Case Auctions July 8 & 9: A Summer Gem
- by Bruce E. McKinney
A fun auction for the serious!
On July 8 & 9 Case Auctions will soon be holding a two day sale featuring “fine art, antiques, and jewelry and a solid 150 lots of ephemera, manuscripts, early images, relics and flags. Do I now have your attention?
Such sales randomly appear and later become the subjects of wistful memory. They often occur unexpectedly [such as mid-July] or come up in unexpected places and many of the pros miss them. Ouch! Don’t!
Case Auctions has been building a deepening footprint in the collectible paper field and reached out to us recently about what they have and it was fun to browse their 752 lots. The first 400 lots are interesting for those who like to consider non-paper collectibles. For paper-holics start at lot 460 and set your search to 120 lots per screen so you can speed browse through the listings. You’ll find many lots to consider if your focus is Tennessee or thereabouts.
Lots 562-567 are serious.
Here are some of them:
Lot 561. Civil War Ship Log of the USS Kearsarge, 1864, incl. Alabama Battle
Estimate $16,000 - $18,000
Abstract Log of the U.S. Steamer Kearsarge, Captain John A. Winslow Commanding, recording the ship's engagement and sinking of the CSS Alabama, commanded by Captain Raphael Semmes. The epic naval engagement between the USS Kearsarge and the CSS Alabama, the most famous of the Confederate Navy cruisers, off the coast of Cherbourg France on June 19, 1864, is one of the two most famous single ship versus single ship actions of the American Civil War (the other being the duel of the ironclads CSS Virginia versus the USS Monitor). Both had significant affects on the naval actions of the Civil War and beyond. This book has descended in Winslow's family, having never before been offered at auction, and is one of several important battle related objects being offered in this auction from the Kearsarge, a 1550-ton Mohican class steam sloop of war named for Mt. Kearsarge in New Hampshire, and constructed at the Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery, Maine, under the 1861 Civil War emergency shipbuilding program. US Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles had placed Wilmington, North Carolina-born Captain John Ancrum Winslow in command of the Kearsarge in December, 1862 with a direct imperative: to find and destroy the CSS Alabama. The most feared and successful raider of the Confederacy had been attacking Union merchant ships since her launch on May 15,1862, significantly cutting off international commerce and income for the Union. Her commander, Semmes, was Winslow's former friend and one-time roommate on the USS Raritan (some historians have speculated that Winslow's familiarity with Semmes was among the reasons Welles selected him for this specific command). The log's hand-written entries commence April 27, 1864, as the Kearsarge "got underway and steamed out of Dover roads", and end at 12:05 AM on Nov. 8, 1864, when Winslow and his crew returned as American heroes, anchoring at the Charleston Navy Yard. Winslow received intelligence on June 12, 1864 that the Alabama was docked at Cherbourg, France for repairs and immediately ordered the Kearsarge in that direction. The entry on June 14, 1864 reads: "Steering in for Cherbourg Breakwater. Stopped the engines off the eastern entrance and sent a boat ashore to communicate with the Am. Consul. Found the rebel privateer "Alabama" lying at anchor in the Roads." Winslow held off on an attack, however, as Semmes was in a neutral port, and the log book records Winslow making several boat trips between the Kearsarge and shore to "communicate" and plan his attack, while his crew prepared the ship for action and waited tensely for the battle to begin. Admiral Semmes knew the Kearsarge had him essentially boxed in, but had no intention of surrender, sending a message to Winslow asking the Kearsarge not to depart, as he intended to fight her. On June 19, with a large crowd of spectators watching from shore, the Alabama steamed out of port and the Kearsarge made her move, with Winslow hoping to draw Semmes far enough from shore that if disabled, the Alabama could not return to port. "We altered our course and approached the Alabama," the log book reports in its entry for the day. "...At 10:57 the Alabama commenced the action with her starboard broadside at 1000 yards range. At 11 we returned her fire and came fairly into action... When observing signs of distress in the enemy together with a cessation of her fire, our fire was withheld. At 12:10 a boat with an officer from the Alabama came alongside and surrendered his vessel with the information that she was rapidly sinking and a request for assistance. Sent the launch and 2nd cutter, the other boats having been disabled during the engagement. The English yacht [Deerhound] before-mentioned coming within hail was requested by the Captain to render assistance in saving the lives of the officers and crew of the surrendered vessel." The entry goes on to record the dramatic rescue of some of the Alabama's crew. Ironically, instead of delivering the Alabama's officers to Winslow as requested, "the English yacht steamed rapidly away..." allowing Semmes and several of his Confederate officers to escape and avoid imprisonment. The log goes on to report the aftermath of the battle, including damage and repairs to the ship, injuries, burials, and treatment of prisoners. The crew numbered approximately 150 on the Kearsarge (including 15 Black crewmen); the Alabama's crew at one time had numbered 170 but was said to have been recently reduced due to desertions. 3 Kearsarge sailors were injured in the battle (with one dying later), compared to 40 sailors of the Alabama killed in the conflict. Approximately 70 surviving sailors were picked up by Kearsarge boats, while Semmes escaped with 30 or so others. 17 of Kearsarge's crew received the Medal of Honor for their actions. This log book provides a rare and fascinating glimpse of life at sea for Winslow and his crew, even in the less dramatic pre-battle months and days: various crewmen being disciplined, for example, and an incident May 6 of 1862, when the ship incurred damage from striking a dolphin or a group of protective pilings near a dock, at Vlissingen (Flushing), Netherlands. (Repairs were completed on May 9th and the Kearsarge departed the following day). Vellum and paper wrapped boards, marbled fore edges and endpapers. Measures overall 12 1/2" x 8 1/2". Note: this book descended in Winslow's family through his only surviving grandson, U.S. Army Brig. Genl. E.E. Winslow, who settled in Memphis, Tennessee, and is being offered along with numerous other items from the family including at least one Kearsarge related battle flag and a watercolor painting of the ship in the following lots. This lot will include a copy of a notarized provenance letter from the direct descendant of Admiral Winslow.
