Lincoln Home Historic Furnishings Report

SECTION D: EVIDENCE OF ORIGINAL FURNISHINGS (continued)

RECORDED FURNISHINGS - SECOND FLOOR

PICTORIAL:

After Lincoln's death, three Schreiber and Glover stereoscope views were taken of his bedroom as it appeared during the Tiltons' residence. [85] They were entitled "Lincoln's Bedroom," "Lincoln's Bed," and "Lincoln's Bedroom Washstand." During tours of the house, the Tiltons pointed out those pieces of furniture which they had purchased from the Lincolns at their sale in 1861. The Chicago Tribune on May 6, 1865, mentioned specific items, among which were a "heavy oaken bedstead" and "a chamber set."

These items were presumably among the Tilton furniture which was destroyed at their Chicago residence during the Great Fire in 1871.

From the same period as the Schreiber and Glover stereoscope views are a series of four drawings in the William Waud Collection at the Library of Congress. [86] They are of the Globe Tavern, the Lincoln parlors draped for the funeral, and two other rooms, presumably also in the Lincoln home. One of the latter illustrations, No. 6, may be Lincoln's bedroom. The placement of the windows suggest one of the front rooms and it seems most logical that the illustrator would focus on Lincoln's room. A draped table, empire chair, bureau, mirror, and small oval pictures appear in the illustration.

In this section all information, unless otherwise noted, was found in the Lincoln Home files at the Illinois State Historical Library.

BEDS:

Lincoln's Bed According to the Chicago Tribune of May 6, 1865 (see p. 38), Lincoln's "oaken bedstead" was still in the house, having been bought by the Tiltons at the Lincolns' 1861 sale. The 1865 Schreiber and Glover stereoscope view of Lincoln's bedroom confirms this account, showing what appears to be an oak bed. The oak grain is visible in the photograph. The only earlier evidence we have of Lincoln's bed is an 1860 visitor's account of sitting on a "high post bed," which description also fits the bed in the stereoscope view. This bed was probably among the Tilton furniture destroyed by the Chicago Fire of 1871. [87]

Four other Lincoln associated beds are known to exist. Presumably, the house would have contained five or six beds. In one instance Lincoln, in September of 1857, traded a "trundle bed" for a "cottage bedstead" from John Hutchinson's Furniture Factory. Lincoln paid $11.00 for the new bed and received $2.00 credit for the old one. [88] It was a common practice at the time to trade in old furniture when making a new purchase; therefore, other Lincoln home beds may yet come to light. The following is a brief analysis of five known Lincoln-associated beds.

Bedstead (LIHO 71)

The early nineteenth-century mahogany sleigh-type bedstead (LIHO 71) now in the Lincoln Home has a strong family history of Lincoln ownership. According to oral tradition, the bed was purchased by Colonel William Babcock of Canton, Illinois, from the Lincoln sale in 1861. The bed passed from Colonel Babcock to his daughter, Elizabeth Ann Babcock, wife of William Henry Binnian, and was then passed down in the Binnian family to Samuel Binnian, a great-grandson of William Babcock.

Bedstead and Bureau, Illinois State Governor's Mansion

A second Lincoln-associated bedstead and a matching bureau were donated to the State in 1969 by the Donovan family of Lexington, Kentucky (now property of Illinois State Governor's Mansion). It is a Renaissance revival walnut chamber set. According to signed affidavits, the bed was bought by Mary Ticknor, who lived at the corner of Eighth and Jackson from 1868 to 1873, at a sale of furniture from the Lincoln home, "about 1872." She wrote in her affidavit (1938), "This bed was wider and longer than the ordinary bed, and had been used by Abraham Lincoln himself, and had been a part of Abraham Lincoln's household goods." Mary Ticknor sold the bed to a Miss Adele Mendenhall (Mrs. P.E. Karraker) who, in turn, gave it to the Donovans. Miss Mendenhall's affidavit states the bed came from the Tiltons. This bed is not pictured in the Schreiber and Clover stereoscope views, nor is it mentioned in the 1865 newspaper accounts of those Lincoln items still in the house. The bureau is, however, similar to one depicted in the Schreiber and Glover views which belonged to the Tiltons and was not a Lincoln piece of furniture.

