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George Washington and Thomas Jefferson

John Adams Presidential Signature: This document is the commissioning of a private armed vessel christened the Guatimozin amid increasing tensions with France at the turn of the century. Commissioned in 1800, the captain Samuel Burnstead sailed for the Northwest Coast and landed in 1804 with the intention of obtaining pelts for the booming fur trade. According to early ship reports, the name of the ship, a crew member name (H. Thompson), and the date (1804) was etched into a tree on Cape Disappointment (near Baker Bay) in Washington state. The Guatimozin entered the Columbia River in 1808 on its second voyage to the area.

James Madison and James Monroe Signatures This document is a land grant for property in Chillicothe, Ohio, signed in 1811. It is twice signed by president James Madison and is also signed by James Monroe, Secretary of State at the time. It contains a paper Presidential seal in the bottom left corner. Written in 2 kinds of ink, distinguishable by the opacity between text and signatures. It reads, “James Madison – President of the United States of America, To all whom these presents shall come, Greeting: Know Ye, That Daniel Crouse of Franklin County having deposited in the treasury a certificate of the register of the land office at Chilicothe whereby it appears that he has made full payment for the North East quarter of lot of section Number One of Township number Ten in Range number Twenty one/ Mathews survey of the lands directed to be sold at Chilicothe by the act of Congress, entitled “An act providing for the sale of the lands of the United States in the territory northwest of th

John Quincy Adams Signature Appointing William F Steele This letter entails the appointment of William F. Steele as the Attorney for the United States for West Florida. Dated January 22, 1823 Adams would have been the Secretary of State for James Monroe, and Florida would have still been a new territory by less than a year. According to The Territorial Papers, Adams and Monroe were creating the infrastructure for the Florida territory as the ownership transferred from Spain to the United States. Measurements: Frame: 26.5 x 15.5 inches

Martin Van Buren International Waters Passport This document is a passport for sailing in international waters, often used for whaling or trading excursions. The document is giving permission to Owen Reynard, Master of the ship Lalla Rookh, to sail to the Pacfic on a whaling voyage from the port at New Bedford, MA. Reynard had just returned from the South Pacific and Indian Ocean on the Amethyst the same year, and wouldn’t be back until 1844. Reynard had mastered the Lalla Rookh on one other occasion This document also includes the signature of John Forsyth, Van Buren’s Secretary of State who also served under Andrew Jackson.

John Tyler Presidential Signature John Tyler’s presidential signature documents the passage of a ship, and guarantees protection as is a United States Vessel. The Great Seal of the United States is affixed to the bottom left corner, and President John Tyler’s autograph is still very visible, as is that of John Cladwell Calhoun, his Secretary of State. Measurements: Frame: 24.5 x 22 inches Document: 14.5 x 12.5

Zachary Taylor Handwritten Letter Signed This correspondence between Zachary Taylor and Edward Yoakum on June 30th, 1835, entails financial information for labor services provided to the then Colonel. Letters in Taylor’s handwriting are relatively rare, let alone any letters as Taylor was not one to write them often. Measurements: Frame: 29 x 17 inches Document: 8.5 x 8 inches

James K Polk Signed Presidential Appointment of Charles H Bennett This document entails the appointment of Charles H. Bennett, to the rank of First Lieutenant. Bennett had served as a sergeant in the American Division of Dragoons at Fort Leavenworth, KS, and moved to Oregon to help form the Oregon Rangers in 1844. In 1847, Bennett was employed by James Marshall to help build Sutter’s Mill, where Gold was discovered in 1848. According to Stephen Staats, a close friend and eye-witness to the event, later stated that, “we furnished Bennett with an outfit and he traveled with us to California [from Oregon]. He assisted Marshall in building a mill on the American fork of the Sacramento, and he was the first one that beheld the glittering dust when water was turned into the race for the purpose of clearing it out. Notwithstanding that Marshall has gained worldwide fame as the first discoverer of gold in California, we have always claimed that an Oregon man, Bennett, was the first one whose e

