Illustrations xvii 



the gift itself. I shall have placed on the portrait, 

 which shall, of course, be kept at The White House 

 as you desire, the circumstances of its taking and 

 return. With heartiest regard. 

 Sincerely yours, 



Theodore Roosevelt. 



PORTR.'\IT OF Franklin Facing Page Jl. 



Painted, about the year 1766 in London, by David 

 Martin. The original was copied in 1785 by Charles 

 Willson Peale for the American Philosophical So- 

 ciety, and the photogravure is from this copy. 



The history of this portrait is explained in the 

 following memorandum attached to the back of the 

 original portrait painted by Martin for Mr. Alex- 

 ander and now in the possession of Mr. Henry 

 Williams Biddle, of Philadelphia. 



The portraite of Benjamin Franklin, LL.D., was 

 painted by Martin, in London, when the Doctor was 

 about sixty years of age. It was ordered and paid 

 for by Robert Alexander, then of the House of 

 William Alexander and Sons, of Edenburgh, and 

 was designed to perpetuate the circumstance of his 

 advice, given in consequence of the perusal of cer- 

 tain important papers. . . . After the death of Robert 

 it decended to his Brother, William Alexander. 

 Jonathan Williams, a grandson of Dr. Franklin's 

 sister, having married the daughter of William Alex- 

 ander, the portraite has been given to them, to decend 