The earliest affidavit, however, the 1938 one by Mary Ticknor, does not mention the Tiltons. In fact, a handwritten note on the affidavit reads, "Bought of some neighbor not direct of Lincoln's -- Think it was Mrs. R (?) or Mrs. Robinson a dresser with it but don't know what became of it."

The comment about the missing dresser suggests the possibility that this set is not the one which the Ticknors originally bought. Also, stylistically, the bed and bureau are more characteristic of furniture produced in the 1860s and 1870s, than earlier periods. The furniture, however, is all marked with the number "1" which might indicate that it was the first set in a production line and it may have been a presentation gift to President Lincoln just before his departure for Washington. On the basis of this latter theory, the State of Illinois has placed this set in the Governor's Mansion rather than the Lincoln Home.

Bedstead, Collection of Mr. & Mrs. Evans Cantrell

Another Lincoln Home-associated bedstead has recently come to light. According to Mr. and Mrs. Evans Cantrell, who now own the bed (it is currently being stored at Illinois State Historical Society Library), they bought it from the estate of a Springfield upholsterer, John Graham, who had received the bed from the widow of George Franklin Seymour (1829-1908), Protestant Episcopal Bishop of Springfield from 1878 to 1908. [89]

A letter written by Mrs. Seymour to Mr. Graham, in the possession of the Cantrells, states:

It is the veritable bed on which rested the Great Statesman Lincoln.

It was a gift to the Bishop when he finished and turned the old building into the "Episcopal Palace" at a cost of 10,000. It was considered a worthy offering to the Great Bishop. [90]

Mrs. Seymour also added that the Bishop used the bed for twenty-five years, which indicates he was given the bed some time around 1883, the year he moved into the "Episcopal Palace." In her statement to Mr. Graham, she claims the bed was slept on by Lincoln; she makes no mention of it coming from the Lincoln home.

A memorandum written March 5, 1951 by Virginia Stuart Brown, great-grandaughter of N.W. Edwards, and grandaughter of Albert Edwards, states that the Seymour bed originally belonged to the Ninian Edwards family. Virginia Brown wrote:

The only bed I ever heard of that was claimed to be Lincoln's in the Eighth Street House, was a four-poster owned by an upholsterer, John Graham. He went to Mrs. Albert Edwards some time before 1910 for an affidavit, which she refused to give as she knew that bed to be one owned by Mrs. Ninian Edwards, who had given it to Bishop Seymour when the Edwards moved into a smaller house. [91]

In all likelihood, this bed was slept in by Lincoln but it does not appear to have come from the Lincoln home.

Bedstead, the Lukins' Family, Springfield, Illinois

"A four-poster spool type, walnut bed" was mentioned in a newspaper article entitled "Lincoln Bed at Former City Home" in the Decatur Review, Decatur, Illinois, March 1, 1931. It descended in the Lukins family, having been purchased by Gregory Lukins, a friend of Lincoln as a young man, from Lincoln in Springfield. According to family tradition, Gregory Lukins went to Springfield from Petersburg to buy a bed and he called on Mr. Lincoln who agreed to sell him a bed the Lincolns did not need. Gregory was a descendent of Peter Lukins, a friend of Lincoln from his New Salem days. The description of this bed as "spool type" is similar to those beds with turned decoration which furniture catalogs of the mid-nineteenth century describe as "cottage bedsteads," at least one of which we know Lincoln bought. The oak bedstead of which we have a photograph can also be described as "spool type" and as a "cottage bedstead." The location of this bed is unknown.

