Julia Ward Howe (New York, 1819 - 1910, Portsmouth, Rhode Island)
Battle Hymn of the Republic, 27 May 1889
Printed ink on paper
This artifact includes four pages. The first, a title page, identifies Julia Ward Howe as both the President of the New England Women’s Club and the author of the song The Battle Hymn of the Republic. A laurel wreath also adorns this page which includes the song title printed in Greek and the publication date of May 1862 in Roman Numerals. The second page is the author’s explanation of why she wrote the song followed by her signature at the bottom. The third page includes the lyrics to the song divided into five stanzas below an ornate heart and floral design. The final page has a laurel wreath in its center.
Vatichino
Commentary
Social reformer Julia Ward Howe (1819-1910) was a good friend of Isabella Stewart Gardner. Howe wrote ”The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” a pro-Union, anti-slavery, civil war song in 1861, and it was first pubished in the magazine The Atlantic a year later. This copy of the song was published by the New England Women’s Club in 1889 during Ward’s appointment as Club President. It includes her account of writing the lyrics the morning after visiting Union troops.
Ten years later Isabella gave the New England Women’s Club a portrait of her friend painted by Andreas Martin Anderson. She wrote, ”For the sake of the love & honour in which we all hold Mrs. Julia Ward Howe, may I offer this portrait of her, painted by Andreas Anderson? As she is enshrined in all our hearts, so I feel sure this portrait of her will be given a shrine, as it were, in the New England Woman's Club.” The Club gratefully accepted Isabella’s gift, and Isabella kept a photograph of the painting in the Berenson Case in the Blue Room, along with Julia's letters.
Ten years later Isabella gave the New England Women’s Club a portrait of her friend painted by Andreas Martin Anderson. She wrote, ”For the sake of the love & honour in which we all hold Mrs. Julia Ward Howe, may I offer this portrait of her, painted by Andreas Anderson? As she is enshrined in all our hearts, so I feel sure this portrait of her will be given a shrine, as it were, in the New England Woman's Club.” The Club gratefully accepted Isabella’s gift, and Isabella kept a photograph of the painting in the Berenson Case in the Blue Room, along with Julia's letters.