Pen and ink on stiff paper, backed with linen as was the custom for these huge 24" x 36" drawings for the Federal Gov't (see last picture for size scale). Original 19thC pen and ink drawing showing a proposed post office building located in NYC.

Signed by the Postmaster General John A.J. Creswell AND the Secretary of the Treasury George S. Boutwell.

This historically significant rendering was drawn and submitted by Alfred Bult Mullett (April 7, 1834 to October 20, 1890), a British-American architect who served from 1866 to 1874 as Supervising Architect, head of the agency of the United States Treasury Department that designed federal government buildings. His work followed trends in Victorian style, evolving from the Greek Revival to Second Empire to Richardsonian Romanesque.

The top ink signature identifies John Andrew Jackson Creswell (November 18, 1828 to December 23, 1891), an American politician and abolitionist from Maryland, who served as United States Representative, United States Senator, and as Postmaster General of the United States appointed by President Ulysses S. Grant. Creswell is considered to be one of the ablest, if not the best, Postmaster General in United States history. Creswell modernized the U.S. Postal system to adapt to an expanding demand for increased postal routes throughout the Western states and remain competitive worldwide. Creswell also integrated the U.S. Postal system appointing both male and female African American postmasters throughout the United States, giving them significant positions of federal authority. Sweeping and constructive reforms of the U.S. Postal system took place during Creswell's tenure, including securing fair competition among Star Route carriages, and the abolishment of the franking system. Creswell developed a codified classification system of offenses against postal laws. Creswell streamlined and reduced postal costs making the United States Postal System run efficiently creating a fair pricing system domestically, and reducing international mailing prices. Creswell developed and implemented the United States first penny postcard.

The second ink signature identifies George S. Boutwell (1818 to 1905), who had spent a long career in public service, including tours of duty as the first Commissioner of Internal Revenue (1862 to 1863) and as a Congressman (1863 to 1869), before being appointed by President Ulysses S. Grant as Secretary of the Treasury in 1869. His chief objectives as Secretary were to improve the organization of the Department and to continue reducing the national debt. Boutwell set up a system for the manufacture of money which made it easier to detect counterfeit currency and he reorganized the Mint, which became part of the Treasury Department in 1873 after seventy-four years as an independent agency. He also instituted an efficient system of bookkeeping and accounting for the Customs Houses. Shortly after his appointment, Boutwell had to rise to the challenge of the infamous "Black Friday," September 23, 1869, when speculators on Wall Street tried to corner the gold market. He successfully blocked their scheme by releasing great quantities of Treasury gold and thereby flooding the market. Boutwell left Treasury in 1873 to return to the Senate.

Rubbed with stains, scuffs, worn edges. Please enlarge pictures to view conditions.

23.5 x 35.75 in