COMMODES AND DAYBEDS:

Commode (LIHO 104) and Wicker Daybed (LIHO 80)

The mahogany commode, now in Mrs. Lincoln's bedroom, and the wicker daybed in the front guest room, are said to have been purchased (along with the chest of drawers previously mentioned) from the Lincolns by Hugh Gallagher, expressman (associated with Jack Hough, furniture dealer) in 1858, according to an affidavit written by Gallagher's daughter, Annie Kavanaugh, in 1926.

Mrs. Kavanaugh's affidavits for the commode and daybed stated:

This bedroom cabinet was an important piece of furniture in the Lincoln Home.

This was used as a couch during the day and a baby bed at night in the Lincoln Home.

Lucy Rhea, a Springfield antiques dealer, acquired these items from Mrs. Kavanaugh. In Mrs. Rhea's correspondence with the Division of Parks and Memorials about the sale of her items (September 7, 1949), she added the information about the commode that it was used by Mrs. Lincoln. At that time, Mrs. Rhea tried to sell a silk quilt and a dress form which were never purchased. State Historian Jay Monaghan believed the quilt to date from the post-Lincoln period and also questioned the dates of the other items. He did not recommend their purchase unless needed to furnish the Home. Several years later (1953), Richard Hagen (Design Consultant, Archaeology & History, the State of Illinois) followed up on the furniture and the Colonial Dames purchased the commode and daybed which they then donated to the Home.

Stylistically, the commode appears correct for the Lincoln period of occupancy in Springfield; however, the date of the daybed is questionable. The form is characteristic of nineteenth-century captain's daybeds, usually made in China for the export trade, although some captain's daybeds are believed to have been made in Rhode Island. They were not a common domestic furniture form. The style of turning on the legs and the presence of stamped manufacturer's numbers on the side pieces suggests this daybed dates from the latter half of the nineteenth century and is of American manufacture. Although there is still a possibility that this piece of furniture belonged to the Lincolns, in all likelihood, it did not. Even if owned by the Lincolns, it was probably not used as a child's bed.

BLANKET CHESTS:

Blanket Chest (LIHO 97)

The blanket chest reportedly belonged to Mary Lincoln and was given by the Lincolns to a family servant, Maria Vance, who, according to the story, worked for the Lincolns for eight years. The supporting evidence for this story is very weak. The Vance family sold the chest to Ada Sutton (author of the only accompanying affidavit), from whom it was bought by Mrs. Carl J. Lamb who, in turn, sold it to the Colonial Dames for the Lincoln Home.

The Vance family is listed in the Springfield Directories; however, there is some question as to whether or not Maria worked for the Lincolns and, if she did, the length of time. According to the census records, a Catherine Gordon worked for the Lincolns in 1850 and, in 1860, an M. Johnson. Mrs. Lincoln does mention a servant named Mary in an 1859 letter and there is a possibility she was referring to Maria Vance, although Mary Johnson seems more likely.

Stylistically, the chest appears to date from the early nineteenth century and is similar to other Kentucky-made chests. It is possible that Mrs. Lincoln might have owned the chest and might have given it away to a servant.

BUREAUS:

There are five bureaus (in addition to the Renaissance revival one mentioned on page 122) with histories indicating that they were at one time in the Lincoln Home. Bureaus were among the items listed for sale by the Lincolns in 1861 and, as there were six rooms on the second floor, it is possible that all five were indeed a part of the Lincoln furniture.

Bureau (LIHO 60)

The mahogany bureau, containing four drawers, the top drawer overhanging and supported by columns, was sold by Mr. Lincoln to his friend, John Roll, at the time of the Lincolns' sale in 1861, according to the Roll family history. John Roll's son, J. Lin Roll, signed an affidavit in 1901 stating the origin of the bureau and that he was selling it to Wm. E. Shutt. [92]

Bureaus (LIHO 1126 and 1122)

These bureaus, now in the Lincoln Home, came by way of the Figueira family, Springfield residents. Lucinda Figueira was a seamstress and reportedly sewed for Mary Todd. According to the Figueira family, in lieu of paying a sewing bill, Mary Todd gave Lucinda a bureau (LIHO 1122). Margaret B. Sylva, a descendent of Lucinda Figueira, signed a statement December 5, 1970, outlining the bureau's provenance. The bureau passed from Lucinda to her daughter, Elizabeth Figueira Silva, then to Elizabeth's son, Arthur Huitson Sylva [Silva] and his wife Margaret B. Sylva, and finally to the Sylvas' nephew, Robert Dona Furry, who sold it to the National Park Service, October 5, 1973.

