著者

和田 光弘 Wada Mitsuhiro

出版者

名古屋大学文学部

雑誌

名古屋大学文学部研究論集. 史学 (ISSN:04694716)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.60, pp.17-40, 2014-03-31

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This paper investigates several interesting aspects of 18th century America utilizing a little over fifteen historical ephemera privately owned by the author. First, as an introduction, the section 1 of the chapter 1 deals with three items concerning George Washington (GW) in their historical contexts: a pocket watch, a medal, and a cameo. An analysis of GWʼs pocket watches from his portraits is an epilogue of the former three articles written by the author in this bulletin on GWʼs timepieces. Historical meanings of a famous memorial medal (“Comitia Americana medal”) issued by the U.S. government in 1780s and dedicated to GW, and a precious “Berlin casting” iron cameo, on which the bust of GW is engraved and had been owned by a descendant of William Floyd, a revolutionary general (now owned by the author) are also analyzed. The section 2 of the chapter 1 treats three valuable ephemera written by relatives of GW: a receipt issued in 1769 by John Washington, a distant relative of GW and an overseer of the Dismal Swamp Company, a check issued in 1839 by Lawrence Lewis, GWʼs favorite nephew, and a check issued in 1846 by George Washington Parke Custis, GWʼs adopted grandson and the original owner of Arlington House. The section 1 of the chapter 2 is an analysis of the “texture” (physical characteristics) of the seventeen ephemera dealt with in this article and other historical documents dealt with in the former articles, which induces interesting facts on the size-system of documents used at that time. The section 2 of the chapter 2 analyzes the text itself of fourteen ephemera such as receipts, promissory notes, and bills of exchange including a receipt for the repayment by Thomas Penn, a son of William Penn, the founder of the colony of Pennsylvania.