Reprint of the original, first published in 1883.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1883.

Excerpt from Catalogue of the Collection of United States Coins of Fred. Barman, Esq., Los Angeles, Cal: And of Several Small Collections and Invoices 320 Dominion, Official Exposition Medal. Fame; rev., shield. Original loop; very good. 26. Leroux, 1460. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from Catalogue of Several Collections and Invoices, Comprising Foreign Coppers Coins, U. S. Silver and Copper Coins, Crowns of the 16th Century, Colonial Coins, Including a Rare N. Y. Cent, Gold Coins of England, Masonic Medals, Coins of Ancient: Greece and Judaea, Very Complete Collection of Canadian Paper Money, Rare U. S. Fractional Currency, Etc., Etc.; Sale by Auction Without Reserve, at the Kennedy Auction Rooms, 59 5th Avenue, New York, Friday, October 25, 1895, at 2 O'clock P. M I beg to remind collectors that Coins and Medals are sold at so much per piece, and bids must be made accordingly. Any special information cheerfully furnished. Bids for this sale solicited. In sending orders, Collectors should indicate how purchases are to be sent. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Outstanding Academic Title, Choice, 2015 Winner, Ewell Newman Award of the American Historical Print Collectors Society, 2016 In 1849 the Smithsonian purchased the Marsh Collection of European engravings. Not only the first collection of any kind to be acquired by the new Institution, it was also the first public print collection in the nation, and it presented an important symbol of cultural authority. The prints formed part of the library of Vermont Congressman George Perkins Marsh (1801-1882), a member of the Smithsonian’s Board of Regents. The uncertainty of the Smithsonian's mission in the early years complicated its motivation for purchasing the collection, especially given Marsh’s position as a Regent in financial difficulty. After a serious fire in 1865, portions of the collection were deposited at the Library of Congress and the Corcoran Gallery of Art. Efforts to reclaim it began in the 1880s, as a new generation of Smithsonian staff expanded the National Museum, but they achieved only mixed success. Through the story of the Marsh Collection, the book explores the cultural values attributed to prints in the 19th century, including their prominent role in expositions and their influence on visual culture at a time when collecting styles were moving from an individual’s private contemplation of artworks to wider public venues of exposition in museums and reception by multiple audiences. The history of this first Smithsonian collection enlivens an important stage in the development of American cultural identity and in the formation of the Smithsonian as a national institution.