The second bureau (LIHO 1126), a mahogany veneered Federal period style chest of drawers, closely resembles the workmanship of a Lexington, Kentucky, cabinetmaker, Robert Wilson. Characteristics of Wilson's work, such as reeded pilasters, a swell front, single paneled ends, and double-banded veneer between case top and top drawer are found on this chest. [93] As Mary Todd was from Lexington, Kentucky, and may have brought the chest with her, this attribution lends support to the Figueira family history. Mary might, indeed, have given what would have been an outdated old chest to her seamstress. It also does not seem likely that Lucinda (who was born in 1822 on the Island of Madeira) would otherwise have come into possession of what would have been an old-fashioned piece of furniture from Lexington.

According to an affidavit (in the Henkels sale catalogue of the Lincoln Memorial Collection) written July 28, 1886, the Figueira family also sold a bureau on May 26, 1865, which they reportedly had purchased from the Lincoln sale of 1861, to a John C. Barker, who passed the bureau on to Laura Barker Perry who, in turn, sold it to John W. Keyes for the Lincoln Memorial Collection. The empire style mahogany bureau is marked on the back with the name "Mrs. M.M.F. Barker." [94] (This bureau is now LIHO 1122.)

The Stan Henkels catalogue of the sale of the Lincoln Memorial Collection in 1894 contained the following entry for this bureau:

1602. Mahogany Bureau, from the bedroom of Abraham Lincoln.

Purchased by E. Figueira from Mr. & Mrs. Lincoln in 1861. Sold to John C. Barker, May 26, 1865. Purchased for the Collection from the surviving members of John C. Barker's family. Accompanied with Figueira's affidavit as to its genuineness. [95]

The affidavit which accompanied the bureau is signed by Laura Barker's husband, Wm. Perry. Another discrepancy is that E. Figueira was not born until 1857. They probably meant N. Figueira, for Nicholas Figueira (Lucinda's husband) is mentioned in the Perry affidavit. An 1890 newspaper article in the Chicago Tribune (Monday, April 7, 1890, "Highway & Byway: Stories about Lincoln & Family") recounts the same story in relation to this chest that the Figueira family gave for the other chest, i.e., that Mrs. Lincoln had given the bureau to Mrs. Figueira in lieu of paying a dressmaking bill.

A walnut stand (according to the Henkels catalogue used as a washstand) accompanied the bureau from the Figueiras to the Barkers to the Lincoln Memorial Collection but its location is now unknown.

The Figueiras may have attended the Lincoln sale and, in addition to the chest given them, may have purchased two pieces of furniture. However, of the two bureaus, the Federal period style one (LIHO 1126) appears to have a firmer history of ownership.

Bureau (Chicago Historical Society)

The Chicago Historical Society also owns a bureau which reportedly came from the Lincoln residence; this bureau also was sold at the 1861 sale. This bureau was purchased in the 1890s by Charles Gunther (whose collection of Lincolniana is now at the Chicago Historical Society) from Mrs. Elizabeth Ashmead, the wife of William Ward, a neighbor of Mr. Lincoln's and a jeweler in Springfield. Mrs. Ashmead wrote January 31, 1894, to Mr. Gunther:

...my Husband Mr. William Ward, bought the Bureau for me from Mrs. Lincoln at the sale of their household goods before she left for Washington. She told us that Mr. Lincoln had it made for their first housekeeping, when they were first married.

