Due to the small size of this collection the letters are arranged as one series.
Access Note / Rights:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Summary:
The Ferdinand F. A. Pettrich letters to Henry Wise consist of 3 items - two letters, one with an envelope - dated circa 1850s, to the Governor of Virginia, Henry Wise. The letters concern a petition to Congress for a commission, and a bust of Wise done by Pettrich.
Citation:
Ferdinand F. A. Pettrich letters to Henry Wise, circa 1850s. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Additional Forms:
The collection was digitized in 2025 and is available on the Archives of American Art website.
Biography Note:
Ferdinand F. A. (Friedrich August) Pettrich (1798-1872) was a sculptor active in Washington D. C. and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Pettrich was born in Dresden, Germany, and studied under Danish sculptor Albert B. Thorvaldsen before moving to America and opening a studio in Washington, D. C. where he sculpted busts for politicians and visiting Native American delegates. After being stabbed in 1842 he moved to Brazil to recuperate and later left to live in Rome.
Henry Wise served as U. S. minister to Brazil from 1844-1847 and was the 33rd governor of Virginia from 1856 to 1860.
Language Note:
English .
Provenance:
Provenance unknown.
Location Note:
Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, 750 9th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20001