Millard Fillmore Presidential Signature In 1850, President Fillmore was sought by the British government to be a chairman of the central committee for the American exhibits in the Great Exhibition of 1851. The president obliged, and as the leader of the nation, also partook in one of the greatest accomplishments of the 19th century in London. In 1853, still president, Fillmore notified American exhibitors if they had received a reward for partaking in the Exhibition. This particular individual won an exhibitor’s medal for lithography. The exhibitor’s medal was a bronze medallion that was one of five different awards exhibitors could be given. The letter is also signed by Peter Force, a former mayor and politician in Washington DC. Measurement: Frame: 23.25 x 19.25 inches Document: 9.5 x 7 inches

Franklin Pierce Signed International Waters Passport This document is a passport to sail in international waters. These had to be signed by the office of the president, and in 1853 Franklin Pierce signed a particular document for Nathaniel Jennegan to sail aboard the Eliza F. Mason on a whaling expedition to the South Atlantic, North Pacific, West Arctic and Okhotsk in Russia. The expedition departed from New Bedford, MA on December 1, 1853, and didn’t return until October 1857. Measurements: Frame: 39 x 29.5 inches Document: 21.5 x 15.75

James Buchanan Signed International Waters Passport The whaling ship that Josiah Foster was sailing on, was actually the Ontario II. It saw service as a whaling bark, a three masted vessel slightly smaller than a ship, in the Northwest Coast of the United States, New Zealand, and the North Pacific. This particular voyage was going to the latter destination, and disembarked from New Bedford, MA on October 23, 1858, and didn’t return until 1862. Josiah Foster was it’s Master, and an experienced whaler. Measurements: Frame: 36.75 x 25.5 inches Document: 16.75 x 22 inches

Military appointment signed by Abraham Lincoln, and Secretary of War Simon Cameron, who served as Secretary until January of 1862. Document is complete with engravings, a teal blue seal, and accoutrements. The appointment is of Julius W. Mason as Second Lieutenant in the Second Regiment of Cavalry; 1861. Julius Wilmot Mason was a recognized Civil War Union Army Officer who rose to Major in the Regular Army followng the war. Measurements Frame: 41.5 x 28 inches Document: 18.5 x 15.5 inches

A simple notation from President Andrew Johnson, in his own handwriting, deferring the appointment/announcement of the appointment of the Secretary of the Navy to another high ranking official. Written at his desk in the “White House”--(referred to as the Executive Mansion). Measurements: Frame: 16.75 x 12.25 inches Document window: 4 x 3.5 inches

This document entails the appointment of George Robinson by President Ulysses Grant on March 1, 1877. Robinson had served meritously in the Civil War with the 123rd New York Volunteers, Company A, fought at the battle of Gettysburg, marched with Sherman to the sea, oversaw the surrender of General Joseph Johnston, and almost every single major battle of the Civil War. In his July 5th, 1863 letter to his wife, Robinson described his experience at Gettysburg: “The Rebs shelled the woods here yesterday to drive us out but they did not do it but we had no accidents. The Old Soldiers say this was the hardest fought battle they ever heard of. Well I have to say it was terrific all day long but we have taught the Rebs a lesson they never will forget. We repulsed them in every phase since they were not here but where they are I don’t know. I would like to write more but I have not time now. Our Army never fought better and Rebels know how effective was our fire. According to records, Robinson,

This document entails the promotion of Commodore Robert H. Wyman to the rank of Rear Admiral, and took effect on April 26, 1878. A few weeks later, on May 18, Wyman was detached from the hydrographic office, that of which he had been assigned since 1870, for temporary special duty at the Bureau of Navigation. Other prominent posts include commander of the Potomac flotilla during the Civil War, assignments in the Indian Ocean, European and Brazilian squadrons, and chairman of the Lighthouse Board in 1882. The Admiral died shortly after on December 2nd, ending a 45 year career in the Navy. Measurements: Frame: 31.75 x 27.5 inches Document: 18.5 x 14 inches

This is a letter written to President Ulysses S. Grant by James Garfield as a Representative of Ohio. The letter entails various post-war desires of those who served in the Army of the Cumberland from 1861 to 1865, for which Garfield served during the first years of the Civil War. May 10, 1870 Measurements: Frame: 24.5 x 18.75 inches Document: 10 x 7.75 inches

