MONTROVILLE WILSON DICKESON

This week I have been doing research on Montroville Wilson Dickeson. E-Sylum readers should recognize his portrait from his American Numismatical Manual. I came across an unsigned review of his book from the Southern Literary Messanger for May of 1859.

The first half of the review was a casual description from a writer who probably knew nothing about numismatics. The second half follows:

"We know nothing of Dr. Dickeson, the author of this elaborate treatise, but we should be inspired with a lively respect for his talent were it not for the portrait of himself, vilely executed, which deforms the frontispiece, and which as Macaulay said of Montgomery's likeness, he appears to be doing his best to look like a man of genius and sensibility, but with less success than his strenuous efforts would seem to deserve. The practice of inserting portraits of authors, in their earliest books, is one "more honored in the breach than in the observance.""

I have this to say to the reviewer, "It is a hundred and fifty years later. I remember Dickeson but I have no idea who you were."

Wayne Homren, Editor

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