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Manuscript DS as president, one page, 10.5 x 17, September 24, 1861. President Lincoln appoints Eli Whitney III, son of cotton gin inventor and firearm manufacturer Eli Whitney, as an American commissioner for the 1862 International Exhibition in London, in part: "Reposing special trust and confidence in your Integrity, Ability and Discretion, I do appoint you a Commissioner to represent the interests of such American Citizens as may desire to become exhibitors at the Exhibition of the Industry of all Nations, to be held in the City of London, in the year 1862." Boldly and prominently signed at the conclusion in ink by President Abraham Lincoln and countersigned by Secretary of State William H. Seward. The crisply embossed white paper seal affixed at the lower left remains fully intact. In fine condition, with a few small stains near the top edge.
Additionally includes Seward's transmittal letter to Whitney: LS signed "William H. Seward," one page both sides, 8 x 9.75, September 24, 1861, in part: "The President having appointed you a Commissioner to represent the interests of such American Citizens as may desire to become exhibitors at the Exhibition of Industry of all Nations…I herewith enclose your Commission. You will be pleased to inform this Department of the receipt of it, and, should it be accepted, of the name of the State or Country in which you were born. I also include the oath of allegiance which, in the event of your acceptance, you will be pleased to execute and return to this Department." Includes its original mailing envelope, as well as Whitney's reply to Seward: an ALS acknowledging the receipt of the present commission and accepting the appointment, October 1, 1861, in part: "I hereby accept the appointment with thanks to President Lincoln & yourself and will serve in the capacity allotted to me to the best of my ability & with a strict regard to the interest of American citizens."
The International Exhibition of 1862, officially the London International Exhibition of Industry and Art, was held from May 1–November 1, 1862, in South Kensington, London, England. The exhibition showcased recent advances made in the industrial revolution, with numerous inventions and innovations on display: among these were the electric telegraph, submarine cables, the first plastic, looms, Charles Babbage's analytical engine, maritime engines, and a demonstration of the manufacture of ice by an early refrigerator.
Eli Whitney III, the son of inventor Eli Whitney, carried on his family's legacy of innovation and business acumen in 19th-century America. He was a prominent manufacturer and entrepreneur, particularly known for his advancements in firearms and the mass production techniques pioneered at the Whitney Armory. He upgraded the factory with the latest in technology—replacing waterwheels with hydraulic turbines—and took the dominant role in developing the city of New Haven's water system. Through his work, he contributed to the rapid industrialization of the United States, building on his father's revolutionary impact on manufacturing.
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