This document entails instructions given by President Chester Arthur on how to send correspondence to Emperor William I of Imperial Germany. Document is signed by Chester Arthur, and dated August 15, 1884. Measurements: Frame: 25 x 19 inches Document window: 10x 7.25 inches

Appointment letter of Seaton Schroeder in September of 1893 as a Lieutenant-Commander in the Navy. Schroeder took part in the siege of Manila during the Spanish-American war, became the Chief Intelligence Officer of the Navy in 1903, and commanded the fourth division of the Great White Fleet. He was also promoted to Rear Admiral in 1909 with a fairly long and successful naval career. After coming back to active duty during WWI, Schroeder died in 1922. Additionally, this appointment letter also possesses the signature of Hilary H. Herbert, the Secretary of the Navy during Cleveland’s second term in office. Measurements: Frame: 31 x 26.25 inches Document: 18 x 15 inches

This letter entails an appointment of Benjamin F. Montgomery to Class IV Clerk, on September 1st, 1890. Montgomery had previous appointment in clerkship, as similar documents have been found under the Arthur Administration sometime between 1881 and 1885. Furthermore, Montgomery created the White House telegraph office in 1877, and was still working under President William Mckinley when he was assassinated in 1901. He later ran as the lieutenant-governor for Colorado, but died soon after in 1912 as the rank of Colonel in the Signal Corps. Measurements: Frame: 23 x17.5 inches Document: 9.5 x 6.5 inches

This signed document entails the appointment of Albert Foster to Commissioner for Jefferson County, New York on April 22, 1899. Foster was a veteran of the Civil War, having served with 35th New York Volunteers until June 6, 1863, and the 16th New York Artillery through the end of the war. After an honorable discharge from the army on August 5, 1865, Foster raised livestock, farmed, and became involved in local government. In 1899, while Roosevelt was still Governor of New York, Albert Foster was appointed Commissioner, given a second term, and resigned in 1906 to take a position in the Assembling Committees: Excise Affairs of Villages, and Fisheries and Game. Measurement: Frame: 28.5 x 23 Document Window: 14 x 11

This document entails the appointment of Benjamin F. Isherwood by President William Howard Taft as the Chief Engineer in the Navy, accompanied with the promotion to the rank of Rear Admiral on the Retired List. Dated April 13, 1911, the document is cosigned by George von Lengerke Meyer. Benjamin Isherwood had a long career in engineering, and was paramount in the development of the steam engine. As a civilian, Isherwood had experience working on the Croton Aqueduct in New York (still used today), contributed to the Eerie Canal, and designed lighthouses for the Treasury Department. Isherwood joined the Navy in 1844, and served on the first Screw warship of the US Navy, the USS Princeton, during the Mexican-American War. At the war’s conclusion, Isherwood was a prolific writer while stationed at Washington Navy Yard, and wrote 55 technical journals, including articles on steam engineering and thermodynamic experiments. The onset of the Civil War brought forward new opportunities for Ishe

This document communicates the promotion of Marcel S. Kline as a Captain in the Coastal Artillery Corps. Co-signed by Secretary of War Newton D. Baker, and dated August 17, 1916. Measurements: Frame: 31.5 x 27.25 inches Document Window; 18 x 14 inches

Starting in 1913-1914 a group of well known folks started taking caravan camping trips together. They ended up going across the country--year to year. They were in places like the Everglades, the Smokies, and several different states. In a few years they became known as the "Vagabonds." The group included: Henry Ford, John Burroughts, Thomas Edison, and Harvey Firestone. In 1921 they invited President Harding to join the group. Surprisingly he agreed. The group's wives were eager to join the group, and eventually included some of their children as well. The number peaked at 16 in 1921. The trip included many stops. In 1921 the trip included 7 wives, one bishop, the President, his secretary, cooks and assorted attendants. This letter is a thank you note written to the owner of the camp where they resided for a portion of the trip (Royer). Measurements: Frame: 32 x 18 Document Window: 11 x 8.5

