Taylor, Zachary, as twelfth President

Letter signed ("Z. Taylor"), 1 page (10 x 7  7/8  in.; 254 x 201 mm) with integral blank, accomplished in a secretarial hand, Washington, 11 June 1849, to Brantz Mayer, Baltimore; vertical and horizontal folds, offsetting from an engraved portrait of Taylor on recto, tears and glue stains skillfully repaired on upper and lower margins of integral blank.  Two-toned half morocco clamshell case, buckram sides.

President Zachary Taylor agrees to sit for a photograph.  Three months into his presidency, Taylor, a chief executive noted for his undistinguished appearance, replied to Baltimore author and historian Brantz Mayer, "... I take great pleasure in complying with your request to let a daguetteotype likeness for ... your forthcoming work on the Mexican War.  whenever you may find it convenient to let an artist attend for that purpose, it will afford me gratification to sit to him, for the short time that he require, at my own residence."  Brantz Mayer was a writer, historian and one of the founders of the Maryland Historical Society.  His 1841 book, Mexico as It Was and as It Is was widely read in the period leading up to the Mexican-American War.  The dauguerrotype of Taylor was presumably intended for his 1851 work, Mexico, Aztec, Spanish and Republican.