Welcome to the James Madison Collection. All
items in the collection are housed at James Madison University.
The provenance for some of the pieces has not been authenticated
yet. Although a Madison descendent presented them to the University
as heirlooms, we are currently attempting to verify that each
item belonged either to James Madison Jr., his immediate family,
or his general era and society.
Telescope
This particular telescope has the manufacturer's name
and address, "W. Harris, Holborn, London" as well as
the type of telescope, "Day or Night" engraved on the
inside tube. While William Harris & Son, manufacturers from
Holborn, London, were listed as instrument makers who displayed
their work at the Great Exhibition of 1851, it is uncertain at
this point when they first began making telescopes or how long
they remained in business. Based upon the markings and the general
description, however, this telescope appears to have been made
in the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century, and could
possibly be the spyglass listed in the inventory of the estate
of James Madison, Sr., in 1802.
The first telescopes were introduced in the early
17th century,and were sought after by sailors, military commanders,
and astronomers. Problems with the quality of the glass available
for making lenses, however, hampered their development. The lenses
produced colored fringes around the image, a defect known as chromatic
aberration. Because of this defect, telescopes worked well in
the daylight but not at night, which forced many ships to carry
two telescopes, one for day and one for night vision. Around 1760,
the English optician John Dollond began producing telescopes with
achromatic lenses (which reduced the color distortion). Therefore,
many telescopes were marked "Day or Night" to signify
the telescope's dual purpose. The tubes were made of mahogany
and brass, with two or three smaller brass tube extensions. By
the 1850's, extending telescopes were covered with canvas, leather,
knotted string, or plaited horsehair for their protection.
Citations:
Mallalieu, Huon, ed. The Illustrated History of Antiques. Philadelphia:
Running Press, 1991.
Turner, Gerard L'E. Nineteenth-Century Scientific Instruments.
Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1983.
Lancet and hand-carved box (Manufacturer
stamped on lancet: "Wiegand & Snowden, Philadelphia."
Research in progress.)
Bloodletting has been in use since the time
of Hippocrates in the 5th century B.C., and was used throughout
history, based upon the writings of Galen (ca. A.D. 130-200),
as a common form of medical treatment. Based upon the humoral
theory, the ancient Greeks believed that the body was made up
of four humors, consisting of blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and
black bile. When all four humors were in balance, good health
ensued. If any one of the humors was either overabundant or less
than adequate, disease resulted. An overabundance of the body
humors was characterized by fevers and inflammation and was to
be relieved by evacuation, which could be done by vomiting, starvation,
or letting blood. Galen defined the criteria for bloodletting
in terms of extent, intensity, and severity of the disease and
on the maturity and strength of the patient. He also discussed
the selection of veins to open and the number of times blood might
be withdrawn. The practice of bloodletting continued to be a common
treatment until around 1830, when it slowly declined and then
all but disappeared by the end of the century.
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As a result of the popularity of bloodletting,
instruments for its use, such as this spring lancet, continued
to be invented over the centuries. Invented in Vienna and first
described by Lorenz Heister in 1719, the automatic or spring lancet
allowed the operator to inject the blade into the vein without
having to use manual pressure. The blade was fixed into a small
metal case with a screw and arranged to respond to a spring that
could be released by a button or lever on the outside of the case.
Citation: Davis, Audrey, and
Toby Appel. Bloodletting Instruments in the National Museum of
History and Technology. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution
Press, 1979.
Eulogy
James Madison's eulogy by John Quincy Adams published in the National
Intelligencer on September 27, 1836. Click image for larger view.
Letter
Letter in the collection believed to have been written by James
Madison Sr., father of our fourth president. Click image for larger
view.
