President Garfield’s Home

Rare view by Stem & Gates of Garretsville, Ohio of General James A. Garfield posed with his family at his father-in-laws home in Hiram, Ohio the fall of 1880 while he was campaigning for President. A contemporary of Garfield’s James Norton penned on the verso “This view was taken in Hiram at the home of general Garfield’s father-in-law, Zeb Rudolph. General Garfield stands beside his mother. His two older sons are on the grafs barefooted. His wife is on the steps, her eyes upon the General. Her brother & his wife are upon the steps. Zeb Rudolph stands, and his wife then an invalid is sitting with her shawl around her. The old (photographic negative) plate had been thrown aside and soiled but is now (1889) treasured up and is to be copyrighted. I think the little girl sitting on the grafs is Mollie G. but I am not certain. The others are not known to me. The figure of General Garfield is no where else so exactly preserved. Here are his exact form and figure and attitude.” Lilac cabinet mount w/photographer’s imprint, above inscription and “Ed Burchard Collection” imprint on verso.