A strange coincidence, and one that endeared the old Bureau to me, was, that it was the receptacle of the flowers that I had the honor of making the decoration of the draperies of the Catafalque in Cleveland, Ohio .... [96]

Mrs. Ashmead went on to say that this bureau was exhibited both at the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition and at the New Orleans World's Fair. She added a postscript saying that Robert Lincoln could also identify it. Both these letters accompanied the chest to the Chicago Historical Society. [97]

Bureau (LIHO 102)

The fifth bureau, and the one with the least supporting evidence, is a walnut chest, supposedly purchased from the Lincolns by Hugh Gallagher, an expressman who lived in Springfield and worked for J. Hough's cabinetmaking shop. Gallagher's daughter, Mrs. Annie E. Kavanaugh signed an affidavit in 1926 stating:

This walnut chest was used in Lincoln Home and purchased by Hugh Gallager at time of removal, 1858.

This affidavit accompanied others that Mrs. Kavanaugh signed for a walnut commode and a wicker daybed. The Lincoln sale was not until 1861; however, there is evidence that the Lincolns did some furnishing in the late 1850s and these items may have been replaced at that time. Mrs. Kavanaugh sold her Lincoln items in 1926 to a Springfield antiques dealer, Lucy Rhea, who passed them on to her niece, Mrs. F.D. Ide, who sold them to the State of Illinois for the Home.

CHILDREN'S FURNITURE:

There are two pieces of furniture with histories of ownership by Lincoln's children.

Child's Chair (LIHO 35)

A small child's chair was donated to the State in 1943 by John Black and Mrs. George Stericker. According to the catalogue card made up at that time, the chair was once used by Tad Lincoln. The file on this chair is incomplete; the original correspondence concerning the transfer appears to be missing. Therefore, there is no supporting documentation for this chair beyond the fact that it was donated by a Springfield family.

Child's Table (LIHO 75)

A child's table was purchased by the Illinois State Department of Conservation in 1970 from Mrs. C. R. Zieke. The previous year, Mrs. Zieke had written to the State Historical Society recounting the family tradition associated with the table. She wrote:

This table has been in my family for many years. It is my understanding that the table was given to my great-grandmother in Springfield, who lived across the street from a caretaker at the Lincoln Home.

There is an old piece of paper pasted on the bottom of the table which says, "Table used by Mr. Lincoln's children as a play table. Martin Ehman, a cabinetmaker, made Mr. Lincoln a wardrobe, and this little table was given him in a broken condition. He repaired it and gave it to his niece, Louise F. Wall, 813 N. 8th St." It may have been this niece who gave it to my great-grand-mother.

Martin Ehmann is listed in the 1860-1861 Springfield City Directory as a carpenter and the Wall family is also listed. As confirmation of her story, Mrs. Zieke also sent with her correspondence a copy of a safekeeping receipt from the Lincoln Centennial Association (dated Feb. 12, 1924). The receipt stated that Mrs. Robert Wall of 813 N. 8th Street had loaned them "1 small table used by Lincoln children -- Lincoln Home."

The available evidence, the receipt, the verifications of names and dates, confirm the Zieke-Wall family history of the table.

Cradle

A cradle now on exhibit at Ford's Theater, Washington, D.C. as part of the Oldroyd Lincoln Memorial Collection, appears to have come from the Lincoln home. Charles H. Coe in the 1896 Descriptive and Historical Catalogue of the Oldroyd Lincoln Memorial Collection wrote of the cradle:

Family cradle or crib; black walnut with rockers, length 4 ft., width 3 ft. 6 in., height 3 ft. When Mr. Lincoln was preparing to move to Washington, in 1861, this piece of furniture with several others was stored over John Williams' druggist's store, Springfield, Illinois. As Mr. Lincoln passed through the store, he remarked: "Colonel, the first clerk in your store who needs this article you can present it to him, with my compliments." A year later, one of the clerks, (George Davis), became the happy possessor of the cradle. Afterward sold to S. M. Whitcraft, of Springfield, and by him presented to this collection. [98]