Dear Sir, I rec.d a short
letter from you by Wm. Grifty who gave us an acct. that your
were all well, as we are at present Fanny is now with her sister
in Frederick who has miscarried since we left her and has been
extremely [?] ill; Maj.r Hite wrote down & was very pressing
for Fanny to go up & stay with her sister who had no company
of her own sex — Fanny went up in the extreme cold weather
we had at the end of last Month; by her letter, on Sams return,
& also Maj.r Hite's, Nelly has got well enough to go about
the House — I rec.d a litter from J. Mj.r dated the 17.th
Jany. they were all well at that time — M. W. Madison
& Miss Baynton pourposed to visit you about the last of
this month; her brother, Maj.r John See, is just arrived from
Kentuckey, which perhaps may detain her something longer from
coming — Jimmy Coleman had his House burnt the 2.d Night
of the last Month, & lost a great many things beside what
I lost, amongst other things, there wee spun Stuff M enough,
upon a calculation, to have made 500 Yards of Cloth, some of
which ' would have been wove up if Reuben had not been laid
up with the Rheumatism, which has confined him from weaving
for the last three months — Please to tell Peter Sorey
[?] that I have got his' note of hand ' to pay Gideon Gooch
Fourteen Pounds, which he must take notice not to pay it to
any one else. I hove understood that he expects John Albright
will discharge it, but I have not seen him since and con say
nothing more about it, Present our love to Sally and the children,
and particularly to your Parents — the bearer is waiting
while I can write this.
I am, Dear Sir, Your affectionate
James Madison
Feby. 7. 1796
7 Feby. 1796
Mr. Thomas Macon
Hanover
Photograph
Photograph, 10 1/2" x 12 1/2", of Montpelier before
remodeling. Probably taken early 1900's. Click image for larger
view.
Knife
Pocket knife, pearl handled. Initials carved on both sides.
Scales
Small scales, box, and four weights.
Painting
Painting "John the Baptist, Head on Charger" willed
to Madison College (now James Madison University) by the will
of Miss Mamie Madison Lee of Orange, VA. The will states "…to
Madison College of Harrisonburg also picture of John the Baptist
head on charger which came from Montpelier."
Montpelier, James Madison's home place, had well over 100 pieces
of fine art displayed in gallery fashion.
Research in progress. Click image for larger view.
Indian Peace Medal
Indian Peace Medals were given to Native American Indians
in North America for the purpose of promoting peace and friendship
between the Indians and white settlers. They were also intended
to be a sign of favor to prominent chiefs, whose assistance, along
with that of his tribe, was sometimes needed.
These medals fall into two groups. The first
comprises those issued by, or on behalf of European governments,
namely the French, Spanish, and British, who had colonies or dependencies
in this country. They were issued up to the Revolution, and later
in England or Canada. The second group consists of medals issued
to Indians in the United States and covers a period of one hundred
years, from 1789 to 1889. These medals fell into two categories.
The first, and the one concerned with here and
discussed below, consisted of medals that were issued by the United
States government, in the name of the President. The second consisted
of those issued by fur trading companies, or individuals, which
were supposed to have authority from the Secretary of War to prepare
and distribute, but this privilege was withdrawn in 1843.
The earliest medals, issued in 1789 during the
Presidency of George Washington, were large oval plaques made
of silver with an engraved design. In 1797, a group of three medals
to be struck both in copper and silver, known as the Washington
Seasons Medals, were made in England, though they were not received
until 1798. Under Thomas Jefferson and most of the succeeding
presidents, ending with Benjamin Harrison in 1889, these medals
were prepared at the mint, which had been established in 1792.
A portrait of the president was shown on one side of the medal,
with the reverse side commonly displaying clasped hands and the
words "peace" and "friendship."
There is no way to determine how many medals
were distributed or to whom they were given. They were usually
given out to important Indian chiefs after signing treaties, after
the holding of important conferences either in Indian territory
or at the National Capitol, and when Indians visited the government
or federal representatives visited the Indian country. They were
also frequently given out at the discretion of Indian agents.
A supply of Jefferson medals is known to have been taken by Lewis
and Clark on their expedition to the north-west.
Sources:
Comstock, Helen, ed. The Concise Encyclopedia of American Antiques.
Vol. 2. New York: Hawthorn Books, Inc., 1955.
Belden, B. L. Indian Peace Medals Issued in
the United States. New York: American Numismatic Society, 1927.
