Franklin Pierce lacquered papier-mâché snuff box. N.p., ca 1853. Diam. approx. 3 5/8 in. H. 3/4 in. Later inscription to paper inside: ""Snuff Box used by Waite Adams / Mother of Alzina Adams Scoville / Mother of Zella Scoville Thorburn." The family can be traced in Ingham County, Michigan into the 19th century.

A rare snuff box featuring an engraved portrait of Franklin Pierce (1804-1869). With the German legend: "Frank Pierce / Präsident der Verein Staaten,” possibly dating the item to the time of Pierce's inauguration in 1853. The 1850s saw a huge influx of German immigrants to the United States, and courting their votes became central to political candidates of the era, including Franklin Pierce.

In a series of letters written by Edmund Burke, who today might be called a campaign manager, to Franklin Pierce during the summer of 1852, he explicitly outlined his plans to court the German population on behalf of Pierce: "I have made arrangements already with Dr. Hebbé, the author of the Universal History, a man of great talent and distinction and great influence with the German population, to undertake and publish it at once in that language. [Name illegible] another German, will take the stump for you. I know these men well. They can do more for you with the foreign population than all others." ("Some Papers of Franklin Pierce, 1852-1862,"The American Historical Review, Vol. 10, No. 2, Jan.1905, p. 113.) Burke also wrote: "I have pretty extensive acquaintance with leading German politicians, and editors, both native and naturalized. These were of some benefit to us, and I shall avail myself of this acquaintance to bring the foreign vote so far as possible to the support of our cause." (p.116). Later updating on Dr. Hebbé's efforts: "He has succeeded in bringing out several leading German papers in support of our nominations, which took a neutral position in consequence of Cass' defeat..."



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