Lot 562. Admiral John Winslow USS Kearsarge Civil War 35 Star Flag Plus Commendation and Photo
Estimate $18,000 - $22,000
35 star flag of the USS Kearsarge, used during battle with the CSS Alabama June,1864 and descended in the family of Kearsarge Captain John Ancrum Winslow, plus commendation and photograph (3 items).
The epic naval engagement between the CSS Alabama, the most famous of the Confederate Navy cruisers, and the USS Kearsarge off the coast of Cherbourg, France on June 19, 1864, is one of the two most famous single ship versus single ship actions of the American Civil War, the other being the duel of the ironclads CSS Virginia versus the USS Monitor. Both had significant affects on the naval actions of the Civil War and beyond.
The CSS Alabama was built in Birkenhead, England (opposite Liverpool) by John Laird & Sons ship builders under the secret name of Hull 290. She was a three masted screw powered sloop of war completed in May 1862 taking to the seas in late July. Her future captain, Raphael Semmes, a veteran Confederate naval raider, sailed on a different ship and met up with her in the Terciera Islands where she received her crew, armament and tons of coal for her engines. After outfitting, she was commissioned into the Confederate Navy and took to the seas. Throughout her career, the CSS Alabama conducted seven raids around the world against American shipping taking or destroying 65 Union vessels while boarding over 400 others. She put into Cherbourg, France on June 11, 1864 for repairs, a decision which would ultimately decide her fate.
Hunting her was the USS Kearsarge, also a sloop of war that was steam powered, launched in September 1861 and by February 1862 had set sail for Spain. She was under the command of Captain John A. Winslow, also a veteran naval officer, and Semmes' former roommate on the USS Raritan more than a decade earlier. Upon arrival at Gibraltar, the Kearsarge assisted in forcing the Confederates to abandon the raider CSS Sumter, commanded by Raphael Semmes. Once the CSS Alabama had taken to sea, the USS Kearsarge was tasked with searching for her and bringing her to heel, something that took Winslow and his crew across expanses of ocean off of Europe and Africa. Finally, on June 14, 1864, Winslow had found his prey in the French harbor setting the stage for the epic naval battle that would end with the demise of the Confederate raider.
Semmes and the Alabama took to sea to fight her way out of port. Winslow, spying his foe sailing towards him, ordered all his flags to fly. According to an 1868 letter, Winslow, cleared his ship for action and, “set the colors at the gaff and round up to the mastheads without breaking stops.” This placed his main ensign at the stern and the smaller boat and storm flags on top of his three masts which were hoisted unfurled so they would not need to be broken out. Winslow reported that this would give him spare colors for battle in case one or more were shot away. He continued, “the action commenced and continued until the last gun of the “Alabama” was fired, and but one flag (which was at the gaff) flying on board the Kearsarge.” The last shot from the Alabama broke the stop of a flag hoisted to one of his masts and unfurled it meaning that at least one flag was hoisted without ”breaking stops.”
The flag being offered for auction was on board the USS Kearsarge that fateful day and it was undoubtedly one of those hoisted to one of her masts for the battle.
