As announced earlier this summer in a Brown University press release and on the Library News blog, a silver Tiffany presentation sword once owned by General Rush Hawkins (Annmary Brown Memorial benefactor, 1831–1920) is returning to Brown. The sword was stolen from Brown sometime during the 1970s, and subsequently switched ownership at least four times.
Shown below are two portraits of a young Rush Hawkins: a 1863 engraving by John Chester Buttre based on a photo by Mathew Brady (click image below for a zoomable image view), and a 1860 portrait by Jacob D. Blondel currently housed in the Annmary Brown Memorial building (photographed by DPS for a Memorial promotional brochure).
Hawkins by Buttre/Brady
Hawkins portrait by Blondel
Cabinets in the front section of the Annmary Brown Memorial, pictured below, showcase swords from the Cyril and Harriet Mazansky British Sword Collection, part of the Anne S. K. Brown Military Collection.
Swords from the Cyril and Harriet Mazansky British Sword Collection (Anne S. K. Brown Military Collection). Photo: Lindsay Elgin.
Swords from the Cyril and Harriet Mazansky British Sword Collection (Anne S. K. Brown Military Collection). Photo: Lindsay Elgin.
The Library will officially celebrate the return of Hawkins’ presentation sword on November 7, 2013 at 3:00 p.m., at the Annmary Brown Memorial. The event will feature brief presentations, a performance by the Higher Keys (Brown’s oldest co-ed a cappella group), and refreshments.