Series 5 | A Finding Aid to the Howard Russell Butler papers, 1874-1936 | Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution | Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution

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Series 5:Abraham Lincoln statue controversy, circa 1917-1922

In November 1918, John A. Stewart, Chairman of the American Peace Centenary Committee, notified the British government that the committee charged with selecting a statue of Lincoln as a gift to the citizens of Great Britain had selected one done by George Gray Barnard. Prompted by the protests of Robert Todd Lincoln, Howard Russell Butler investigated and learned that the committee had not ratified this choice but had preferred a statue done by Augustus St. Gaudens. This series contains material detailing the public debate that followed and reflects various attitudes toward public monuments.

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Correspondence, 1917-1922 Correspondence includes about 100 items relating to Butler's investigations concerning the Abraham Lincoln statue gift. Principal correspondents include Robert Todd Lincoln, F. Wellington Ruckstull, Nicholas Murray Butler, James B. Townsend, Lawrence F. Abbott, Charles W. Eliot, Frederick R. Coudert, Henry S. Haskell, Robert W. De Forest, and Alfred Mond, British First Commissioner of Works. Also included are copies of letters to Butler, or associates, from John A. Stewart and Arthur James Balfour, and drafts of Butler's letters to colleagues and newspapers supporting the Augustus St. Gaudens statue.	349 77-344	Select: Correspondence, 1917-1922Scope and ContentsCorrespondence includes about 100 items relating to Butler's investigations concerning the Abraham Lincoln statue gift. Principal correspondents include Robert Todd Lincoln, F. Wellington Ruckstull, Nicholas Murray Butler, James B. Townsend, Lawrence F. Abbott, Charles W. Eliot, Frederick R. Coudert, Henry S. Haskell, Robert W. De Forest, and Alfred Mond, British First Commissioner of Works. Also included are copies of letters to Butler, or associates, from John A. Stewart and Arthur James Balfour, and drafts of Butler's letters to colleagues and newspapers supporting the Augustus St. Gaudens statue.
Letters, circa 1917-1922 Includes replies to letters Butler sent soliciting the opinions of members of the Committee on their statue preference, with Butler's tabulation of the replies. George Ade James F. (James Franklin) Ailshie E. A. Alderman George Burnham, Jr. Theodore E. (Theodore Elijah) Burton Colonel Joseph C. Butler, Jr. George C. Chase L. R. Cheney Winston Churchill William A. Clark Andrew Cohan W. H. Cowles George L. Crossman J. M. Dickerson Henry M. Edmonds Henry W. Farman William Herbert Perry Faunce Woodbridge N. Ferris Austin G. Fox George Gray J. P. Greene Rev. Walter F. Greenman B. W. Griffith W. R. Hammond Albert Bushnell Hart James H. (James Henry) Hawley Rev. Edwin Hughes R. W. Husted Henry C. (Henry Clay) Ide Henry B. Judson A. R. Kimball George W. Marble Theodore Marburg Josiah Marvel Charles Mattison J. Horace (John Horace) McFarland J. S. Moffatt Walter E. Moore Henry C. Morris H. L. Myers John C. Nicholson Cyrus Northrup Charles S. Osborn F. E. Packard Robert Treat Paine Rt. Rev. James Wolf Pernith Gifford Pinchot William Polk Ira Remsen P. M. Rhinelander Henry N. Snyder Francis Lynde Stetson F. V. Stevens Oscar S. Straus George Sutherland J. M. Thomas Charles Franklin Thwing Frank Tomlinson Joseph Walker Wilber Walker Henry Watterson Rt. Rev. Cortlandt Whitehead George W. Wickersham Wardner Williams George M. Young	349 345-436	Select: Letters, circa 1917-1922Scope and ContentsIncludes replies to letters Butler sent soliciting the opinions of members of the Committee on their statue preference, with Butler's tabulation of the replies.Letters are arranged alphabetically by the last name of the correspondent:George AdeJames F. (James Franklin) AilshieE. A. AldermanGeorge Burnham, Jr.Theodore E. (Theodore Elijah) BurtonColonel Joseph C. Butler, Jr. George C. ChaseL. R. CheneyWinston ChurchillWilliam A. ClarkAndrew CohanW. H. CowlesGeorge L. CrossmanJ. M. DickersonHenry M. EdmondsHenry W. FarmanWilliam Herbert Perry FaunceWoodbridge N. FerrisAustin G. FoxGeorge GrayJ. P. GreeneRev. Walter F. GreenmanB. W. GriffithW. R. HammondAlbert Bushnell HartJames H. (James Henry) HawleyRev. Edwin HughesR. W. HustedHenry C. (Henry Clay) IdeHenry B. JudsonA. R. KimballGeorge W. MarbleTheodore MarburgJosiah MarvelCharles MattisonJ. Horace (John Horace) McFarlandJ. S. MoffattWalter E. MooreHenry C. MorrisH. L. MyersJohn C. NicholsonCyrus NorthrupCharles S. OsbornF. E. PackardRobert Treat PaineRt. Rev. James Wolf PernithGifford PinchotWilliam PolkIra RemsenP. M. RhinelanderHenry N. SnyderFrancis Lynde StetsonF. V. StevensOscar S. StrausGeorge SutherlandJ. M. ThomasCharles Franklin ThwingFrank TomlinsonJoseph WalkerWilber WalkerHenry WattersonRt. Rev. Cortlandt WhiteheadGeorge W. WickershamWardner WilliamsGeorge M. Young
Resolutions and reports, circa 1918 Includes a National Academy of Design resolution, April 1918, with a discussion by Butler; Fine Arts Federation of New York resolution, April 25, 1918; American Federation of Arts resolution prepared by Butler, with a transcript of the discussion; and a paper, "Argument to prove the lack of authority on the part of the Subcommittee of the American Peace Centenary Committee...," including a chronology of events and discussion.	349 438-489	Select: Resolutions and reports, circa 1918Scope and ContentsIncludes a National Academy of Design resolution, April 1918, with a discussion by Butler; Fine Arts Federation of New York resolution, April 25, 1918; American Federation of Arts resolution prepared by Butler, with a transcript of the discussion; and a paper, "Argument to prove the lack of authority on the part of the Subcommittee of the American Peace Centenary Committee...," including a chronology of events and discussion.
Clippings, circa 1917-1918	349 490-626	Select: Clippings, circa 1917-1918

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Series 5:Abraham Lincoln statue controversy, circa 1917-1922

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