The Daughter Desks
In the summer of 1880 shortly after the original Declaration of Independence Desk was donated to the nation and under mysterious circumstances craftsmen in the Department of Treasury workshops were tasked with crafting "fac-similes" of the precious relic from the American Revolution
These Declaration of Independence desk replicas are virtually indistinguishable from the original and have been causing confusion and excitement to collectors and researchers ever since
Treasury Department replica marked number one
One of a dozen or more 1880 "fac-similes" made in the Treasury Department workshops and distributed to government officials and their families
Other known examples are in the collections of:
The Concord Free Public Library
The Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library and Museum
The Virginia Museum of History and Culture
In addition the desk in the hands of the author, a few more are known to be in private hands and some have been lost to time
The Sister Desks
The First Sister
The facsimile marked one was presumably originally owned by Carl Schurz Secretary of the Interior in 1880. Shurz at some time gave it to Winfield Scott Smith who was his private secretary and later acquired from his heir’s estate in the 1960s, it went on to be sold at auction in 2013 and is presently in the hands of the author
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The Second Sister
The facsimile marked two was presented to President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1880 and is now on display at the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library and Museums at Spiegel Grove in Fremont Ohio
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The Third Sister
The facsimile marked three was presented to Presented to Robert Charles Winthrop by Secretary of State William Maxwell Evarts on January 13, 1881 and is currently in the collections of the Boston Athenaeum in Boston Massachusetts to which the desk was a gift of Winthrop’s heir in 1947
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The Fourth Sister
The fourth facsimile’s fate is unknown and no records have surfaced and is presumed to exist only due to the gap in sequence and is possibly one of the unknown replicas referenced below.
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The Fifth Sister
The facsimile marked five whose current location is not known was given to William M.R, French by his father Henry Flagg French, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, presumably as an 1880 Christmas gift and was known to be in the hands of his heirs in the 1980s
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The Sixth Sister
The facsimile marked six was retained by the maker, James A. Degges cabinet maker in the Department of Treasury workshops and is currently in the collections of the Virginia Museum of Culture and History in Richmond Virginia to which Degges’ heirs donated in 1958
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The Seventh Sister
The facsimile marked seven was given to the Concord Free Library by Henry Flagg French, assistant Secretary of the Treasury on December 24, 1880 where it remains in their collections
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The Eighth Sister
The facsimile marked eight sold at auction in 2012 and again in 2019
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The Ninth Sister
The facsimile marked nine is documented as sold at a Boston estate sale around 1930 and in the family of the purchaser in 1978
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The Other Concord Sister
This unmarked facsimile signed by James Degges was given to Sara Flagg French by her father Henry Flagg French, assistant Secretary of the Treasury presumably as an 1880 Christmas gift and the desk came to the collections of the Concord Museum by way of her heirs and a 1956 estate sale
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Hoar’s Sister
The facsimile presented to Massachusetts Senator George Frisbie Hoar presumably by Henry French was last known to be in the hands of his heirs in the 1955 and has no known markings
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Tucker’s Sister
The facsimile presented to Virginia Senator John Randolph Tucker by Secretary of State William Evarts January 20th 1881 was last known to be in the hands of his heirs in 1980 and previous researchers state it is unmarked
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Sherman’s Sister
This facsimile is documented twice as owned by Secretary of Treasury John Sherman , once in 1882 correspondence between him and Rutherford Hayes and in a 1904 newspaper article when it was donated to an Ohio museum by his daughter and has since been lost to time and has no known markings
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The Mystery Sister
A facsimile with no known markings sold at auction on October 31, 2023
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Note: although there are 14 replicas listed, some are certainly duplicates to the list; for instance the mystery desk could be Hoar's, Tucker’s or Sherman’s and in turn could be number 4, number 8, etc.
Also Note: There are other desks documented in early 1880s senate investigation and testimony into waste and largesse by the previous administration of which these replicas played a part and as a result the author suspects there are a few orphan desks “without paper” so to speak
Also also note: A facsimile with an interesting documentary history is in the collection of the Otto Von Bismarck Museum in Friedrichsruh, Germany, it was documented in the 1890s but not confirmed as an 1880 Department of Treasury replica and therefore not included in the above list, hopefully further research will hopefully resolve this question
The Declaration Desks
