Bas Relief Plaque of the Steamship Robert E. Lee

American Red Gum wood
Inscribed (l.r.) RJ SEEVERS 75
Attributed to William James Seevers (1841-1919), a Civil War veteran from a family of wood carvers. According to oral history, the plaque was—for a period of time—on display by way of loan to the Boatmen’s Bank building in downtown St. Louis, Mousorri, although it spent most of its history within the collection of one family (four generations).
The Sidewheel Packet Steamship Robert E. Lee, known as the “Monarch of the Mississippi,” was a legendary 19th century river steamboat most famous for winning the Great Mississippi Steamboat Race of 1870. Built during the golden age of riverboats, the vessel became an enduring symbol of American maritime speed, rivalry, and luxury.