Portraits of Eminent Americans Now Living, Including President Pierce

What it is

This is a book published in 1854 by John Livingston, a member of the New York Bar, containing biographical and historical memoirs of eminent living Americans, including President Franklin Pierce and his cabinet. It was printed in New York with editions noted in London and Paris.

Why it matters

Published during Pierce's presidency, this book reflects how contemporaries viewed him and the men around him as important national figures worth recording for posterity. Such biographical collections shaped public memory of political leaders in their own time.

Look closer

• Why might an author choose to publish biographies of living people rather than waiting until after their deaths?
• What does including Pierce's cabinet, not just Pierce himself, suggest about how presidential administrations were viewed?
• What kind of audience might have purchased or read a book like this in 1854?