Our Collection

At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 85,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World through the end of the twentieth century.

Peale, Charles W. to Tobias Lear re: a donation to Peale's Museum in Philadelphia

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02794.022 Author/Creator: Peale, Charles W. Place Written: Philadelphia Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 1792/03/23 Pagination: 1 p. + address 23.9 x 19.8 cm Order a Copy

Requesting to make "the donation to the Museum" in Lear's name. Docketed on address leaf.

Sir
You will [oblige] me by making use of the enclosed cards, in your leisure hours, and if my labours can contribute in the last to your Amusements it will give me pleasure.

I have now the prospect before me, that by the assistance of Gentlemen of science, and the aid of a geneous Public, to he enabled to spend the remainder of my time, in bringing the museum into such perfection and stability as to be in future highly useful, as well as entertaining; the plan is now laid to produce a repository of subjects in natural history, which in a few years may become equal to any thing of this kind in Europe.
Since I left you, I have thought that perhaps the recording the donation to the Musuem of the [Otahitian] might be in your name, you will please to inform me on this lead, and whither [sic] I am permitted to make this an article, when I next publish a list of communications to the Musuem.
I am with respect Sir, your Obliged
Hble Servt

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