Item 102: Bookplate, M[oses]. Taylor Pyne, 1897
Item — Box: 20, Folder: 102
Dates
- Created: 1897
Creator
- French, Edwin Davis, 1851-1906 (Person)
Disclaimer for Name and Subject Authorities
Some of the name and subject authority tags have been assigned by educated guessing and estimation of persons and subjects by region, age, profession, and familial relationships. They have been thoroughly researched by using primary and secondary sources available digitally, and named in each description, or in some cases linked directly to the person tag.
Access:
All series and subseries within this collection are open for research, with the exception of a few files within the Academia series that are restricted. The Academia series contains financial and sensitive institutional records from Wilkes College, and financial report records from Princeton University that will remain restricted for 80 years upon creation.
Extent
1 items
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Type of Material:
Bookplate
Condition Note:
Good, no issues.
Measurements:
2 13/16 in. x 3 ¾ in.
Title:
Ex Libris M. Taylor Pyne
Description:
A bookplate for M. Taylor Pyne. The bookplate features a bunch of pine cones and pine needles with the text “Ex Libris M. Taylor Pyne” surrounding it. Moses Taylor Pyne was born on December 21, 1855 in New York City. He was a financier and philanthropist and one of Princeton University’s greatest benefactors and its most influential trustee. His parents were Percy Rivington Pyne and Albertina Shelton Taylor Pyne. He graduated from Princeton University in 1877, and Columbia University Law School in 1879. He was a general solicitor of the Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western railroads before he stopped to organize his money, board memberships, and charitable deeds. He inherited a lot of money from his grandfather, Moses Taylor. Moses Taylor, and Pyne’s father, Percy Rivington Pyne collaborated, which allowed Moses to gain a lot of money through the Cuban sugar trade and helped plantation owners in Cuba, which he made into a collection of financial, railroad, mining, and utility investments. He played a big role in the Cuban slave trade, which is where he earned most of his money. During his career, Pyne invested three million dollars from slaveholding Cuban planters in American businesses and industries. Pyne took an interest in Princeton early on, and earned a seat on the Princeton Board of Trustees when he was only 28. He ended up moving to Princeton, and his home, Drumthwacket, ended up becoming the home of the Governor of New Jersey. The large amount of money he had gave him time to concentrate on charity and “involvement in civic organizations. According to historian William Selden, this included being a director of four banks, four steel and manufacturing companies, one gas company, one insurance company, eight railroads and president of one railroad, two hospitals, two secondary schools, two YMCAs; and a vestryman of four Episcopal Churches. He was a member of 25 clubs, twelve of which were Princeton University undergraduate eating clubs, as well as president of the Princeton Township governing board, a member of the New Jersey Public Library Commision, the first president of the earlier Princeton Historical Association, and president of the board of the first Princeton Inn which he helped to finance and build in 1891 on part of the Original Morvern property. In fact, for nearly a quarter of a century, no enterprise of importance in Princeton would be started without the assurance of endorsement of Moses Taylor Pyne. He died on April 22, 1921 Edwin Davis French was born in 1851 in North Attleboro, Massachusetts. He was a bookplate engraver who made at least 330 engravings starting in 1893. He started his career in 1869 when he engraved silver for the Whiting Manufacturing Company. Later on he started and became a trustee of the American Fine Arts society. Two people who inspired his work were Albrecht Durer and Charles W. Sherborn. Many of his patrons belonged to the Grolier Club. He was interested in constructed languages, was active in the Volapuk movement, and learned Esperanto. According to his obituary in the New York Times, Mr. French’s hobby was universal language, for he was a facile linguist. He was Secretary of the Volapuk Society of America, and had a considerable library in that language. Esperante (sic) and Idiom Neutral similarly attracted him. He was a member of the American Fine Arts society, the International Academy of Volapuk, Ex-Libris society of London, Ex-Libres Verein of Berlin, the Groiler Club, National Arts Club, National Arts Club, Club of Odd Volumes, and Bibliophile Society.” French had bad health for the majority of his life, which caused him to leave Brown University in his second year and contracted Tuberculosis. He died on October 8, 1906 in New York City.
Creator
- French, Edwin Davis, 1851-1906 (Person)
Repository Details
Part of the Wilkes University Archives Repository
Contact:
84 W South St.
Wilkes-Barre PA 18701 US
570-408-2000
570-408-7823 (Fax)
ask.archives@wilkes.edu
84 W South St.
Wilkes-Barre PA 18701 US
570-408-2000
570-408-7823 (Fax)
ask.archives@wilkes.edu