 With lessons learned from the Sanderson series , Longacre proposed to issue his own set of biographies illustrated with plates of the subjects . He was on the point of launching this project , having invested $ 1 @,@ 000 of his own money ( equal to $ 23 @,@ 703 today ) in preparation , when he learned that James Herring of New York City was planning a similar series . In October 1831 , he wrote to Herring , and the two men agreed to work together on The American Portrait Gallery ( later called the National Portrait Gallery of Distinguished Americans ) , published in four volumes between 1834 and 1839 . Herring was an artist , but much of the work of illustrating fell to Longacre , who travelled widely in the United States to sketch subjects from life . He again sketched Jackson , who was by now president , as well as former president James Madison , both in July 1833 . He met many of the political leaders of the day , who were impressed by his portraits . Among these advocates was the former vice president , South Carolina Senator John C. Calhoun . In July 1832 , Niles ' Register described a Longacre engraving , " one of the finest specimens of American advancement in the art " . 
