Thomas Gilpin Profile Album, approximately 1820-1849
Scope and Contents
This album of profiles was the property of Thomas Gilpin, Quaker manufacturer and author. It contains primarily copies in ink of profiles made by Joseph Sansom about 1790 in Philadelphia of distinquished personages of the day as well as some other collected images. The sitters include well-known figures such as George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and James Madison and also important Quakers including William Savery, the Pembertons, George Dillwyn, Miers Fisher, Rebecca Jones, and Nicholas Waln. The copyist is not identified, but but the collection also includes a card addressed to Thomas Gilpin, signed by the silhouette artist, Augustin Edouart, Philadelphia 1st March 1843.
Dates
- Creation: approximately 1820-1849
Creator
- Gilpin, Thomas, 1776-1853 (Collector, Person)
- Sansom, Joseph, 1765 or 1766-1826 (Originator, Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Restricted - fragile
Biographical / Historical
Thomas Gilpin (1776-1853) was a Quaker merchant of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Wilmington, Delaware. He was the son of Thomas Gilpin (1728-1778) who was accused of disloyalty during the Revolutionay War and exiled to Winchester, Virginia, where he died. Thomas Gilpin, born 1776, and his younger brother Joshua established Delaware's first papermill.
Joseph Sansom (1767-1826) was a Philadelphia Quaker antiquarian and avid traveler. He was the younger brother of merchant William Sansom for whom Samsom Street in Philadelphia was named.
Extent
1 volumes : 1 leather bound volume
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
This album of profiles was the property of Thomas Gilpin, Quaker manufacturer and author. It contains copies in ink of profiles made by amateur silhouette artist Joseph Sansom about 1790 in Philadelphia of distinquished personages of the day. The sitters include familiar figures such as George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and James Madisonand also important Quakers including William Savery, the Pembertons, George Dillwyn, Miers Fisher, Rebecca Jones, and Nicholas Waln. It is not confirmed that Gilpin was the copyist, but the collection includes a card addressed to Thomas Gilpin signed by the silhouette artist, Augustin Edouart, Philadelphia 1st March 1843.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchase, 1946
Bibliography
General
Inscription inside front cover: Thomas Gilpin/Philadelphia/1820
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