Anna Willess Williams
Encyclopedia
Anna Willess Williams was a teacher and philosophical writer best known as the model for George T. Morgan's
silver dollar design, popularly known as the Morgan dollar
.
. Morgan opted to use the profile of an American girl to depict Liberty
instead of simply creating an imaginary figure for the obverse
of his new design. After he rejected several possible candidates, Morgan's friend, artist Thomas Eakins
, recommended Anna Williams of Philadelphia. Eakins knew Williams through her father, Henry Williams. She reluctantly sat for five modelling sessions with Morgan in November 1876 after being convinced to do so by friends. Morgan was impressed with her profile, stating that it was the most perfect he had seen in England or America. The silver dollar bearing her likeness was first struck on March 11, 1878. A condition of her sitting for Morgan was that her identity be kept secret, but the subject of the portrait was revealed to be Williams shortly after the dollar was released. Williams was troubled by her newly acquired fame, receiving thousands of letters and visits at both her home and workplace. Williams preferred not to talk about her modelling work with Morgan, dismissing it as an "incident of my youth."
philosophy at a girls' normal school
. Though she was once engaged to an unknown suitor, Williams died, unmarried, on April 17, 1926.
George T. Morgan
George T. Morgan was an English United States Mint engraver, who is famous for designing many popular coins, such as the Morgan Dollar, and the Columbian Exposition half dollar.-Biography:...
silver dollar design, popularly known as the Morgan dollar
Morgan Dollar
The Morgan dollar was a United States dollar coin minted intermittently from 1878 to 1921. It was the first standard silver dollar minted since production of the previous design, the Seated Liberty dollar, ceased due to the passage of the Fourth Coinage Act, an act which also ended the free coining...
.
Morgan dollar
In 1876, George T. Morgan began creating a series of new coin designs at the behest of Director of the Mint, Dr. Henry R. LindermanHenry Linderman
Henry Richard Linderman was an American financier.-Medical practice:...
. Morgan opted to use the profile of an American girl to depict Liberty
Liberty (goddess)
Goddesses named for and representing the concept Liberty have existed in many cultures, including classical examples dating from the Roman Empire and some national symbols such as the British "Britannia" or the Irish "Kathleen Ni Houlihan"....
instead of simply creating an imaginary figure for the obverse
Obverse and reverse
Obverse and its opposite, reverse, refer to the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags , seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, obverse means the front face of the object and reverse...
of his new design. After he rejected several possible candidates, Morgan's friend, artist Thomas Eakins
Thomas Eakins
Thomas Cowperthwait Eakins was an American realist painter, photographer, sculptor, and fine arts educator...
, recommended Anna Williams of Philadelphia. Eakins knew Williams through her father, Henry Williams. She reluctantly sat for five modelling sessions with Morgan in November 1876 after being convinced to do so by friends. Morgan was impressed with her profile, stating that it was the most perfect he had seen in England or America. The silver dollar bearing her likeness was first struck on March 11, 1878. A condition of her sitting for Morgan was that her identity be kept secret, but the subject of the portrait was revealed to be Williams shortly after the dollar was released. Williams was troubled by her newly acquired fame, receiving thousands of letters and visits at both her home and workplace. Williams preferred not to talk about her modelling work with Morgan, dismissing it as an "incident of my youth."
Personal life
Despite being offered acting jobs, Williams worked as a teacher until her retirement in 1924. She left her job as principal at a girls' house-of-refuge school to become a teacher of kindergartenKindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
philosophy at a girls' normal school
Normal school
A normal school is a school created to train high school graduates to be teachers. Its purpose is to establish teaching standards or norms, hence its name...
. Though she was once engaged to an unknown suitor, Williams died, unmarried, on April 17, 1926.