Professionally made, using period sewing techniques, of imported English wool bunting for her canton and striped field and bearing thirty-five white cotton stars, the banner measures 40 ½ inches on the hoist by 79 ½ inches on the fly. Based on the size, this flag is rated a Number 12 Boat Flag according to the 1863 U.S. Navy flag regulations. Boat flags were issued for each of the launches of larger warships, of which the Kearsarge had four. The cotton or linen canvas hoist edge is a hollow sleeve to allow the passing of the knotted rope used to attach the flag to a ship’s halyard for hoisting. The hoist edge bears two markings, one indiscernible and the other bearing the initials “K W.” More details on this flag and more will be found in the accompanying letter written by noted Civil War flag historian Greg Biggs which will transfer to the flag’s new owner.
This flag is exceedingly rare and it is one of only four known surviving flags from the USS Kearsarge. Three of these are in museums today: the flag which flew at the gaff, which has been at the Smithsonian since the Winslow family placed it there in 1870s, and two of which are in the U.S. Navy system. It comes with solid provenance, descending from the Winslow family through his grandson, Eben Eveleth Winslow, an Army Brigadier General. The flag is framed, sewn to a backing and mounted under plexiglass in a 42 1/2" x 81" ebonized frame with brass commemorative plaque. This is the first time any flag from the Kearsarge has ever been offered at auction. We wish to thank Greg Biggs for his assistance in examining and cataloging this flag. This lot will include a copy of a notarized provenance letter from the direct descendant of Admiral Winslow.
Note: The 35 Star Flag became the official United States Flag on July 4, 1863 with the addition of West Virginia; it is the only US flag representing a state admitted during the Civil War, and was only official for two years.
2nd item: Commendation from the Chamber of Commerce of the State of New York, to Admiral John Winslow. The hand-drawn and lettered vellum document offers Winslow and the officers and crew of the USS Kearsarge "the congratulations and thanks of the Chamber for the destruction of the steamer Alabama" and praises "the skill, coolness and intrepidity with which the Kearsarge was maneuvered in the combat with her formidable foe." Signed by John Austin Stevens, Jr., secretary, and Abiel Abbott Low, president and dated Oct. 6, 1864. 19" x 21". Housed in the original gilt-lettered leather tube case. 3rd item: framed reproduction photograph of Admiral Winslow and officers on the deck of the USS Kearsarge after sinking the CSS Alabama, 24" x 30".
Lot 563. Admiral John Winslow's 13 Star Flag
Estimate $6,000 - $7,000
Rear Admiral John Ancrum Winslow's U.S. Navy 13 Star Boat Flag, possibly used during the historic Civil War naval victory of the USS Kearsarge over the CSS Alabama on June 19, 1864 off the coast of Cherbourg, France, and descended in his family along with several other Kearsarge/Winslow family objects in this auction. The entirely hand stitched flag features thirteen slightly irregular double-appliqued stars arranged horizontally in three rows of four-five-and-four on a blue canton, and thirteen red and white stripes. The bunting is made of sheep's wool, dyed with madder (confirmed by microanalysis) with cotton apparently used for the stars. The header is pierced with four hand-fashioned whip-stitched grommets. The flag measures 70" x 36" overall and is stitch mounted under plexiglass in an ebonized custom frame. The framing includes a mid 20th century brass plaque which incorrectly identifies the flag's composition as linen and misattributes it to 1784. Rather, it is more likely that the flag dates from the mid 19th century, raising the likelihood that, like the 35-star flag in the preceding lot (#562), it may have been used on the USS Kearsarge, which Winslow commanded.
We wish to thank flag historian James Ferrigan for his assistance in researching and cataloging this flag. A copy of his full, 9-page report on this flag is available on request and will be provided to the winning bidder. In it, Mr. Ferrigan notes, "During the period of the U.S. sailing navy and the early steam powered navy, nearly all ships possessed small boats, propelled by oars or small sails. These smaller craft permitted the transfer of personnel of small cargoes from ship to shore or ship to ship on open sea. Like their mother ships, these gigs or small boats carried a stern staff for a small ensign. The small ensigns flown on these gigs were called Boat Flags by the U.S. Navy. These flags are highly prized because of their size. Most 19th century Naval Flags were quite large [but] the smaller boat flags provide a convenient alternative for both collectors and scholars alike. This example bears similarities to other U.S. Navy boat flags, in particular the reported size of 36" x 70". A review of U.S. Navy 'Tables of Allowances' reveals that this is very similar to the Size 13 in use during the Civil War... additionally, this flag is finished with four whipped stitched eyelets on the heading, and these are often found on naval boat flags which were affixed to a stern staff for use in small boats. It was quite common for 19th century American Naval officers to retain flags from their various commands and similar Navy boat flags from other famous American Civil War naval families - Decatur, Farragut and Porter - are documented in museum collections. It is not known when this boat flag was framed, but its similarity [to] the frame of another 35 star flag from the USS Kearsarge [lot 562] makes it highly likely that both Winslow family flags were from the Kearsarge."
