Existing comment:
Samuel F. B. Morse's Passport,
signed by Washington Irving,
issued December 19, 1829
ink on paper
Morse's passport is signed by American author and diplomat Washington Irving, who was then stationed in London as a secretary to the American legation. Morse and Irving were two of Humboldt's closest friends from the United States along with fellow author James Fenimore Cooper, the trio forming the core of a group of Americans who made their way to meet Humboldt in Paris. These friendships helped cement Humboldt's affection for the United States and influenced the direction of Cooper and Irving's writings. Irving in particular shared Humboldt's interest in American exploration, which encouraged the author to begin writing tales of adventure set in the American west.
Smithsonian's National Museum of American History |