Joseph Steward
Encyclopedia
Joseph Steward was a prominent American
artist.
. Stewart went to Dartmouth College
, graduating in 1780.
Joseph Steward continued his studies under the guidance of Reverend Doctor Levi Hart of Preston, Connecticut
. By May of 1786 Steward had completed his studies and was licensed to preach. Then, while living in Newport, Rhode Island
, he became seriously ill. His illness prevented him from maintaining his own parish. It is not known for certain what ailment Steward had but one source suggests it was bronchitis
. Steward lived for over 2 years in Newport, RI while being nursed back to health.
In 1788, Joseph Steward moved to Hampton, CT
. The town’s reverend, Samuel Mosely, had recently become gravely ill; Steward filled-in on the pulpit during Mosely’s illness. While in Hampton, Steward met Sarah Mosely, the daughter of Samuel Mosely.
Joseph Steward and Sarah Mosely married on May 31, 1789. Steward continued to fill-in for the elder Mosely, but attempts to find him a permanent placement within the parish were prevented by Steward’s poor health.
While living in Hampton, CT, the Stewards had 3 children: Sally (Sarah) born in 1790, Joseph born 1792, and Mariah born 1796.
. In 1797 Steward became a Deacon
of the First Church of Hartford. He held this position until his death.
Steward’s son, Joseph, died in October of 1798 at the age of 7. They had another daughter, Anna J. in 1799.
Also in 1799, Steward, along with Reverends Nathan Strong and Abel Flint, compiled a hymnal titled The Hartford Selection of Hymns. This was a successful book and had 8 editions published by 1821.
In December 1816, Doctor Nathan Strong, pastor of the First Church of Hartford, died. Steward filled as pastor during Strong’s illness and for nine months until a permanent replacement was found.
Joseph Steward died on April 15, 1822 at the age of 69. He was survived by his wife Sarah and 2 daughters, Sarah M. and Anna J. His will distributed his worldly goods between these three. He is buried in the North Cemetery in Hartford, CT (Section F, Lot 452).
Steward did not always paint from life; there are many example of him copying other works, including miniatures
. For example, his double portrait of Nathaniel Green
and Thomas Shewbrick, completed in 1792, was created by copying two works by Jonathan Trumbull
. Trumbull was in Hartford during the fall of 1792 and numerous sources suggest that Steward studied with him at that time.
In 1793 Steward was commissioned by Dartmouth College to create full length portraits of John Phillips
, a soon-to-be retired member of the college’s board, and Eleazar Wheelock
, the school’s founder. The portraits were completed by August of 1796. This was Steward’s largest and best documented commission.
On June 6, 1796, a notice appeared in the ‘’Connecticut Courant
’’ in which Joseph Steward advertised that he had opened a, “Painting Room in the State House.” The Connecticut General Assembly
had given Steward permission to use a room in the newly completed capitol’s third floor as a painting studio. Later advertisements state he was painting portraits and creating profiles at his museum.
in Hartford, CT). He regularly used the newspapers to solicit donations for the museum, thank contributors, and advertise his many curiosities on display.
His collection included portraits, wax works, and other curiosities. Natural curiosities included a heron
, a hummingbird
, crystal
s, ore
s, stalactite
s, petrifaction
s, sea shells, an elephant
, a baboon
, a sagacious goat, a dwarf cow, and a two-headed calf; man-made curiosities included a pagoda, and an organ.
In November, 1808, Joseph Steward’s collection of curiosities had outgrown the space available at the Old State House. He moved his museum to a new building, which was located at the southeast corner of Main Street and Talcott Street in Hartford, CT. The new museum officially opened on November 24, 1808. The hours were 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. “except the evening before and after the sabbath”
After Joseph Steward’s death in 1822 the museum was relocated to 3 Central Row in Hartford, CT. (Some records indicate the address was 131 State Street, Hartford , CT. This location is the same as 3 Central Row). It reopened in the new location on January 6, 1824. Charles Dickerson became the proprietor of the museum at its new location. In 1832, Caleb Wright is known to be the proprietor. The collection remained intact until at least 1840. Some objects from the museum, including a number of portraits, were donated to the Connecticut Historical Society in Hartford, CT.
