Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of a 23 by 17.75-inch portrait of Robert G. Ingersoll. The portrait is a black-and-white crosshatch piece by Grant Wright, who signed the bottom right corner and left the note, "To my Old friend B. C. BRYNER – FROM THE ARTIST."
Biographical/Historical Context:
Grant Wright (1865-1935) was an artist who spent many of his young years in Peoria, Illinois. Wright was known for his Impressionist paintings of landscapes and commercial illustrations. His work was featured in various Peoria newspapers, predominantly the Peoria Daily Transcript (1855-1898). Wright later moved to New York City to continue his career as an artist.
Robert G. Ingersoll (1833-1899) was a politician and intellectual known as the "the great agnostic" for his criticism of religion, particularly Christianity. He practiced law in Peoria, Illinois, before joining the Union army during the Civil War. Ingersoll served as Attorney General of Illinois from 1867-1869 – the only political office he ever held. He moved to Washington D.C. in 1878 and was active within the Republican party. Ingersoll was a famous orator and public figure, but many members of the Republican party saw him as an unlikely candidate for political office because of his outspoken agnosticism.
Byron Cloyd Bryner (1849-1926) was born in Peoria, Illinois, where he lived his entire life. He fought in the Union army in the United States Civil War in the Illinois 47th Infantry. Bryner published a history of his regiment, as well as a book on Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln in Peoria.
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