Joseph Delaplaine to Thomas Jefferson, 20 December 1815
From Joseph Delaplaine
Philadelphia December 20h 1815
Dear sir,
I have taken the liberty of enclosing the last edition of the prospectus of my work. By it you will perceive that the Repository will be soon published. The Biography of each character is preparing. My principal object in writing now, is to request your opinion respecting the extent of the biography. Should a Biography be a concise statement of facts and nothing more, or should it be embellished?—
One other thing. Is it your opinion that living characters (particularly selected) may be given?—
Ve[spu]cius from the engraving you did me the ho[nor to] send to me, is nearly finished, & will be exquisitely executed.—
Hoping to be favoured with a letter soon, I remain
Joseph Delaplaine
RC (DLC); mutilated at seal; addressed: “Thomas Jefferson Esqr Monticello Virginia”; franked; postmarked Philadelphia, 21 Dec.; endorsed by TJ. Recorded in SJL as received 2 Jan. 1816.
The enclosed prospectus for may have been identical to that enclosed in Delaplaine’s letters to TJ of 14 and 27 Jan. 1816.
Index Entries
- Delaplaine, Joseph; Delaplaine’s Repository search
- Delaplaine, Joseph; letters from search
- Delaplaine, Joseph; proposal for printingDelaplaine’s Repository search
- Repository of the Lives and Portraits of Distinguished Americans (J. Delaplaine) search
- Vespucci, Amerigo (Americus Vespucius); portrait of search