The Connecticut Historical Society created a recreation of the museum at the Old State House
in Hartford. It is known as Joseph Steward Museum of Curiosities, and is open during regular building hours.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
artist.
Early years
Joseph Steward was born on July 6, 1753. He was the son of Joseph and Jane (Wilson) Steward of Upton, MassachusettsUpton, Massachusetts
Upton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 7,542 at the 2010 census.For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Upton-West Upton, please see the article Upton-West Upton, Massachusetts....
. Stewart went to Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
, graduating in 1780.
Joseph Steward continued his studies under the guidance of Reverend Doctor Levi Hart of Preston, Connecticut
Preston, Connecticut
Preston is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 4,688 at the 2000 census. The town includes the villages of Long Society, Preston City, and Poquetanuck.-History:...
. By May of 1786 Steward had completed his studies and was licensed to preach. Then, while living in Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
, he became seriously ill. His illness prevented him from maintaining his own parish. It is not known for certain what ailment Steward had but one source suggests it was bronchitis
Bronchitis
Acute bronchitis is an inflammation of the large bronchi in the lungs that is usually caused by viruses or bacteria and may last several days or weeks. Characteristic symptoms include cough, sputum production, and shortness of breath and wheezing related to the obstruction of the inflamed airways...
. Steward lived for over 2 years in Newport, RI while being nursed back to health.
In 1788, Joseph Steward moved to Hampton, CT
Hampton, Connecticut
Hampton is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 1,758 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
. The town’s reverend, Samuel Mosely, had recently become gravely ill; Steward filled-in on the pulpit during Mosely’s illness. While in Hampton, Steward met Sarah Mosely, the daughter of Samuel Mosely.
Joseph Steward and Sarah Mosely married on May 31, 1789. Steward continued to fill-in for the elder Mosely, but attempts to find him a permanent placement within the parish were prevented by Steward’s poor health.
While living in Hampton, CT, the Stewards had 3 children: Sally (Sarah) born in 1790, Joseph born 1792, and Mariah born 1796.
Hartford Years
Soon after Mariah’s birth, the family moved to Hartford, ConnecticutHartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
. In 1797 Steward became a Deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
of the First Church of Hartford. He held this position until his death.
Steward’s son, Joseph, died in October of 1798 at the age of 7. They had another daughter, Anna J. in 1799.
Also in 1799, Steward, along with Reverends Nathan Strong and Abel Flint, compiled a hymnal titled The Hartford Selection of Hymns. This was a successful book and had 8 editions published by 1821.
In December 1816, Doctor Nathan Strong, pastor of the First Church of Hartford, died. Steward filled as pastor during Strong’s illness and for nine months until a permanent replacement was found.
Joseph Steward died on April 15, 1822 at the age of 69. He was survived by his wife Sarah and 2 daughters, Sarah M. and Anna J. His will distributed his worldly goods between these three. He is buried in the North Cemetery in Hartford, CT (Section F, Lot 452).
Joseph Steward the Artist
Joseph Steward was an artist and is known to have been painting portraiture by 1788, when he was living in Hampton, CT. One of Steward’s earliest known works was his portrait of Samuel Gray (c.1781). Steward seems to have painted primarily in oils and pastels; the portraits of Captain James Stedman and his wife, completed in 1788, are both pastels. The Captain’s portrait was painted posthumously; he had died on September 7, 1788.Steward did not always paint from life; there are many example of him copying other works, including miniatures
Portrait miniature
A portrait miniature is a miniature portrait painting, usually executed in gouache, watercolour, or enamel.Portrait miniatures began to flourish in 16th century Europe and the art was practiced during the 17th century and 18th century...
. For example, his double portrait of Nathaniel Green
Nathaniel E. Green
Nathaniel Everett Green was an English painter, art teacher and astronomer. He professionally painted landscapes and portraits, and also gained fame with his drawings of planets....
and Thomas Shewbrick, completed in 1792, was created by copying two works by Jonathan Trumbull
Jonathan Trumbull
Jonathan Trumbull, Sr. was one of the few Americans who served as governor in both a pre-Revolutionary colony and a post-Revolutionary state...
. Trumbull was in Hartford during the fall of 1792 and numerous sources suggest that Steward studied with him at that time.
