Ferdinand F. A. Pettrich letters to Henry Wise
name: label: Creator
content: Pettrich, Ferdinand, 1798-1872
label: Names
content: Wise, Henry A. (Henry Alexander), 1806-1876
topic: label: Occupation
content: Sculptors -- Washington (D.C.)
label: Occupation
content: Sculptors -- Brazil -- Rio de Janeiro
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Provenance unknown.
creator: label: Creator
content: Pettrich, Ferdinand, 1798-1872
setName: label: See more items in
content: Ferdinand F. A. Pettrich letters to Henry Wise
abstract: label: Summary
content: The Ferdinand F. A. Pettrich letters to Henry Wise consist of 3 items - two letters, one with an envelope - dated circa 1850s, to the Governor of Virginia, Henry Wise. The letters concern a petition to Congress for a commission, and a bust of Wise done by Pettrich.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Ferdinand F. A. (Friedrich August) Pettrich (1798-1872) was a sculptor active in Washington D. C. and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Pettrich was born in Dresden, Germany, and studied under Danish sculptor Albert B. Thorvaldsen before moving to America and opening a studio in Washington, D. C. where he sculpted busts for politicians and visiting Native American delegates. After being stabbed in 1842 he moved to Brazil to recuperate and later left to live in Rome. 

Henry Wise served as U. S. minister to Brazil from 1844-1847 and was the 33rd governor of Virginia from 1856 to 1860.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 3 Items
unitdate: label: Date
content: circa 1850s
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.pettferd
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: Due to the small size of this collection the letters are arranged as one series.
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: The collection was microfilmed on 35mm microfilm Reel D10 (frames 1048-1052) after receipt. The collection was processed and a finding aid prepared by Stephanie Ashley in 2025 and the collection was digitized in 2025.
altformavail: label: Existence and Location of Copies
content: The collection was digitized in 2025 and is available on the Archives of American Art website.
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The Ferdinand F. A. Pettrich letters to Henry Wise consist of 3 items - two letters, one with an envelope - dated circa 1850s, to the Governor of Virginia, Henry Wise. The letters concern a petition to Congress for a commission, and a bust of Wise done by Pettrich.