“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.