Mr. Silversmith Goes to Washington
by
Art on August 28, 2014
/tiles/non-collection/I/Inkstand_namepunch_2004_107-1.xml
Collection of the U.S. House of Representatives
About this object
Few names are inscribed in the House Chamber. Why this one?
Once upon a time, a young man
came to Washington. He wasn’t sophisticated, but he had loads of ambition. He
was destined to leave his mark on Congress.
No, it wasn’t Jimmy Stewart's fictional character
arriving in 1939 to clean up the corrupt Senate in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. This eager new arrival came in 1810.
His name was Jacob Leonard, and he made what is now the oldest object in the
House of Representatives. Small but venerable, it is the silver inkstand that is placed high on the Speaker’s
rostrum whenever the House is in session.
/tiles/non-collection/I/Inkstand_eagle_2004_107-3.xml
Collection of the U.S. House of Representatives
About this object
Leonard clearly knew his American symbols.
Commercial opportunity seemed
unbounded when Leonard came to Washington in the early federal period. Energetic men of modest
means could accumulate wealth as merchants, bankers, and dealers in every kind
of trade. Upon his arrival, Leonard immediately entered the thick of things
when he took over the business of silversmith George Riggs. He was soon
advertising his wares as “the most fashionable jewelry.”
The ravages of the War of 1812
and the 1814 British invasion of the city and burning of the Capitol did not
prevent Leonard from continuing to gain influence. He relocated to the center
of commercial action on Pennsylvania Avenue and became an established figure in
town. Over the next 20 years, Leonard was named Washington’s Sealer of Weights
and Measures, signed abolitionist petitions to Congress, and received official
commissions for silverware from the Congress and Department of State.
/tiles/non-collection/I/Inkstand_stand_2004_107.xml
Collection of the U.S. House of Representatives
About this object
The oldest artifact in the House Chamber is an inkstand. In the 21st century, it holds great historical significance, but not ink.
Around 1819, when the House of
Representatives returned to the newly rebuilt and
redecorated Capitol, Leonard
supplied it with an inkstand that has become the oldest artifact in the
House Chamber. No one knows how he got the commission, but he was certainly ambitious
enough to seize an opportunity when he saw it. At the time, the inkstand was
more than a symbol of government. It was a practical utensil, holding three
bottles of ink for the busy Speaker. It is a rectangular, low-walled tray. Swags
and medallions with eagles adorn the sides. The tray can be carried by a center
hinged handle, and three crystal inkwells rest inside. The inkstand’s feet take
the form of columns with snakes winding around them, a classical representation
of wisdom supporting authority. The snake-and-column motif echoes sculpture
carved at the same time for the old House Chamber.
/tiles/non-collection/I/Inkstand_serpent_2004_107-2.xml
Collection of the U.S. House of Representatives
About this object
The serpent, here twining around
a column, was an ancient symbol of wisdom.
Because of its placement at the
hand of the Speaker, the inkstand quickly became a marker of the Speaker’s power.
Henry Clay’s 1821 portrait commemorating his Speakership includes the stand at
his side. Samuel Morse’s gargantuan 1822 painting of the House during a night
session includes a tiny, remarkably accurate rendition of the inkstand
twinkling in the lamplight. As the decades rolled along, the inkstand bore
witness to debates over slavery and suffrage, declarations of war, and all the
business of the people conducted in the House.
Even now, a quick glance at the
rostrum when the House is in session shows the shiny tray, now a symbol rather than
a tool, still at the Speaker’s side. Before the House comes to order, the
inkstand is placed on the rostrum. Stamped on the bottom with its
maker’s mark, it has given Leonard an enduring place in history.
Sources: Spirit of ‘Seventy-Six, 15 February 1811; City of Washington Gazette, 22 May 1821; Charles Bird King, Henry Clay, 1821; Samuel F.B. Morse, The House of Representatives, 1822; “Memorial
of Inhabitants of the District of Columbia,” 23rd Cong., 2nd sess., 1828; The Magazine Antiques, July 1878.