In 1793 Steward was commissioned by Dartmouth College to create full length portraits of John Phillips
Dr. John Phillips
John Phillips graduated from Harvard College in 1735. Among many other activities, he was a trustee of Dartmouth College from 1773 to 1793 and endowed the Phillips Professorship of Theology there...
, a soon-to-be retired member of the college’s board, and Eleazar Wheelock
Eleazar Wheelock
Eleazar Wheelock was an American Congregational minister, orator, educator, and founder of Dartmouth College....
, the school’s founder. The portraits were completed by August of 1796. This was Steward’s largest and best documented commission.
On June 6, 1796, a notice appeared in the ‘’Connecticut Courant
The Hartford Courant
The Hartford Courant is the largest daily newspaper in the U.S. state of Connecticut, and is a morning newspaper for most of the state north of New Haven and east of Waterbury...
’’ in which Joseph Steward advertised that he had opened a, “Painting Room in the State House.” The Connecticut General Assembly
Connecticut General Assembly
The Connecticut General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is a bicameral body composed of the 151-member House of Representatives and the 36-member Senate. It meets in the state capital, Hartford. There are no term limits for either chamber.During...
had given Steward permission to use a room in the newly completed capitol’s third floor as a painting studio. Later advertisements state he was painting portraits and creating profiles at his museum.
Museum of Natural and Other Curiosities
In June of 1797 Joseph Steward opened a museum in his Painting Room at the State House (known today as the Old State HouseOld State House (Hartford)
The Old State House in Hartford, Connecticut is generally believed to have been designed by noted American architect Charles Bulfinch as his first public building...
in Hartford, CT). He regularly used the newspapers to solicit donations for the museum, thank contributors, and advertise his many curiosities on display.
His collection included portraits, wax works, and other curiosities. Natural curiosities included a heron
Heron
The herons are long-legged freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae. There are 64 recognised species in this family. Some are called "egrets" or "bitterns" instead of "heron"....
, a hummingbird
Hummingbird
Hummingbirds are birds that comprise the family Trochilidae. They are among the smallest of birds, most species measuring in the 7.5–13 cm range. Indeed, the smallest extant bird species is a hummingbird, the 5-cm Bee Hummingbird. They can hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings...
, crystal
Crystal
A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituent atoms, molecules, or ions are arranged in an orderly repeating pattern extending in all three spatial dimensions. The scientific study of crystals and crystal formation is known as crystallography...
s, ore
Ore
An ore is a type of rock that contains minerals with important elements including metals. The ores are extracted through mining; these are then refined to extract the valuable element....
s, stalactite
Stalactite
A stalactite , "to drip", and meaning "that which drips") is a type of speleothem that hangs from the ceiling of limestone caves. It is a type of dripstone...
s, petrifaction
Petrifaction
In geology, petrifaction, petrification or silicification is the process by which organic material is converted into stone by impregnation with silica. It is a rare form of fossilization...
s, sea shells, an elephant
Elephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
, a baboon
Baboon
Baboons are African and Arabian Old World monkeys belonging to the genus Papio, part of the subfamily Cercopithecinae. There are five species, which are some of the largest non-hominoid members of the primate order; only the mandrill and the drill are larger...
, a sagacious goat, a dwarf cow, and a two-headed calf; man-made curiosities included a pagoda, and an organ.
In November, 1808, Joseph Steward’s collection of curiosities had outgrown the space available at the Old State House. He moved his museum to a new building, which was located at the southeast corner of Main Street and Talcott Street in Hartford, CT. The new museum officially opened on November 24, 1808. The hours were 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. “except the evening before and after the sabbath”
After Joseph Steward’s death in 1822 the museum was relocated to 3 Central Row in Hartford, CT. (Some records indicate the address was 131 State Street, Hartford , CT. This location is the same as 3 Central Row). It reopened in the new location on January 6, 1824. Charles Dickerson became the proprietor of the museum at its new location. In 1832, Caleb Wright is known to be the proprietor. The collection remained intact until at least 1840. Some objects from the museum, including a number of portraits, were donated to the Connecticut Historical Society in Hartford, CT.
