Charles Sumner
Manufacturer
Robinson and Leadbeater
(English)
CultureEnglish
Dateca. 1874
MediumParian porcelain
DimensionsOverall: 12 3/4 x 7 1/2 x 4 1/4 x 20 in. (32.4 x 19.1 x 10.8 x 50.8 cm)
InscribedCharles Sumner, "Take care of my Civil Rights Bill," Published by R< Copyright (back)
Credit LineGift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.
Object number71.3269
Not on view
DescriptionOff-white parian porcelain bust of Charles Sumner with inscription, "Take Care of My Civil Rights Bill." Manufactured by Robinson and Leadbeater.Label TextRobinson & Leadbeater Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England Charles Sumner, ca. 1874 Parian porcelain “Take care of my Civil Rights bill,” pleaded Senator Charles Sumner on his deathbed in 1874. After helping abolish slavery, the Massachusetts politician continued to advocate for the rights of African Americans with his final words, charging colleagues to pass legislation guaranteeing all races equal access to schools, transportation, hotels, and other services. Sumner’s command is inscribed on this commemorative porcelain portrait, a mass-produced alternative to marble sculpture. Thanks in part to such fashionable propaganda, his Civil Rights Act became law in 1875. Gift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. 71.3269