This is a list of Calvin Coolidge’s cabinet as of March 4th, 1925, and are as follows: Frank B Kellogg - Secretary of State Andrew Mellon - Secretary of Treasury John W. Weeks - Secretary of War John G Sargent - Attorney General Harry S New - Postmaster General Curtis D. Wilbur - Secretary of the Navy Hubert Work - Secretary of the Interior William M Jardine - Secretary of Agriculture Herbert Hoover - Secretary of Commerce James J Davis - Secretary of Labor Measurements: Frame: 29.5 x 14.25 inches Document window: 11 x 7.5 inches

Congressional records indicate that Ernest F. Illingworth was appointed postmaster for Springfield, Vermont. This appointment expired on December 21, 1929, and there is also evidence that he was appointed again (as evident by this particular document). “Ernest F. Illingworth to be postmaster at Springfield, Vt, in place of E. F. Illingworth. Incumbent's commission expires December 21, 1929.” “Herbert Hoover PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, GREETING: Know ye, That reposing special trust and confidence in the intelligence, diligence and discretion of Ernest F. Illingworth, I have nominated, and try and with the advice and consent of the Senate, do appoint him Postmaster at Springfield, in the county of Windsor in the state of Vermont, and do authorize and empower him to execute and fulfill the duties of that office according to the laws of the United States and the regulations of the Post Office Department, and to have and to hold the

Lowell Mellet was a prominent journalist in the first half of the twentieth century, having covered the Democratic National Convention in 1900, British and French armies in World War I, and Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal Programs. Because of his positive reviews of the program, Mellett had increasingly close ties with the President. In 1938, after quitting his job at the Washington Daily News, FDR appointed Mellett the head of the National Emergency Council and thus became an Administrative Assistant. Mellett was further appointed as the head of the Office of Government Reports, where he ran analyses on newspapers, researched public opinion and relayed information to the President. This document is the historic appointment of Mellett to the head of the National Emergency Council, signed by both Roosevelt and then Secretary of State Cordell Hull. Measurements: Frame: 27.75 x 36.5 inches Document window: 16.5 x 13

Harry S. Truman described his ten years in the United States Senate as the, “ten best years of my life in the Senate,” having been elected from 1935 until becoming vice-president in 1945. This pass, signed by a Senator Truman, is for the “Reserved Gallery” of the senate chamber, before the gallery designations were conglomerated into one “Visitors Gallery” in 1966. Measurements: Frame: 20.75 x 13.5 inches Measurement: 2 x 3.25 inches 4d 5h 14m

From 1948 until 1953, Dwight D. Eisenhower was Columbia University’s 13th President, and took a leave of absence in December of 1950 to become the first supreme commander of NATO forces. This diploma, signed by Eisenhower, is from 1950, just a few months before his leave of absence. Measurements: Frame: 27.75x 18 inches Document window: 11.5 x 9.25

Presidential appointment of John DeLaittre to the Federal Home Loan Bank Board on August 15, 1962. DeLaittre was highly involved in local and state government, and had a law degree from Harvard University. Known by those around him for his servitude to the public, DeLaittre had positions in the state legislature of Minnesota, Mortgage Bankers Association of America, and the Midwest Federal Savings and Loan Association of Minneapolis. Measurements: Frame: 35 x 24 inches Document Window: 18 x 15

A cover letter for other documents between Senator Johnson’s office and the Public Housing Administration. Signed while President Johnson was a Senator during 1951. Measurements: Frame; 19.25 x 15 inches Document window: 5 x 8 inches

This photo, signed by the five former Presidents, was taken at the dedication of the Reagan Presidential Library on November 4, 1991; the first time that five Presidents were together at the same event. Measurements: Frame: 17.75 x 15.75 inches Photo: 8 x 10

This important original copperplate engraving is from Cook's Last Voyage published in 1784 by Strahan and Cadell of London. It traces the tracks of the Endeavour, the Adventure, the Resolution and the Discovery during each of Captain Cook's three voyages of exploration. As a record of Cook's historic Pacific Discoveries, this is the most accurate and important world chart of the 18th century. Map measurements: 23” x 36” Frame measurements: 40” x 52 1/2”

Published in 1785 by Strahan & Cadell in London. Engraved by Bartolozzi and Byrne as a sentiment addendum to Cooks Last (third) Voyage, “The Death of Captain Cook” is the rarest of all Cook’s folio plates. Francesco Bartolozzi (1725-1815) was the master engraver that supervised the creation of the plates published in Cook’s Voyages. His work, as featured on this plate, is thought by many to be the best work in the entire edition. Frame: 28 1/2” x 25” Document: 10” x 15”

Published in 1798 by Giovanni Maria Cassini in Rome. One of the most coveted and certainly the most decorative maps of Hawaii produced in the 18th century, this rare cartographic gem by Giovanni Maria Cassini is the only map to show the death of Cook in its cartouche. Based on the original charting by Cook and Bligh, Cassini records the tracks of the ‘Resolution’ around the islands. Frame: 28” x 32” Document: 14 3/4” x 20”

Published in 1589 by Antwerp Ortelius, who is recognized widely as the creator of the modern atlas (Typus . This historically important 16th century map by Abraham Ortelius, with beautiful hand colouring, shows the first printed map devoted to the Pacific Ocean and the first map in which North and South America are separately designated. Magellan’s ship “The Victoria” is shown cruising the South Pacific. Also of note is the inaccurate expanse of Terra Australis, New Guinea, and the early attempt at defining the landmass of Japan. This beautiful map is enhanced with two decorative title cartouches. Frame: 34 1/2” x 29 1/2” Map: 13 1/2” x 19”

Published 1586, this elaborate mapping of the Holy Land complete with twenty-two medallions depicting the life of Abraham the Patriarch was published by Abraham Ortelius in 1586 for his THEATRUM ORBIS TERRARUM. Ortelius’ extraordinary talents as a cartographer, historian and an artist are highlighted as a culmination in this biblical theme engraving. Of special interest is the illustration of the land of Canaan in the time of the Patriarchs with the territorial divisions being revised from the story of Abraham in Genesis. Among the biblical subjects depicted on the medallion images are Abraham leaving Ur, receiving the promise of the land, the birth of Issac and the outcasting of Hagar, the sacrifice of Issac and the funerals of Sarah and Abraham. This map, finely hand coloured, is embellished with a very detailed biblical cartouche and framed by the promise of Abraham as an inscription. Frame: 37" x 34" Map: 13 3/4” x 17 3/4”

Published 1630, this fine World map, with original color, was engraved by Henricus Hondius in 1630, in response to the emerging challenge of the Blaeu publishing house in Amsterdam. It is one of the finest examples of decorative cartography of the period. The border of this map includes voluptuous representations of the four elements, with corner portraits of the fathers of modern cartography: Caesar, Ptolemy, Gerard Mercator, and Jodocus Hondius. California is shown as an island and the Great Southern Continent is recorded. Frame: 42" x 36" Map: 16” x 23”

Published 1584, this rare mapping of the Holy Land was published by Abraham Ortelius in 1584 in his THEATRUM ORBIS TERRARUM. Of special interest is the orientation--to the east-- as well as the distortion of the coast line. Many fanciful bays and promontories have been added thus reducing the accuracy. This map, finely hand coloured, is embellished with signature sailing ships and sea monsters and a very detailed biblical cartouche. Encouraged and advised by his friend, Gerard Mercator, Ortelius began his THEATRUM in 1570, expanding and revising it from an original 53 maps in 1570 to 119 in 1598, the year of his death. Frame measures 37 1/4” x 34” Map measures 14 1/2” x 20”

Published in 1587, this historically important 26th century map by Abraham Ortelius, shows the New World with the latest information derived from explorers. Sailing ships, sea monsters, and an elaborate title cartouche enhance this important map. Of note is the absence of the Great Lakes in North America and the telltale bulge along the eastern coast of South America was apparent on the first state. Ortelius’ , inspired by Ptolemy, shows the Great Southern Continent off the tip of South America stretching to and including New Guinea. Frame measures 31.5” x 36.5” Map measures 14” x 19”