The Connecticut Historical Society created a recreation of the museum at the Old State House
Old State House (Hartford)
The Old State House in Hartford, Connecticut is generally believed to have been designed by noted American architect Charles Bulfinch as his first public building...
in Hartford. It is known as Joseph Steward Museum of Curiosities, and is open during regular building hours.
Known Portraits by Joseph Steward
- John Avery (1755–1815) c. 1789, Oil on canvas, 19 x 17 in.
- Mrs. John Avery (Lucy Ayer, 1759–1846) c. 1789, Oil on canvas, 19 x 17 in.
- Reverend Benjamin Boardman (1731–1802) 1796, Oil on canvas, 40 x 37.5 in.
- James Bull (1751–1820) Oil on canvas, 29.5 x 26 in.
- Mrs. James Bull (Martha Cllier, 1765–1834) Oil on canvas, 29.5 x 26 in.
- Reverend Asa Burton (1752–1836) c.1800, Oil on canvas, 9 x 6.5 in.
- Mrs. Normand Butler (Patty Olcott, c.1763-1806) Oil on canvas, 29.5 x 26 in.
- General Jonathan Chase (1732–1800) Oil on canvas, 28 x 24 in
- Mrs. Jonathan Chase (Sarah Hall, 1742–1806) Oil on canvas, 28 x 24 in.
- Judge Samuel Chase (1707–1800) c.1790, Oil on canvas, 28.5 x 24.5 in.
- Colonel John Chester (1748/9-1809) Oil on canvas, 43 x 37 in.
- Mrs. John Chester (Elizabeth Huntington, 1757–1834) Oil on canvas, 43 x 37 in.
- Reverend James Cogswell (1719/20-1807) after 1796, Oil on canvas, 43 x 39 in.
- Wheeler Coit (1739–1796) c.1790, Oil on canvas, 20 x 17.5 in.
- Mrs. Wheeler Coit (Sybil Tracy, 1753–1793) c.1790, Oil on canvas, 20 x 17.5 in.
- Jonathan Dwight (1743–1831) Oil on canvas, 29.5 x 26 in.
- Aaron Gaylord (1772–1810) Oil on canvas, 45 x 41 in.
- Richard Goodman (1761–1845) c.1805, Oil on canvas, 47x 39 in.
- Samuel Gray (1751–1836) Pastel, 18 x 16 in.
- Mrs. Samuel Gray (1764–1797) 1784, Oil on canvas, 20x18 in.
- General Nathanael Greene (1742–1786) & Major Thomas Shewbrick [Shubrick] (c. 1756-1810) Double portrait, c.1792, Oil on canvas, 29.5x26 in.
- Ebenezer Grosvenor Jr. (1713–1793) c.1791, Oil on canvas, 29x20 in.
- Mrs. Ebenezer Grosvenor Jr. (Lucy Cheney, 1720–1792) Oil on canvas, 29 x 20 in.
- Lemuel Grosvernor (1752–1833) Oil on wood, 27 x 23 in.
- Mrs. Lemuel Grosvenor (Sarah Perkins, 1771–1831) Oil on wood, 27 x 23 in.
- Colonel Jeremiah Halsey (1743–1829) c.1797, Oil on canvas, 44 x 39 in.
- Reverend Samuel Haven (1727–1806) c.1794, Oil on canvas, 29.5 x 24.5 in.
- Reverend Samuel Haven (1727–1806) Oil on canvas, 31 x 36 in.
- Rufus KingRufus KingRufus King was an American lawyer, politician, and diplomat. He was a delegate for Massachusetts to the Continental Congress. He also attended the Constitutional Convention and was one of the signers of the United States Constitution on September 17, 1787, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
(1755–1827) c. 1792, Oil on canvas, 21.5 x 21.5 in. - John Lawrence (1719–1802) Oil on canvas, 29.5 x 26 in.
- Mrs. Moses Lester (Lydia Lord, 1789-1806?) Oil on wood, 9 x 6.5 in.
- Ebenezer Moseley (1740/41-1825) Oil on canvas.
- Mrs. Ebenezer Moseley (Martha Strong, 1749–1827) Oil on canvas
- Reverend Samuel Moseley (1708–1791) Oil on canvas
- Captain Thomas Newson (c.1739-1810) Oil on canvas, 29 x 25 in.