The Lincolns did indeed leave furnishings above Williams' store. From the White House, Mary Lincoln wrote to a friend in Springfield about her furniture:

I see by the papers that Mr. Burch is married. We have some pieces of furniture, still remaining at his house, may I ask a favor of you--It is this--If Mr. Black [George N. Black of John S. Williams Company] can have room for them, can they be moved to any place above his store, where he may have room for them. The sofa, at Mr. Burch's was new, a few months before we left. May I also ask you to speak to Mr. Black, and see if the 8 boxes we left with him, are all there .... [99]

DESKS:

Mahogany Lap Desk (LIHO 308)

The maghogany lap desk, now in Mr. Lincoln's bedroom, is well documented, having passed down in the family of Stephen T. Logan, who purchased it from Lincoln. Logan's great-granddaughter, Mrs. Roy W. Ide, Jr., sold it to the Illinois State Division of Parks and Memorials in 1953. In a letter written to Richard Hagen, December 27, 1953, she stated:

The legend that I have been told is that my great-grandfather, Stephen T. Logan, purchased it from Mr. Lincoln. I was told that Lincoln carried it in his saddle bag when he rode the circuit. However, as I wrote you previously, I have nothing to authenticate the case.

MIRRORS:

Shaving Mirrors

Three shaving mirrors have a history of having belonged to Mr. Lincoln.

One, now in the Lincoln Home (LIHO 69), was a gift in the 1920s from Logan Hay who purchased it from Annie Kavanaugh, daughter of Hugh Gallagher, an expressman who worked for J. Hough's cabinet shop, where Lincoln purportedly purchased furniture.

The other two shaving mirrors are in the collection of the Illinois State Historical Society. One was from a collection of Lincolniana owned by Oliver R. Barrett of Chicago. Twelve items, including this mirror, were loaned to the State Historical Library from 1924-1927 by Mr. Barrett. (See Appendix VII for a list of those items.)

The other mirror in the State Historical Society collections descended in the family of Rita de Silva, along with a sewing table. Rita reportedly was a seamstress for Mrs. Lincoln. The mirror was sold to the State by a de Silva descendent, Edward A. Freitas, on June 29, 1923.

WARDROBES:

Wardrobe (LIHO 58)

Abraham Lincoln listed "Wardrobes in his 1861 newspaper advertisement for the sale of his furnishings. Evidence shows the existence of at least two Lincoln family wardrobes.

The one with the firmest Lincoln provenance is the wardrobe purchased at the 1861 sale by Dr. Samuel Melvin, a friend and neighbor of Mr. Lincoln. The wardrobe (LIHO 58) and a whatnot, also purchased at the sale, were handed down in the Melvin family until they were given to the Lincoln Home by two of Dr. Melvin's grandsons. Dr. Melvin's original bill of sale is among the published Lincoln letters. (See p. 45.)

Wardrobe (LIHO 1124)

A second wardrobe, now in the Lincoln Home Collection, also has a strong Lincoln provenance, because it was once a part of the Lincoln Memorial Collection. The wardrobe (along with several other items which were sold to the Lincoln Memorial Collection) was bought from the Lincolns at the 1861 sale by their neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Allen Miller. The 1896 Henkels auction catalogue of the sale of the Lincoln Memorial Collection had the following entry for this wardrobe:

1612 Walnut Double-Door Cupboard, from Abraham Lincoln's house.

Purchased from Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln by Allen Miller, in February 1861, and accompaniedd with affidavit as to its genuineness. [100]

An 1890 article in the Chicago Tribune about the Lincoln Memorial Collection ("Highway & Byway: Stories about Lincoln & Family," Monday, April 17, 1890) confused this cupboard with a now unlocated kitchen cupboard or pie safe, referred to on p. 110.

