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"Why Don't You Speak for Yourself, John"

a sculpture of a man and woman having a conversation with each other while the woman works at a spinning wheel

Medium: Painted Plaster Artist: John Rogers Patented: 1885 Location: Zeb Rudolph's Bedroom, James A. Garfield NHS John Rogers (1829-1904) was an American sculptor who produced very popular and relatively inexpensive figures in cast plaster. His works were often inspired by theatrical and literary subjects, as well as the scenes he saw around him. This sculpture illustrates a line from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem "The Courtship of Miles Standish." In the poem, Captain Miles Standish asks his friend John Aiden to propose to Priscilla on his behalf. John visits the young woman and does as requested, even though he is in love with her himself. Priscilla guesses John's true feelings and asks, "Why don't you speak for yourself, John?"

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National Park Service

Public domain:Minimum Granting Rights

Image

James A. Garfield National Historic Site, Code: JAGA

James A. Garfield National Historic Site, Lake County, Ohio
Latitude: 41.6649017333984, Longitude: -81.3508987426758

NPS.gov Collection

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Sunday, June 7, 2020 12:48:25 PM

Sunday, June 7, 2020 12:48:25 PM

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Scenic