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.

Emerson, Ralph Waldo (1803-1882) [So near is grandeur to our dust...]

High-resolution images are available to schools and libraries via subscription to American History, 1493-1943. Check to see if your school or library already has a subscription. Or click here for more information. You may also order a pdf of the image from us here.

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC05508.098.01 Author/Creator: Emerson, Ralph Waldo (1803-1882) Place Written: s.l. Type: Autograph quotation signed Date: circa 1860 Pagination: 1 p. Order a Copy

"So near is grandeur to our dust, / So near is God to man, / When Duty whispers low, Thou must, / the youth replies, I can." Accompanied by a tinted photogravure (GLC05508.098.02).

Emerson, Ralph Waldo, 1803-1882

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources