Chapter C: Brumidi

It is entirely possible that domestic difficulties had a bearing on the lean years and on the artist’s health. However, it is also possible that these were the years he used for work outside the city of Washington; it was in April 1871 that Brumidi wrote to the Architect of the Capitol mentioning the decorations in St. Stephen’s Church in New York.

I remembered, also, that the Congressional Bill, finally signed by the President on June 9, 1880, directing the payment of $500 to the children of Brumidi, actually named these children as

“Elena Brumidi of Rome, Italy

“Laurence S. Brumidi of Washington, District of Columbia.”

Immediately I attached added significance to two letters about Brumidi that I had recently found in the Capitol Brumidi file. One of these, a letter written in Rome, on June 14, 1879, by Brumidi’s daughter, Elena, evidently to the Architect of the Capitol, reads as follows:

“I hope, if I mistake not, that you have a memory of my name. When
I came to Washington in 1871 to embrace my poor father, I had the
pleasure to be introduced by him to you. I beg your pardon if I
take now the liberty to disturb you, but I am sure you will do me
the good office I ask because I know your kindness.

“It is today a month since I have not received any news from my
father, and it is the first time since 27 years he resided in the
United States. Unhappily I know that he is very sick since some
time and confined in the bed, as you surely know. But, though in
that state he has always written regularly to me. I am dreadfully
afraid for this long silence; I fear some great misfortune. I beg
you to inform me about his health, whatever it may be. At the same
time I am desirous of learning something about the real situation
of his private interest, and you understand the reason of this
inquiry.

“I am obliged to apply to you, sir, because you are a friend of my
poor father, and I rely upon your kindness for him and also for his
daughter, beyond your situation in the Capitol. I pray you to keep
the secret about this my letter.

“I beg to forgive my troubling you so much. I wait your answer
truly with a great trepidation and I send to you in advance my
sincere thanks.”

ELENA BRUMIDI

This letter from Elena, written about six months before her father’s death expressing fear at her father’s silence and concern about his “private interest” is practically all we know about Elena, the daughter Brumidi left behind in Italy. We do know, however, that she received her half of the $500 paid by Congress to the Brumidi heirs, as this payment is recorded in an old Department of Interior account book now in the National Archives. This Archives’ record contains an itemized statement of the actual expenditure of the $700 asked for in the Senate Bill introduced four days after Brumidi’s death. Even the $200 set aside for funeral expenses for the artist is accounted for by the Department of Interior, item by item.

The old artist fell from the frieze scaffolding on October 1, 1879. Six weeks later a petition, written in a strange hand but signed by Brumidi, was sent to the Congress of the United States. It gives Brumidi’s account of his accident and formally asks that he be put on the regular payroll of the Capitol employees. The petition is preserved in the Capitol’s Brumidi file and is given here in complete form:

Washington, D. C., November 17, 1879 _To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

Your petitioner, C. Brumidi, seventy-five years of age, the artist
of the Capitol, originally from Rome, Italy, but now for
twenty-seven years past a duly naturalized citizen of the United
States,

Respectfully represents--That upon the 1st day of October ult, he
was engaged at work upon the Historical Painting in fresco in the
Frieze of the Rotunda of the Capitol, and while sitting upon a
temporary scaffold and near the edge, the chair turned from under
him and threw him over. He caught the round of a ladder and
remained suspended by the strength of his arms for the space of
fifteen minutes, till officer Lammond descended from the top of the
Dome to the scaffold and called two men from the floor of the
Rotunda to assist in the rescue of your petitioner.

A miraculous escape from falling to the floor of the Rotunda a
distance of fifty-eight feet was effected but the fright and shock
to the nerves of your petitioner resulted in a

Pictured here are the artist and his young American wife, Lola Germon, taken from old photographs saved by Lola in her album of memories. The originals have been cherished through the years by Mildred Thompson (of Washington, D. C.), Lola’s great-grandniece. We believe that both photographs were taken about the time of the Brumidi-Germon marriage, around 1860. From 1860 to 1865 was Brumidi’s period of greatest financial success in America and probably his years of greatest acclaim and happiness. It was on the back of this photograph of Lola Germon that her little boy Laurence chose to write, “This is my lovely Mamma.”]

very severe attack of asthma which now prevents him from constant
work upon the scaffold but he is able and desirous, however, to
continue work in his studio upon the Designs and Cartoons which of
course require to be made before they can be copied or painted upon
the walls.

The late Senator S. Foot, acting President of the Senate, at one
time placed your petitioner upon regular payroll of the Capitol
employees.

Now, therefore, in view of these facts that your petitioner became
injured in the performance of his duty, that he is unable to
perform continuous service on the scaffold, your petitioner
respectfully requests that the Honorable Committee will cause his
name to be again placed upon the regular Payroll of Capitol
employees in order that the work may be continued as the health of
the petitioner may permit him to work upon the scaffold in fresco
or upon the cartoons.

The petitioner hopes to obtain this benefit as a reward of the long
life spent in the service of the government.