International royal portraits album, 1870-1921 (majority within 1870-1885)

Summary

Creator:

Emmons, Sarah Tyrell, 1820-1891

Abstract:

The International royal portraits album is a 76 page (24.75 x 20 cm) embossed leather album containing portrait photographs of royal families and statesmen from around the world, with a particular focus on western Europe. The album was compiled by Sarah T. Emmons beginning in 1870 and presented to her daughter, Clara G. Collins in 1885.

Extent:

1 volume

Language:

English

Authors:

Finding aid created by Claire Milldrum, February 2017

Background

Scope and Content:

The International royal portraits album is a 76 page (24.75 x 20 cm) embossed leather album containing portrait photographs of royal families and statesmen from around the world, with a particular focus on western Europe. Most of the portraits are of contemporary rulers but there are also portraits of historical figures such as Mary Queen of Scots. Also present are photographs of statuary and other art. The inscription on the first page identifies Sarah Emmons as the compiler of the album, starting in 1870, which was then presented to her daughter Clara G. Collins in 1885. Many of the prints were added after 1870, for example one loose photograph of Stirling Castle has a note on the back indicating that it was purchased in 1874, whereas a photograph by Alexander Bassano of Alexandra of Denmark, wife of Edward VII, was not taken until 1881. Most of the portraits have captions written underneath identifying the subject. Researchers should be aware that not all of Sarah Emmons' identifications are correct.

Of note is the photograph on page 51 of Confederate President Jefferson Davis' children. The inscription underneath notes that the picture was "taken in Montreal, while they were fugitives there during the Civil War." At the request of his friend Jacob Thompson, Halmor Emmons dined with Davis while in Montreal on business in 1866. Supposedly Emmons and Davis spent the visit debating the justifications and causes of southern secession.

The back of the album contains loose photographs as well as newspaper clippings, mostly of poetry, inserted in the album presumably by Clara Collins. The latest of these clippings date to 1921.

Resarchers should be aware that the Library of Congress Subject Headings do not have authorized terms for all the individuals depicted in the album (for example, the Queen of Madagascar, Rasoherina, does not have an authority term). The subject list in this finding aid should therefore not be taken as all-encompassing.

Biographical / Historical:

The husband of the compiler, Judge Halmor Hull Emmons (1814-1877), was a well-known lawyer and judge in in Michigan, originally from New York. During the Civil War, he acted as a spy for the Union Army. On January 17, 1870, he was confirmed as a United States Circuit Judge. He and Sarah Tyrell Williams Emmons (1820-1891) had at least five children: Lillie, Clara Greig, Elizabeth Williams, Carrie, and Halmor H. Clara Greig (1845-1935) married William Augustus Collins (1842-1918) in 1871. Their son, Emmons Collins (1874-1940) became a Mechanical Engineer. William served in the Civil War in the Wisconsin Infantry. They lived in Cook County, Illinois and Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Acquisition Information:

Donated by Frederick P. Currier, 1997. F-443 .

Rules or Conventions:

Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

Related

Additional Descriptive Data:

Bibliography

Couch, David. "Sixth Circuit Judge Halmor H. Emmons." The Historical Society for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan IX, no. 1 (September 2001): 1-6.

"Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947," database with images, Family Search William A. Collins, 19 Mar 1918; Public Board of Health, Archives, Springfield; FHL microfilm 1,543,827.

Livingston, John. Portraits of eminent Americans now living: with biographical and historical memoirs of their lives and actions. Vol. 2. New York: Lamport & Co., 1853.

"Michigan Marriages, 1868-1925," database with images, FamilySearch William A. Collins and Clara Grieg Emmons, 18 Jan 1871; citing Ecorse, Wayne, Michigan, v 3 p 250 rn 3110, Department of Vital Records, Lansing; FHL microfilm 2,342,453.

Subjects

Click on terms below to find any related finding aids on this site.

Subjects:

Frederick P. Currier Collection.
Photographs shelf.
Rulers--1860-1890.
Sculptures--1860-1880.

Formats:

Albumen prints.
Cartes de visite.
Clippings.
Photograph albums.
Portrait photographs.
Reproductions.

Names:

Balmoral Castle (Scotland)
Cimitero di Staglieno (Genoa, Italy)
Stirling Castle (Stirling, Scotland)
Whitby Abbey (Whitby, England)
Abdülaziz, Sultan of the Turks, 1830-1876.
Albert Victor, Prince, Duke of Clarence and Avondale, 1864-1892.
Albert, Prince Consort, consort of Victoria, Queen of Great Britain, 1819-1861.
Alexander II, Emperor of Russia, 1818-1881.
Alexander III, Emperor of Russia, 1845-1894.
Alexandra, Queen, consort of Edward VII, King of Great Britain, 1844-1925.
Alfonso XII, King of Spain, 1857-1885.
Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, 1844-1900.
Alice, Grand Duchess, consort of Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse-Darmstadt, 1843-1878.
Amadeo I, King of Spain, 1845-1890.
Antonelli, Giacomo, 1806-1876.
Argyll, John Douglas Sutherland Campbell, Duke of, 1845-1914.
Arthur, Prince, Duke of Connaught, 1850-1942.
Augusta, Empress, consort of William I, German Emperor, 1811-1890.
Beatrice, Princess Henry of Battenberg, 1857-1944.
Bismarck, Johanna, Fürstin von, 1824-1894.
Bismarck, Otto, Fürst von, 1815-1898.
Bothwell, James Hepburn, Earl of, 1536?-1578.
Carlota, Empress, consort of Maximilian, Emperor of Mexico, 1840-1927.
Chambord, Henri-Charles-Ferdinand-Marie-Dieudonné d'Artois, comte de, 1820-1883.
Charles XIV John, King of Sweden and Norway, 1763-1844.
Christian IX, King of Denmark, 1818-1906.
Darnley, Henry Stuart, Lord, 1545-1567.
Davis, Varina Anne, 1864-1898.
Edward VII, King of Great Britain, 1841-1910.
Elisabeth, Empress, consort of Franz Joseph I, Emperor of Austria, 1837-1898.
Elizabeth, Queen, consort of Frederick William IV, King of Prussia, 1801-1873.
Eu, Gastão de Orléans, conde d’, 1842-1922.
Francis II, King of France, 1544-1560.
Francisco de Asís María Fernando, King, consort of Isabel II, Queen of Spain, 1822-1902.
Franz Joseph I, Emperor of Austria, 1830-1916.
Frederick III, German Emperor, 1831-1888.
Garibaldi, Giuseppe, 1807-1882.
George I, King of the Hellenes, 1845-1913.
George, Prince, Duke of Cambridge, 1819-1904.
Gustav V, King of Sweden, 1858-1950.
Hayes, Margaret Howell Davis, 1855-1909.
Helena Augusta Victoria, Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, 1846-1923.
Isabel, Princess of Brazil, 1846-1921.
Isabella II, Queen of Spain, 1830-1904.
Ismail, Khedive of Egypt, 1830-1895.
Joséphine, Queen, consort of Oscar I, King of Sweden and Norway, 1807-1876.
Kōmei, Emperor of Japan, 1831-1867.
Léopold I, King of the Belgians, 1790-1865.
Leopold, Prince, Duke of Albany, 1853-1884.
Louise, Princess, Duchess of Argyll, 1848-1939.
Ludwig II, King of Bavaria, 1845-1886.
Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse-Darmstadt, 1837-1892.
Luís I, King of Portugal, 1838-1889.
Luise, Grand Duchess, consort of Frederick I, Grand Duke of Baden, 1838-1923.
Luise, Queen, consort of Frederick William III, King of Prussia, 1776-1810.
María Cristina, Queen, consort of Ferdinand VII, King of Spain, 1806-1878.
María de las Mercedes, Queen, consort of Alfonso XII, King of Spain, 1860-1878.
Maria Pia, Queen, consort of Luís I, King of Portugal, 1847-1911.
María Victoria, consort of Amadeo I, King of Spain, 1847-1876.
Marie Alexandrovna, Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, 1853-1920.
Marii︠a︡ Aleksandrovna, Empress, consort of Alexander II, Emperor of Russia, 1824-1880.
Marīi︠a︡ Ḟeodorovna, Empress, consort of Alexander III, Emperor of Russia, 1847-1928.
Mary, Queen of Scots, 1542-1587.
Mary, Queen, consort of James V, King of Scotland, 1515-1560.
Maximilian, Emperor of Mexico, 1832-1867.
Olga, Queen, consort of George I, King of the Hellenes, 1851-1926.
Peabody, George, 1795-1869.
Pedro II, Emperor of Brazil, 1825-1891.
Pius IX, Pope, 1792- 1878.
Rainilaiarivony, 1828-1896.
Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria, 1858-1889.
Teresa Cristina, Empress, consort of Pedro II, Emperor of Brazil, 1822-1889.
Theodore II, Negus of Ethiopia, -1868.
Uhrich, Jean Jacques Alexis, 1802-1886.
Victor Emmanuel II, King of Italy, 1820-1878.
Victoria, Empress, consort of Frederick III, German Emperor, 1840-1901.
Victoria, Queen of Great Britain, 1819-1901.
Willem, Prince of Orange, 1840-1879.
William I, German Emperor, 1797-1888.
William II, German Emperor, 1859-1941.
William III, King of the Netherlands, 1817-1890.
Xianfeng, Emperor of China, 1831-1861.
Yusuf İzzeddin, Prince, son of Abdülaziz, Sultan of the Turks, 1857-1916.
Collins, Clara Greig, 1845-1935.
Emmons, Sarah Tyrell, 1820-1891.