Sculptor Hiram Powers ALS: "You desire to know I could execute a bust of Mr Isaiah Thomas" -- Founder of the American Antiquarian Society

A 2pp autograph letter signed by American sculptor Hiram Powers (1805-1873), as "Hiram Powers" near the bottom of the second page. Written at Powers' home on the Via Fornace in Florence, Italy on May 16, 1858. Inscribed on two sides of bifold cream laid paper including an integral address leaf. Docketed on the address leaf and bearing three hand-stamped philatelic markings including ones from London and New York. Expected wear including flattened transmittal folds, minor closed tears along folds mostly repaired, even toning, and an isolated area of loss to the blank third page corresponding to the red wax seal, still present. Else very good to near fine. 5.25" x 8.375."

Hiram Powers was one of the most well-known American sculptors of the mid-nineteenth century, especially feted after completing a full-length marble sculpture called "The Greek Slave" in 1843. This letter was Powers' reply to Judge Ira Moore Barton (1796-1867) regarding whether Powers could sculpt a bust of Isaiah Thomas (1749-1831), the founder of the American Antiquarian Society.

Powers wrote in part:

"You desire to know if I could execute a bust of Mr Isaiah Thomas, the founder of your Society, from a daguerreotype of his portrait, and what would be the cost? -

If the portrait is a front view my main difficulty would be to determine the profile, since it is almost impossible to know what a mans [sic] profile is with (with precision) from such a view even of the original himself. But if you should happen to have both profile and front views - even though the former might be only a paper cutting like those done by Masters Hubbard or Hawks many years ago, in every country, I could promise considerable success. Indeed, I could try from one alone, but [this might] not be as possible for the likeness in a double view - -

My price is £200 for a portrait bust in faultless marble, - or about $1000, American money -

Should you determine [i]n employing me in this manner, I should want the daguerreotypes as large as they could well be made, and distinct, I could have the bust done in about 6 months from receipt of the commission…"

Hiram Powers was a Vermont-born artist with Midwestern ties. He and his family had relocated to Florence in 1837, where they remained as permanent expatriates. Over the next 40 years, Powers managed a thriving business producing portraits, busts, and full-length sculptures from his Florence workshop.

As intriguing as Powers' proposal of Thomas' bust sounds from this letter, evidence suggests that such a commission never took place. A January 1876 issue of "The New England Historical and Genealogical Register" contains a complete inventory of portraits and busts found in the collection of the American Antiquarian Society in Worcester, Massachusetts. A bust of society founder Isaiah Thomas does exist, but it was sculpted not by Powers, but by another American artist, Benjamin Kinney. Hiram Powers is listed as having sculpted a bust of influential Patriot Jared Sparks; the American Antiquarian Society does not list the Powers' bust of Sparks among its collection at the time of this writing, in May 2022.

Isaiah Thomas was a Patriot writer, printer, and publisher who had founded the antecedent organization of the American Antiquarian Society in 1812. Thomas served as the society's first president from 1812-1831, donating a significant portion of his personal collection of books and newspapers to the collection. He also provided its initial endowment. Eight artworks depicting AAS founder Isaiah Thomas are currently listed in the inventory of the American Antiquarian Society, including the Benjamin Kinney bust, but none were by Hiram Powers.

Judge Ira M. Barton was a member of the American Antiquarian Society from his election in 1841 to his death in 1867. A Brown University graduate, Barton had attended Harvard Law school and worked at Oxford before returning back to the United States to practice law and serve as a politician. He served as the Judge of Probate in Worcester, Massachusetts from 1836-1844. American Antiquarian Society meeting notes indicate that Barton donated an Italian copy of a Parmigianino to the society headquarters in April 1853, but never an Isaiah Thomas bust!

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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