- Mrs. Thomas Newson (Sarah Dix, 1742–1794) Oil on canvas, 29 x 25 in.
- Jocob Ogden (1749–1825) 1794, Oil on canvas, 29 x 25.5 in.
- Mrs. Jacob Ogden (Jerusha Rockwell, c.1749-1812) 1794, Oil on canvas, 29 x 25.5 in.
- Peter Olcott (1733–1808) Oil on canvas, 29 x 26 in.
- Mrs. Peter Olcott (Sarah Mills, 1737–1810) Oil on canvas, 30 x 26 in.
- William PennWilliam PennWilliam Penn was an English real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony and the future Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He was an early champion of democracy and religious freedom, notable for his good relations and successful...
(1644–1718) Oil on canvas, 30.5 x 26 in. - Reverend Nathan Perkins (1748–1838) c.1800, Oil on canvas, 43 x 28.5 in.
- Dr. John PhillipsDr. John PhillipsJohn Phillips graduated from Harvard College in 1735. Among many other activities, he was a trustee of Dartmouth College from 1773 to 1793 and endowed the Phillips Professorship of Theology there...
(1719–1795) 1794, Oil on canvas, 32.5 x 28 in. - Dr. John Phillips (1719–1795) 1793-96. Oil on canvas, 78 x 68 in.
- Dr. John Phillips (1719–1795) Pastel on paper, 21 x 16 in.
- Judge Jesse RootJesse RootJesse Root was an American minister and lawyer from Coventry, Connecticut. During the American Revolution he served on the Connecticut Council of Safety and in the Connecticut militia...
(1736–1822) Oil on canvas, 48 x 41 in. - Reverend Gurdon Saltonstall (1666–1724) 1797, Oil on canvas, 42.5 x 40 in.
- Reverend Samuel Stebbins (1751–1821) Pastel on paper, 24 x 19 in.
- Mrs. Samuel Stebbins (Ursula Griswold, c.1761-1831) Pastel on paper, 25 x 19 in.
- Captain James Stedman (1726–1788) c.1788, Pastel on paper, 17 x 16 in.
- Mrs. James Stedman (Hannah Griffin, 1732–1790) Pastel on paper mounted on Canvas, 17 x 16 in.
- Anna Jane Steward (1799–1879) Oil on canvas
- Reverend Joseph Steward (1753–1822) and his daughter Sarah Mosely Steward (1790–1875) double portrait, c.1800, Oil on canvas, 44.5 x 40 in.
- Reverend Nathan Strong Jr. (1748–1816) c.1814, Oil on canvas, 39 x 34 in.
- Ebenezer Tracy (1744–1803) c.1789, Pastel on paper, 20 x 18 in.
- John TreadwellJohn TreadwellJohn Treadwell was an American politician and the 6th Governor of Connecticut.- Early life :Treadwell was born in Farmington, Connecticut on November 23, 1745. He studied law at Yale University. He then practiced law in Farmington.- Politics :Treadwell served as a member of the General Assembly...
(1745–1823) Oil on canvas, 27 x 23 in. - George WashingtonGeorge WashingtonGeorge Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
(1732–1799) Oil on canvas, 30 x 25 in. - Reverend Eleazar Wheekock (1711–1779) c.1793, Oil on canvas, 31.5 x 27 in.
- Reverend Eleazar Wheekock (1711–1779) 1793, Oil on canvas, 79 x 70.5 in.
- Maria Malleville Wheelock (1788–1828) c.1793, Oil on canvas, 28.5x 24.5 in.
- Mrs. Elnathan Whitman (Abigail Stanley, 1719–1795) c.1795, Oil on canvas, 40 x 35 in.
- Eleazar Williams (c.1789-1858) c.1806
- Ephraim Williams (1756–1804) Oil on canvas, 35.5 x 26.5 in.
- Mrs. Ephraim Williams (Hepsibeth Phelps, 1765–1837) Oil on canvas, 35.5 x 26.5 in.
- Oliver Wolcott Sr. (1726–1797) after 1797, Oil on canvas, 47.5 x 40.5 in.
- George Wyllys (1710–1796) Oil on canvas, 80 x 60 in.
