OF
S1o,O0O for it, or even a fifth of that
amount. Indeed, there are persons, who
claim TO know something about the mat
ter, who place the value, including the
frame, al 5000.
Furthermore, 1t is stated tn at the effort
to sell it to the government has been in
progress for over eight years, and until
now entirely without success. This state
mcnt is partly supported by the report
made by Mr.. Cummings.
A FAITHFUL LIKENESS.
Tha. ,,i , Lott, fro, 10 ,l
Ward II. Lamon, Mr.. Lincolns trusted
friend and historian, addressed to the late
Senator Evarts, then chairman of the
Senate Library Committee, and dated Feb
ruary 90, 1888. Mr.. Lamon says: I'm
my Judgment the Travis portrait is the
most lifelike picture of Mr.. Lincoln that
/ have ever seen on canvas. Ihaye exam:
ined many paintings of Mr.. Lincoln, and
in almost every instance have found that
the artist has sacrificed accuracy to Or
namentation. The Travis portrait pre-
sents real likeness of the man, with his
rugged features and irregularities of per-
sonaI appearance true to life. The face
in the portrait is remarkably lifelike, and
i venture to say if the face be covered and
hidden from view there is not man who
knew him Intimately who would not in
siantly recognize the trunk and limbs on the
canvas as being those of Abrah am Lincoln"
In spite of this flattering expression by
Mr.. Lamon the committee did not see fit
To make the purchase at the price asked.
The picture was 4 that time on exhibition.
When the sale was not effected, il is
understood, it was boxed up and left in
the office of the architect of the Capitol.
Finallyit WIS removed from that place and
stored 10 the basement among unused and
uucalled-for articles.
PLEDGED FOR A BOARD BILL.
1t has been stated in the discussion that
has sprung up over the matter that it was
a one time left as a pledge for an unpaid
board bill. There was even u suggestion
that it was accepted in that way from the
artist who executed il, but that is refuted
Ly the statements of Its history made by
Mr. Cummings in his report.
Mr.. Cummings says that Mr. Travis, the
artist who painted it,. came 10 this CO untry
10 1864 and arriving in New York wanted
to Join the army, hut was rejected en- ac-
count of pulmonary affection. He came
to Washington and wanted to paint Mr.
Lincoln's portrait. One day he met Presi-
dent Lincoln on the street and asked the
privilege. Mr.. Lincoln consented. and ut
an appointed time sat for an hour. telling
the enthusiastic young artist Il number OF
chara Ct eriStic and droli stories while the
work of making Il sketch went On.
Later he gave several other sittings. Mr..
Travis returned to his studio at Frank
fort Germany, where he completed the
work about two months after Mr.. Lin
coins assassination. United States Con-
sui Webster saw the portrait in Frank
fort and purchased it for the consulate
There it remained till the spring of 1875,
when it was brought to the Centennial
Exhibition, where il was much admired
Mrs. Lincoln saw it for the first time there
! in Memorial Hall, and was so overcome by
its lifelike appearance that she tainted
n ~. rriA fro, tI,.. I,DrI
mings does not state how it came from
Philadelphia to Washington, but evidently
it was not in the possession of Mr.. Travis
WHEREA BOUTS OF THE PICTURE.
Mr.. Edward Clark, A rchitect of the Capt.
| tol, could not tell who is now the owner
of the picture. He said the last person
| he knew to be Interested in it was Mr.
John Trainor. That was about a wear
ago. The portrait was for some time hung
in his office, something like eight years
ago, but was finally boxed up. After re-
| naming in his rooms for a time il was re-
| moved to storage place in the basement.
He was quite sure it hal not been brought
| cut and unpacked at this session.
Mr.. H. s.. Recside, clerk of the House
Library Committee, could not tell who
| owned the painting. There had been some
discussion of it before the committee
! but the work itself had never been eX-
| hibited there, SO far as he knew. Mr..
Cummings, he said, was subcommittee of
one to oconsiderthea eadvisability o fmaking the
| purchase. He thought the report was made
F.. from the subcommittee. However, two con-
| stituted quorum of the committee, and
the committee might have reported upon
| It.
Mr.. Fred Dennet, clerk of the Senate Ii
brary Committee, ut first thought he had
, not heard anything of such a painting,
but upon looking the matter up said there
had been such a proposal Informally dis
! cussed by the committee at one time. His
| impression was that the talk was not en-