Wenxian Zhang
Engraving with original signature of George Washington, Hamilton Holt’s Presidential Portrait Collection in the Rollins College Archives.
Americana encompasses the artifacts, cultural expressions, and materials that reflect American stories and national identity. Rooted in the rich history, heritage, and character of the United States and its people, Americana often evokes a sense of national distinctiveness and pride.
In 2026, we commemorate a defining milestone in our nation’s history—250 years of American independence. As we honor the country of freedom and opportunity set into motion by the Declaration of Independence, we highlight the following items from the Americana Collections in the Rollins College Archives in recognition of the United States’ semi-quincentennial.
Hamilton Holt Collection of Presidential Portraits
Hamilton Holt (1872–1951) was a journalist by training and an internationalist in practice, with little formal background in higher education when he was appointed the eighth president of Rollins College in 1925. Drawing on his own experience as a student at Yale, Holt believed deeply that student growth should be the central purpose of any educational endeavor and that individuals must take ownership of—and actively participate in—their own learning. For much of the twentieth century, Holt profoundly shaped the development of the College, rapidly transforming Rollins into a national leader in progressive liberal arts education.
Beyond his role as an engaged academic leader, Holt was also an avid collector of materials related to American history. He was responsible for establishing the Rollins Walk of Fame, which features stones honoring dozens of original signers of the Declaration of Independence as well as other notable figures. In addition to stones and historical mementos, Holt collected presidential portraits and a wide range of signatures from presidents, statesmen, authors, and influential thinkers.
The Americana engravings in this collection likely began as individual sheets. At some point, they were mounted onto large two‑ply boards with decorative borders framing both the engravings and the accompanying signatures. The signatures themselves were removed from other documents and affixed afterward. Most of the framed engravings now show some foxing.
In a 1931 memo to E. T. Brown, Treasurer of Rollins College, Holt wrote, “I have delivered to Rollins College a full set of autographed photographs or paintings of all the Presidents of the United States. These may be retained by the College indefinitely for use in the Museum.”[i] Holt’s original donation included 30 presidential portraits, spanning from George Washington to Herbert Hoover, with an estimated value of $5,000 at the time. Portraits of Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman were added during the later years of Holt’s presidency at Rollins. Following Holt’s example, this tradition of collecting portraits and signatures continued under subsequent college leaders, from Hugh McKean (1908–1995) to Thaddeus Seymour (1928–2019). In addition to engraved presidential portraits with signatures, the collection now includes six autographed photographs of U.S. presidents and eight autographed portraits of first ladies, from Bess Truman to Nancy Reagan.
Engravings with original signatures of Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, Hamilton Holt’s Presidential Portrait Collection in the Rollins College Archives.
After the construction of the Alumni House on campus, part of the collection was displayed in its central lounge until the summer of 1960. Some of the portraits were later exhibited periodically in the Galloway Room of the Mills Memorial Library. The last public showing of the Holt Collection of the Portraits of the Presidents of the United States took place in the Cornell Fine Arts Center during the summer of 1984. In 1992, this special collection—Portraits of the US Presidents, First Ladies and Other Notable Figures—was transferred from the Cornell Fine Arts Museum to the College Archives & Special Collections at Olin Library.
Autographs of the Presidents of the United States
Presented by George A. Zabriskie, the Rollins College Archives holds a distinctive item in its Rare Special Collections: The Autographs of the Presidents of the United States 1796-1964 (Z42.3 .P7 A94). Housed in a custom-built box measuring 36 × 28 cm, the collection contains 36 files featuring original signatures of U.S. presidents from George Washington through Lyndon Johnson.
A descendant of early Polish settlers and a native of New York City, George Albert Zabriskie (December 7, 1868 – January 3, 1954) was a successful flour and sugar executive as well as a devoted collector of American art, books, and manuscripts.[ii] While serving as president of both the New York Historical Society and the New York Sons of the American Revolution, Zabriskie developed a deep interest in early American history. He authored numerous essays on topics ranging from Ponce de León’s landing in Florida in 1513 to the Chesapeake Affair of 1807, and he wrote about multiple historical figures such as William Phips, John James Audubon, and Washington Irving. After his retirement, Zabriskie established a winter residence in Ormond Beach, Florida, where he became friends with Alfred Jackson Hanna and Edwin Osgood Grover.