Known objects in the Hartford Museum
- 350 feet of paintings
- An African chair
- An African quiver with poison arrows
- An air-gun
- A large alligatorAlligatorAn alligator is a crocodilian in the genus Alligator of the family Alligatoridae. There are two extant alligator species: the American alligator and the Chinese alligator ....
- An armadilla [sic]
- A Bengal tigerBengal TigerThe Bengal tiger is a tiger subspecies native to the Indian subcontinent that in 2010 has been classified as endangered by IUCN...
- Birds and other animals from Japan
- The head of a wild boar
- A calf and a pig with 2 heads
- Clothes and other items belonging to Native People
- Clothes from China and South America
- A white deer
- A hairless black dog from Africa
- Earthen vessels from Peru
- A figure representing LibertyLiberty (goddess)Goddesses named for and representing the concept Liberty have existed in many cultures, including classical examples dating from the Roman Empire and some national symbols such as the British "Britannia" or the Irish "Kathleen Ni Houlihan"....
- The god Bacchus’DionysusDionysus was the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual madness and ecstasy in Greek mythology. His name in Linear B tablets shows he was worshipped from c. 1500—1100 BC by Mycenean Greeks: other traces of Dionysian-type cult have been found in ancient Minoan Crete...
shoes - Images of little people
- Images of the Battle of the NileBattle of the NileThe Battle of the Nile was a major naval battle fought between British and French fleets at Aboukir Bay on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt from 1–3 August 1798...
, Christopher ColumbusChristopher ColumbusChristopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...
arriving in America, and the Death of AbelCain and AbelIn the Hebrew Bible, Cain and Abel are two sons of Adam and Eve. The Qur'an mentions the story, calling them the two sons of Adam only.... - An Indian pagoda
- Likenesses of John AdamsJohn AdamsJohn Adams was an American lawyer, statesman, diplomat and political theorist. A leading champion of independence in 1776, he was the second President of the United States...
, Thomas JeffersonThomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
, Benjamin FranklinBenjamin FranklinDr. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat...
, Thomas McKeanThomas McKeanThomas McKean was an American lawyer and politician from New Castle, in New Castle County, Delaware and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. During the American Revolution he was a delegate to the Continental Congress where he signed the United States Declaration of Independence and the Articles of...
, Napolean BonaporteNapoleon I of FranceNapoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
, Jean-Paul MaratJean-Paul MaratJean-Paul Marat , born in the Principality of Neuchâtel, was a physician, political theorist, and scientist best known for his career in France as a radical journalist and politician during the French Revolution...
, Lord Nellon, Thomas PaineThomas PaineThomas "Tom" Paine was an English author, pamphleteer, radical, inventor, intellectual, revolutionary, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States...
, VoltaireVoltaireFrançois-Marie Arouet , better known by the pen name Voltaire , was a French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher famous for his wit and for his advocacy of civil liberties, including freedom of religion, free trade and separation of church and state...
& others - Pieces of a meteoriteMeteoriteA meteorite is a natural object originating in outer space that survives impact with the Earth's surface. Meteorites can be big or small. Most meteorites derive from small astronomical objects called meteoroids, but they are also sometimes produced by impacts of asteroids...
- A chamber organOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
- A 234 pound oyster shell
- The head and pouch of a pelicanPelicanA pelican, derived from the Greek word πελεκυς pelekys is a large water bird with a large throat pouch, belonging to the bird family Pelecanidae....
- A penguin
- A Physiognotrace, used to cut profiles
- A porcupinePorcupinePorcupines are rodents with a coat of sharp spines, or quills, that defend or camouflage them from predators. They are indigenous to the Americas, southern Asia, and Africa. Porcupines are the third largest of the rodents, behind the capybara and the beaver. Most porcupines are about long, with...
- A seal
- Marine Shells
- A ship made of glass
- The skin of a large snake
- The sword from a swordfishSwordfishSwordfish , also known as broadbill in some countries, are large, highly migratory, predatory fish characterized by a long, flat bill. They are a popular sport fish of the billfish category, though elusive. Swordfish are elongated, round-bodied, and lose all teeth and scales by adulthood...
and other marine animals - Wax-work figure of George Washington
- The rib of a whale