WASHSTAND, TOILET SET, QUILT, PICTURE, AND MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS:

(Present locations unknown; Miscellaneous items are located in the Collection of Lincoln College, Lincoln, Illinois)

A washstand, a white toilet set, quilt, and a picture (of a church and yard), all supposedly from the maid's room at the Lincoln home, along with twenty-four other items, are mentioned in a 1962 affidavit signed by Robert Watson Kuecher, grandson of John B. Kuecher, a friend of Lincoln's and a Springfield resident. (See Appendix IV.)

In 1962, Morton Barker wrote Richard Hagen, historian for the Department of Conservation, the State of Illinois, concerning these items owned by Emily Barker. On August 7, 1962, Mr. Hagen stated:

My regret is that I was unable to do more in the way of authenticating the Kuecher materials, instead of turning up information that would simply nullify part of the story.

The information which Hagen found has not yet been located. There is in the Lincoln Home file, however, an affidavit written in 1948 by Julius Kuecher, son of John Kuecher, giving certain Lincoln items to his nephew, Robert Watson Kuecher. It reads:

Julius Kuecher, being first duly sworn, on oath states, that the following articles, of great historic value have been given by me to my nephew, Robert Watson Kuecher, and are now in the possession of the said Robert Watson Kuecher:

One hat and hat box, purchased for Abraham Lincoln, at Wolfe's hat store on the West side of the Square in Springfield, Illinois. One boot jack owned by Abraham Lincoln.

One Chair from Lincoln's Home in Springfield, Ill.

One English plate given to Elizabeth Kuecher, by Mary Todd Lincoln.

One ballot box used in the Presidential election of 1860, in which Lincoln and Douglas were the opposing candidates, which ballot box was presided over by John Kuecher.

One wine-corker to be used in bottling wine, given by Abraham Lincoln, to John Kuecher.

This affidavit is made for the purpose of authenticating the genuineness of these above articles.

Julius Frederick Kuecher (signed)

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 1st day of October A.D. 1948.

John P. Snigg (signed)
Notary Public [101]

None of the above mentioned items are listed in the Robert Watson Kuecher affidavit (with the possible exception of the chair).

Another letter written by the wife of a John B. Kuecher descendent, Mrs. John Kuecher, to Richard Hagen February 8, 1955, primarily concerning chairs which had cone from the Lincoln law office, states that Robert Watson Kuecher owned one of the law office chairs, but does not mention any other Lincoln items owned by Robert.

The present location of the majority of the Lincoln items owned by Robert Watson Kuecher is unknown. He gave a desk and chair (with a history of having come from the law office) to an actor friend, Pat O'Brien, in 1942. Note that Kuecher in his affidavit mentions only a desk in his sister's home.

Several items were sold to John Valentine, then to King Hostick, from whom Lincoln College in 1957 acquired a china pen wiper, metal lantern, English china plate, and a carving set (marked J. A. Henckel's Works, Solingen, Germany). The lantern is mentioned in the 1962 R.W. Kuecher affidavit.

Although there does seem to be an absence of confirming information for Robert Watson Kuecher's affidavit, it should not be entirely disregarded. The affidavit provides the only available hint as to the contents of the maid's room. Robert Watson Kuecher lists a "white toilet set" which probably refers to an ironstone chamber set and there is archeological evidence of the use of white ironstone at the home during the Lincoln residence.

VANITY:

Vanity (Illinois State Historical Society, L.R. 172)

The Illinois State Historical Society also owns a small mirror on stand (a vanity) which belonged to Mary Lincoln. It was willed to the Library in 1954 by Minnie Smith Johnson, Mrs. Lincoln's niece. The vanity was reportedly given to Minnie's mother, Mrs. C.M. Smith by her sister, Mary Todd Lincoln.

DRUGS AND TOILETRIES:

The following items are drugs and toiletries purchased by Lincoln, from Corneau & Diller, Springfield, Ill., 1855-1860, which might have been found in the bedrooms, in and on bureaus. [102]