On February 22, 1942—George Washington’s birthday—Zabriskie was a featured presenter at the Rollins Animated Magazine. Speaking before an audience of 7,000 gathered on Sandspur Field, he delivered an address titled “Three Uncommon Men” in Florida history: John Gorrie, Lue Gim Gong, and Stephen Foster. The following day, Rollins awarded Zabriskie an Honorary Doctor of Laws in recognition of his distinction as “an outstanding citizen in America’s greatest city” and for his “insistence on the cultural and spiritual things of life in the midst of blind materialism.”[iii]
Zabriskie’s 1942 gift included original signatures of U.S. presidents from George Washington through Franklin D. Roosevelt. Signatures numbered 33–36, representing Harry S. Truman through Lyndon B. Johnson, were added by college officials during the Hugh McKean administration. This valuable volume was displayed for many years in the Rare Book Room of the Mills Memorial Library and was regularly used by Rollins students studying the history of the United States.
Original signatures of Thomas Jefferson (#3) and Abraham Lincoln (#16), from George A. Zabriskie’s The Autographs of the Presidents of the United States 1796-1964.
Other Notable Americana Items in the Rollins College Archives
In addition to the two major collections related to the American presidency mentioned above, the Rollins College Archives also holds several individual documents that illuminate the early history and development of the United States as a young nation. Among these holdings is a land certificate signed by President Thomas Jefferson on November 26, 1807, granting Charles Edward Ford and Emily Augusta Ford 100 acres of land in recognition of military service.
The Rollins College Archives also holds rich historical materials documenting Florida’s development. Shown below is an original General Land Office certificate issued to Robert M. Williams for the purchase of land near Tallahassee. This parchment was signed by Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United States, on December 28, 1830, when Florida was still a newly established U.S. territory.
In addition to official certificates, shown below is a handwritten manuscript by Walt Whitman, “In my opinion it is the idea of immortality above all other ideas” (date unknown; one leaf, 13 × 36 cm). This six‑piece note, from the William Sloane Kennedy Memorial Collection of Whitmaniana at Rollins, captures Whitman’s philosophical reflections on his belief in immortality and his vision of its expansion through democracy.
During the 1960s, a major promotional initiative was undertaken to raise public awareness of various special collections held within the College’s institutional holdings. This effort led to the compilation of Treasures of Rollins College (Z881 .W5 M54 1961) at Mills Memorial Library. In the early 2000s, Treasures of Rollins Archives was launched to further expand open access to valuable archival records at Olin Library, Rollins College. This online database highlights unique and rare historical materials preserved in the College Archives and Special Collections. Donated by alumni, faculty, staff, students, and friends—or acquired by the College—these artifacts include presidential autographs and portraits, handwritten notes by renowned authors, eighteenth and nineteenth‑century correspondence and land grant certificates, and distinctive memorabilia such as the iconic sweater and sneakers of Mr. Fred Rogers, ’51 ’74H.
Over the years, through the generosity of many contributors within the Rollins academic community, a variety of Americana collections have been carefully preserved and actively used by the library’s archival services team to support faculty teaching and student learning in the liberal arts. As we commemorate America’s semi-quincentennial and look ahead to shaping the nation’s next chapter, it is our sincere hope that the valuable artifacts highlighted above—and many more—will not only bear witness to our country’s rich history, but also continue to inspire a renewed love for the republic and foster pride in our shared American values.
A certificate signed by George Washington on December 23, 1796, awarding patent to Daniel French’s wrought iron nail making, from Zabriskie’s The Autographs of the Presidents of the United States 1796-1964.
[i] “Hamilton Holt to E. T. Brown, Treasurer.” October 15, 1931. Photographs of the US Presidents & Photographs of the First Ladies, Rollins College Archives, Winter Park, Florida.
[ii] “Obituaries: George Albert Zabriskie.” Proceedings of the American Antiquarian Society, 1954, 17-18.
[iii] “President’s Honorary Degree,” The New York Historical Society Quarterly Bulletin 26:2 (April 1942), 33-35.