Subject: Monticello (Va.)

A circa 1855 Colt pistol in its original box with accoutrements. This pistol has a complex provenance, passing through the hands of Thomas L. Rhodes (superintendent of Monticello), Frederick Rhodes, Joseph and Ruth Greenberger, and Bess-Mae Jones before entering the Deanne & Arnold Kaplan Foundation collection. Its history is intertwined with the Levy family's ownership of Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson.

Newspaper clipping from the Daily Evening Transcript, published in Boston, Massachusetts on October 6, 1834. The clipping discusses Senators Clay and Calhoun's refusal to accept a Thomas Jefferson statue offered as a gift by Uriah P. Levy, and includes a description of a Jewish funeral.

Membership certificate for W. N. Hendren of the Berkley Democratic Club, dated October 24, 1892. The certificate features signatures from Jefferson M. Levy, Chairman of the Virginia League of Democratic Clubs, and Chauncy F. Black, President of the National Association of Democratic Clubs. It includes the mottoes "Home Rule" and "No Force Bill" and a lithograph of Monticello. Printed by A. Hoen & Co. Lith., Baltimore.

Newspaper clipping from Niles' Weekly Register, published in Baltimore, Maryland on April 19, 1834, detailing Uriah Phillips Levy's purchase of Monticello and his plans to restore and open it to the public. The article highlights Levy's role in saving Monticello from destruction.

Issue of Niles' Weekly Register, published in Baltimore, Maryland on April 19, 1834. This issue contains a brief announcement reporting that Uriah P. Levy, Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, purchased Monticello, the former residence of Thomas Jefferson, and intends to restore it.

Single-sheet Confederate newspaper, the Richmond Daily Dispatch (Virginia), dated November 25, 1864. The front page features a headline and a half-column report detailing the sale of Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home. The article discusses the sale of Monticello by the Confederate government and the involvement of Uriah P. Levy's brother, Jonas Levy, who was present at the sale. Following Jefferson's death in 1826, Monticello was inherited by his daughter, Martha Jefferson Randolph, who faced financial difficulties and sold the estate in 1831. It passed through several owners before being seized by the Confederacy and sold to F.B. Ficklin in 1864. Uriah Levy's estate eventually recovered the property after the Civil War, and his nephew, Jefferson Monroe Levy, secured full ownership in 1879.

Shaving mug and brushes inscribed "Jefferson M. Levy," along with associated materials. The shaving mug, distributed by E. Berninghause of Cincinnati (circa 1890-1910), was at Monticello during Jefferson M. Levy's ownership and later given to Thomas Rhodes, caretaker and restorer of Monticello. The collection also includes documents tracing the ownership of the items through several hands, from Jefferson M. Levy and Thomas Rhodes to the Greenberger family and finally to Bess-Mae Jones, who sought a Jewish institution for their preservation. The collection further details the history of the Levy family's connection to Monticello, including the roles of Uriah P. Levy and Jefferson M. Levy in preserving the estate. Additional materials relate to Captain Jonas P. Levy, father of Jefferson M. Levy, his contributions to the Peruvian Navy, and his role in advocating for American Jews during the negotiation of a trade treaty with Switzerland in 1850.

Stereoscopic photograph depicting Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, circa 1870. The image is mounted on a red-orange card and features a label from W. C. McDowell's Cigar Stand in Richmond, Virginia, overlaid on the original D. H. Anderson imprint. The photograph shows Monticello during the period when it was owned by the Levy family (until 1923).

This archival item documents a trip to Monticello by the Jefferson Club of St. Louis, Missouri, from October 10th to 14th, 1901. The materials include a speech by Jefferson Monroe Levy, who at the time owned Monticello. Additional information pertains to the oil painting of Captain Joshua Levy's ship off the coast of Vera Cruz in 1847. Levy sold Monticello in 1923 following the post-World War I financial depression. The nephew of Uriah Levy is also mentioned.

This 1928 hardcover book, "The Story of Monticello," by Thomas Rhodes, details the history of Thomas Jefferson's Virginia plantation and home. The book includes text and black and white illustrations covering Jefferson's early life, his time as a lawyer, governor, and minister to France, a description of Monticello's furnishings, and the roles of the Monticello children. It also notably discusses the sale of Monticello to Uriah Levy and its subsequent ownership by Jefferson Levy, highlighting the Levy family's crucial role in preserving Monticello. This copy is signed by the author, Thomas Rhodes, who served as superintendent at Monticello for nearly 40 years and played a significant role in the story's telling.