Millard Fillmore 1855 American Express Receipt and William Roscoe Autograph — Historic Scrapbook Leaf
A remarkable two-sided nineteenth-century autograph scrapbook leaf containing an early American Express Company shipping receipt associated with former president Millard Fillmore, together with a dated signature of noted English historian and abolitionist William Roscoe.
The recto contains an illustrated American Express receipt issued at Buffalo, New York, on July 16, 1855. It records that:
“M. Fillmore has delivered to us one package, said to contain books,”
addressed to Joseph Park, Esq., No. 2 Savile Row, London, England.
The receipt was issued while former president Millard Fillmore was undertaking his extended 1855–1856 tour of Europe and the Middle East. Fillmore was a resident of Buffalo, and the combination of his name, the Buffalo origin, the shipment of books to London and the precise date provides persuasive evidence that the receipt relates to the former president and his European travels.
The handsomely illustrated form depicts a steam locomotive, railway cars and steamboats and names the pioneering American Express proprietors Livingston, Fargo & Co. and Wells, Butterfield & Co. Founded in Buffalo in 1850, American Express was then only five years old.
Above the receipt is a nineteenth-century manuscript biography of Fillmore, ending with a notation of his death on March 8, 1874. The album number “62” appears at upper right.
The reverse is devoted to William Roscoe (1753–1831), the celebrated Liverpool historian, author, art patron and opponent of the slave trade. It contains:
- An engraved portrait of Roscoe
- An apparently authentic clipped signature, “W. Roscoe,” dated June 11, 1829
- An engraved view of Roscoe’s birthplace
- An extensive manuscript biography discussing his literary career, abolitionism and patronage of the arts
Roscoe was best known for his influential biographies of Lorenzo de’ Medici and Pope Leo X and for his prominent role in Liverpool’s anti-slavery movement.
Authentication note: The dated William Roscoe signature appears genuine based on the available photograph. The “M. Fillmore” entry on the American Express receipt is believed to identify former president Millard Fillmore, but appears to have been written by the company’s agent and is not offered as Fillmore’s autograph.
Condition: Mounted scrapbook components with overall toning, staining, folds, handling creases, edge wear, small losses and old reinforcements. The American Express receipt remains bold and legible. Roscoe’s signature clipping shows mounting stains but is complete. Offered as photographed.
A remarkable two-sided nineteenth-century autograph scrapbook leaf containing an early American Express Company shipping receipt associated with former president Millard Fillmore, together with a dated signature of noted English historian and abolitionist William Roscoe.
The recto contains an illustrated American Express receipt issued at Buffalo, New York, on July 16, 1855. It records that:
“M. Fillmore has delivered to us one package, said to contain books,”
addressed to Joseph Park, Esq., No. 2 Savile Row, London, England.
The receipt was issued while former president Millard Fillmore was undertaking his extended 1855–1856 tour of Europe and the Middle East. Fillmore was a resident of Buffalo, and the combination of his name, the Buffalo origin, the shipment of books to London and the precise date provides persuasive evidence that the receipt relates to the former president and his European travels.
The handsomely illustrated form depicts a steam locomotive, railway cars and steamboats and names the pioneering American Express proprietors Livingston, Fargo & Co. and Wells, Butterfield & Co. Founded in Buffalo in 1850, American Express was then only five years old.
Above the receipt is a nineteenth-century manuscript biography of Fillmore, ending with a notation of his death on March 8, 1874. The album number “62” appears at upper right.
The reverse is devoted to William Roscoe (1753–1831), the celebrated Liverpool historian, author, art patron and opponent of the slave trade. It contains:
- An engraved portrait of Roscoe
- An apparently authentic clipped signature, “W. Roscoe,” dated June 11, 1829
- An engraved view of Roscoe’s birthplace
- An extensive manuscript biography discussing his literary career, abolitionism and patronage of the arts
Roscoe was best known for his influential biographies of Lorenzo de’ Medici and Pope Leo X and for his prominent role in Liverpool’s anti-slavery movement.
Authentication note: The dated William Roscoe signature appears genuine based on the available photograph. The “M. Fillmore” entry on the American Express receipt is believed to identify former president Millard Fillmore, but appears to have been written by the company’s agent and is not offered as Fillmore’s autograph.
Condition: Mounted scrapbook components with overall toning, staining, folds, handling creases, edge wear, small losses and old reinforcements. The American Express receipt remains bold and legible. Roscoe’s signature clipping shows mounting stains but is complete. Offered as photographed.
