Saint-Gaudens, Augustus, 1848-1907 | - Theodore Roosevelt Center

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to George Peabody Wetmore

President Roosevelt would like Augustus Saint-Gaudens to sculpt the bust.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1901-12-30

Letter from Augusta Saint-Gaudens to Theodore Roosevelt

Augusta Saint-Gaudens tells Theodore Roosevelt that after doing as he suggested and writing to Thomas J. O’Brien, and Mr. Fox, the secretary of the American Art Department, she received the enclosed letter. Saint-Gaudens would prefer Victor Emmanuel III, King of Italy have the medal made by Augustus Saint-Gaudens, which he first selected, and would appreciate any suggestions Roosevelt may have to help her accomplish this.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-11-24

Letter from Marie Eugenie Snook to Theodore Roosevelt

Marie Eugenie Snook expresses her high esteem for Theodore Roosevelt, and hopes that he will accept the gift of a piece of artwork. She greatly admires Roosevelt, and recalls meeting him at a reception.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-03-26

Letter from T. Louis Comparette to Theodore Roosevelt

T. Louis Comparette, curator at the Philadelphia Mint, would like to add a medal designed by Augustus Saint-Gaudens commemorating Theodore Roosevelt’s inauguration to the National Collection of Coins and Medals. He believes that the dies are in possession of the Tiffany Company, but is unsure who has the rights to them. He asks if Roosevelt would be able to secure permission for one or two bronze casts to be made. If Tiffany does not hold the rights to the die, Comparette wonders if ownership could be transferred to the national collection.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-02-01

Letter from Joaquim Nabuco to Theodore Roosevelt

Brazilian Ambassador Nabuco writes President Roosevelt to apologize for the publication of a private letter, in which Roosevelt praises Nabuco’s speech on Augustus Saint-Gaudens. Nabuco recounts that he sent a copy to the Brazilian government and a friend. He is unsure which chose to ignore Roosevelt’s designation of the correspondence as “private,” presumably because Roosevelt is a well-respected public figure.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1909-02-25

Letter from George B. Cortelyou to Theodore Roosevelt

Secretary of the Treasury Cortelyou sends President Roosevelt a pair of books that he thinks he will be interested in–one volume on the works of Augustus Saint-Gaudens, and another on the region of Africa where Roosevelt will travel on his safari.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-12-24

Letter from Augusta Saint-Gaudens to Theodore Roosevelt

Augusta Saint-Gaudens tells President Roosevelt that she and her son, Homer Saint-Gaudens, greatly appreciated the tribute that Roosevelt gave to her late husband, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, at his memorial.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-12-18

Letter from Brander Matthews to Theodore Roosevelt

Brander Matthews gently ribs President Roosevelt about having sent a letter signed “TR,” saying his “democratic soul is shockt.” Matthews liked a recent speech by Roosevelt about Augustus Saint-Gaudens, and appreciated Roosevelt’s use of one of his suggestions. Roosevelt’s mention of King Louis XIV of France made Matthews remember an anecdote involving Louis XIV and the sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini, which he relates to Roosevelt.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-12-16

Letter from Henry Adams to Theodore Roosevelt

Henry Adams jokingly chides President Roosevelt for having referred to a statue of Adams’ as a woman, as Adams believes that the sculpture by Augustus Saint-Gaudens aimed higher than depicting either a man or a woman, but meant to represent a genderless humanity.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-12-16

Letter from Reginald Cleveland Coxe to Theodore Roosevelt

Reginald Cleveland Coxe sends President Roosevelt a receipt for his subscription for the memorial to Augustus Saint-Gaudens. Coxe also tells Roosevelt about an interaction he had at a bank where the various bank tellers were very excited to see a letter from Roosevelt that Coxe had, and says that while Roosevelt has been criticized, he still has the support of many.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-03-01

Note from Reginald Cleveland Coxe to Theodore Roosevelt

Reginald Cleveland Coxe sends a brief note to President Roosevelt confirming receipt of $25 as a subscription for the portrait of Augustus Saint-Gaudens by Kenyon Cox, which is to be presented to the Metropolitan Museum in New York.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-02-29

Letter from Richard Watson Gilder to Theodore Roosevelt

Richard Watson Gilder, editor of The Century Magazine, is publishing an article about Augustus Saint-Gaudens’ later work, written by Saint-Gaudens’ son, Homer. He asks President Roosevelt if it is necessary to clarify who authorized the elimination of the motto “In God We Trust” in Saint-Gaudens’ coin design. Watson has not heard a good reason for the motto’s inclusion. Recalling the initial criticism of the new cover design of The Century Magazine, Watson says, “when the novelty has worn off of these new coins, they will probably become the standard.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-12-16

Letter from Silas McBee to Theodore Roosevelt

Editor of The Churchman Silas McBee praises President Roosevelt’s message to Congress and encloses two editorials written about it. He is glad that he defended Roosevelt’s religion before seeing the new coin, which he finds to be so poorly designed that the art is “bad enough to almost impair the religious attitude.” McBee finds the creative and sculpture work of Augustus Saint-Gaudens lacking, writing that “bad art in its way is almost as damaging as bad religion.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-12-06

Letter from Augusta Saint-Gaudens to Theodore Roosevelt

Augusta Saint-Gaudens thanks President Roosevelt for his condolences over the passing of her husband Augustus Saint-Gaudens and apologizes for the lateness of her reply.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-10-27

Letter from Samuel Harden Church to William Loeb

Samuel Harden Church informs President Roosevelt’s secretary William Loeb that the sculptor Rodin has expressed interest in sculpting a bust or statue of the president that expresses his “tremendous energy and vitality.” Church recommends the Art Halls of the Carnegie Institute as a logical location for the statue.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-08-02

Letter from George Peabody Wetmore to Theodore Roosevelt

Senator Wetmore writes to President Roosevelt, returning two letters, one from Emily Tuckerman and the other from Augustus Saint-Gaudens. Wetmore has written Saint-Gaudens regarding a sculptor to do a bust of the president, and he will notify Roosevelt when he receives a reply.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-01-04

Letter from Emily Tuckerman to Theodore Roosevelt

Emily Tuckerman encourages President Roosevelt to take the advice of Augustus Saint-Gaudens regarding a prospective sculptor. She had no specific interest in the other man and had only forwarded his letter to Roosevelt out of good nature.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-01-02

Letter from Franklin Murphy to Theodore Roosevelt

Franklin Murphy updates President Roosevelt on the progress of procuring a statue for the McKinley Memorial. The committee could not afford Augustus Saint-Gaudens, Roosevelt’s recommendation, and have instead commissioned Charles Henry Niehaus. Murphy is encouraged by Senator John F. Dryden’s recent proposals regarding life insurance.