. William
Henry Harrison 89

Silver service given to Maj. Gen. John Hatch 90

Silver service presented to Gen. Judson Kilpatrick 92

Silver service presented to Mrs. Abraham Lincoln 93

Teakettle and stand given to Gen. Montgomery C. Meigs 93

Gold box presented to Cyrus W. Field 95

Silver-mounted tankard presented to Cyrus W. Field 95

Tray and saltcellar in shape of chair presented to Gustavus
Vasa Fox 97

Centerpiece given to Adm. Winfield Scott Schley 101

Cup presented to the Honorable Brand Whitlock 103

Paperweight identical to those presented by William Jennings
Bryan 103

Cup given to Susan B. Anthony 105

Belt given to H. W. Higham 107

The Vanderbilt Cup 107

Trowel used by President Ulysses S. Grant 108

[Illustration: Figure 1.--MINIATURE SHIP presented to Adm. Robert E.
Peary by the Royal Scottish Geographical Society. Loan of Robert E.
Peary. In Division of Naval History. (Acc. 52878, cat. 12185; Smithsonian
photo 45992.)]

Margaret Brown Klapthor

Presentation Pieces
In the Museum of History and Technology

_As a social document, the collection of presentation pieces, mostly
silver, in the United States National Museum provides evidence of the
taste and craftsmanship in America at various periods from the mid-18th
century to the 1920's._

_Although the representative items selected for illustration confirm the
view that such pieces often lack artistic merit, the collection
nevertheless reveals the deeds--in war, politics, technology, diplomacy,
sports--that our forebears deemed worthy of special recognition. And it
helps to bring alive some figures now submerged in our ever-expanding
history._

THE AUTHOR: _Margaret Brown Klapthor is associate curator of political
history in the Smithsonian Institution's Museum of History and
Technology._

The custom of giving a piece of silver to an individual in recognition
of service or in appreciation of accomplishment probably began as soon
as man dev