The Provisional Dispatch:
Renewing the revolution with words
Mary Stearns and the Marble Witness: Brown, Brackett, and a Bust That Went Missing
A broken marble bust in a Tufts University crawl space turned out to be Edward Brackett's tribute to John Brown. A Tufts curator tells the story of how it was found, restored, and what it reveals about the woman who helped fund John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry.
"Anything Mr. or Mrs. Stearns Desires": How Edward Brackett Got Into John Brown's Jail Cell
In late 1859, the Massachusetts sculptor Edward Augustus Brackett traveled to Charlestown, Virginia to sculpt John Brown from life. When Brackett invoked the name of his patron Mary Stearns, Brown relented.
"Marvelously Successful": Edward Brackett's Bust of John Brown, Sculpted from Life in a Virginia Jail
In November 1859, as John Brown awaited execution in Charlestown, the Boston sculptor Edward Augustus Brackett walked into his cell with measuring tools and sketch pads.
A New Nose for the Old Man
Two videos about the bust of John Brown and it’s restoration by Tufts University.