This substantial group of photographs and photo-postcards, taken in the winter of 1922-23, shows Charles Grafly at his studio in Cape Ann, Mass, supervising the work of making casts from his wax model for DC's George G. Meade Memorial Sculpture. Many of the photos bear date-stamps to their versos, which go from October of '22 to January of '23. The writings found on the versos are mostly short, explanatory captions. One photo however, a portrait of Grafly posed in the snow, bears a lengthy note that lays out the endeavor quite thoroughly. It reads:

"Showing Mr. Charles Grafly sculptor of the Meade Memorial at what he calls his "summer studies" in Cape Ann, Mass, in the winter of 1922-23, when he was supervising the work of making the casts from the wax model. This series of photographs shows the process of cutting the wax model into sections, making the casts and then XX one set of the casts, a duplicate set being shipped to the marble cutters the Piccerelli brothers in N.Y. City."

The note is signed I.R. Pennypacker. Isaac Pennypacker was a prominent Philadelphia area historian, poet and journalist, as well as a member of the Meade Memorial Commission. Also found in the present collection is a second portrait of Grafly, warmly signed to Pennypacker. While we find no other examples of Pennypacker's photographic work, it is entirely likely he was the photographer of these present images. Grafly would later go on to sculpt a memorial for Pennypacker's relative, General Galusha Pennypacker.

George Meade took command of the Army of the Potomac just three days before the battle of Gettysburg in July of 1863. Though his leadership brought the beleaguered Union army its first major victory in the War, Meade was castigated for not finishing off the Army of Northern Virginia before it crossed the Potomac River on July 14. Less than 10 months after Gettysburg, Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, hot off the success in the Western Theater, arrived in Virginia to direct the war’s final campaigns.

In the decades after the war, Meade was not lauded with the kinds of tributes or public monuments his fellow generals received. But Pennsylvanians were determined to change this, given that Meade claimed Philadelphia as his home. On June 14, 1911, the Pennsylvania legislature passed Act No. 742, declaring it “fitting and proper” for a George Meade memorial in Washington, D.C.

The task to construct the memorial was given to Charles Grafly, a Philadelphia artist, former student of Thomas Eakens and Thomas Anshutz, and instructor of modeling at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Grafly found himself deeply at odds with John W. Frazier, Secretary of the State Commission and a veteran of the 71st Pennsylvania. Frazier was steadfastly opposed to “allegorical designs” and wished for a monument that celebrated Meade militaristically. Grafly’s design won out (perhaps due to Penypacker's support).

The finished work presents Meade with six allegorical figures on either side of him, representing qualities the artist believed necessary in a great military leader: Chivalry, Energy, Fame, Loyalty, Military Courage, and Progress. On the rear side of the sculpture there is a make, winged figure representing war. A gold finial of the state seal of Pennsylvania is at the top of the memorial.