John Quincy and Louis Catherine Adams, painted by Charles Robert Leslie in the fall of 1816.

John Quincy and Louis Catherine Adams, painted by Charles Robert Leslie in the fall of 1816. A year after assuming his post as minister to Great Britain, JQA and his wife sat for the young American painter. This likeness of JQA conveys a relaxed, confident manner befitting his recent diplomatic successes. Louisa, in her reclining pose, richly outfitted in the Regency style, reflects the poise and elegance of a worldly woman. Both portraits capture the Adamses at a particularly happy time. After six long years in St. Petersburg, they were finally reunited with their sons.

As part of his daily walks, JQA paced out the distances between bridges and buildings in St. Petersburg. Taking into account the length of his stride and the number of paces, he recorded in minutes the distances between key landmarks. He eventually measured nearly all of the pedestrian routes of St. Petersburg.

JQA kept meticulous accounts of his dwindling finances. In addition to the various household expenses, Adams was obliged to give holiday presents not only to his own servants and their children, but also to the domestics of the Emperor, his mother, and several high ranking diplomats.