Boat flags were issued for each of the launches of larger warships, of which the Kearsarge had four; the Kearsarge's abstract log, also offered in this auction [lot 561], records several instances of its launches being use to transport Captain Winslow between ship and shore to plan the battle and for use in rescuing survivors of the Alabama as it sank. It was not uncommon for ships to use flags of varying designs, and the traditional 13 star flag design of this flag - which the U.S. Navy has used throughout its history - would likely have appealed to Ancrum, a lifelong patriot and Mayflower descendant. Only four known surviving flags from the USS Kearsarge are known; three of these are in museums today (the one in the Smithsonian donated by the Winslow family, and two in the U.S. Navy system), and the one in lot #562 of this auction.(For a full discussion of that flag, framed the same as this one, and the use of flags on board the Kearsage, see the catalog entry for lot #562). This lot will include a copy of a notarized provenance letter from the direct descendant of Admiral Winslow.
Note: The CSS Alabama, the most feared and successful raider of the Confederacy, had been attacking Union merchant ships since her launch on May 15,1862, significantly cutting off international commerce and income for the Union. John Ancrum Winslow and the crew of the USS Kearsarge earned international recognition by ending the Alabama's seige in one of the two most famous single ship versus single ship actions of the American Civil War (the other being the duel of the ironclads CSS Virginia versus the USS Monitor). Both had significant affects on the naval actions of the Civil War and beyond.
Winslow was a Southerner himself by birth, born 1811 in Wilmington, North Carolina. But his father, a descendant of Mayflower passengers Mary Chilton and John Winslow, insisted he attend school in New England. Politically powerful family friend Daniel Webster helped young Winslow secure a job as midshipman in 1827. He went on to earn distinction for his efforts during the capture of Tobasco in the Mexican War. However, Winslow experienced his first significant failure two years later when he lost his first command (of the USS Morris) in a gale. It was around this time that he first met Raphael Semmes, who had suffered the same embarrassment; the two were roommates on the USS Raritan. They would serve on opposite sides, however, of the Civil War. Winslow began the War commanding the gunboat Benton under Andrew Foote, but he was unable to participate in the important Fort Henry, Island No. 10 and Memphis operations due to a freak accident that injured his arm in December 1861. A combination of other health setbacks (including the loss of an eye) and political missteps within the Navy threatened to relegate Winslow to low profile assignments. In 1862, he was given what may have seemed to some an impossible task: to hunt down Confederate raiders, specifically the notorious Alabama. On April 6, 1863, he formally assumed charge of the USS Kearsarge, a 1550-ton Mohican class steam sloop of war named for Mt. Kearsarge in New Hampshire. In June, 1864, Winslow and his crew discovered the Alabama in the port of Cherbourg, France, undergoing repairs. The action commenced on June 19, and following a brief but intense battle, the Kearsarge sank the feared raider to the bottom of the sea while remaining relatively unscathed. Captain John Winslow became a Union hero. The Kearsarge victory won him a promotion to Commodore and he was voted the thanks of Congress. He was advanced to Rear Admiral in 1870 and commanded the Pacific Squadron until 1872, a year before his death of natural causes. Multiple United States Navy ships have been named in honor of both the Kearsarge and of Winslow himself.
Biography Sources: USS Kearsarge Ship's Log; John Morris Ellicott: The Live of John Ancrum Winslow, G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1902; Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, 6 volumes, edited by William S. Powell. Copyright 1979-1996 by the University of North Carolina Press.
Lot 564. Dolland Maritime Telescope, USS Kearsarge related, with tripod and box
Estimate $1,400 - $1,600
Dollond maritime telescope or spyglass of US Navy Rear Admiral John Winslow, likely used during the USS Kearsarge's epic battle with the CSS Alabama off Cherbourg, France, 1864, and descended in his family. The 3-draw telescope has a wooden barrel, brass fittings and three brass draw tubes, and is signed "Dollond, London" in flowing script on the first draw tube. It retains its original hand dovetailed wooden box with mounts and additional lenses. The telescope measures 10" closed and 20" extended. It features a 2" diameter main objective lens with green tint for reduced glare at sea and the original brass end cap. English, early to mid 19th century. Note: English-made Dollond telescopes were prized for their optical quality and depended upon by some of the world's most important historical figures. George Washington's Dolland telescope, essential to his tactical decisions during the American Revolution, is in the Smithsonian Museum of American History in Washington, DC, and a Dolland telescope owned by Thomas Jefferson is at Monticello. 19th century Naval heroes Lord Nelson and Captain Cook also took Dolland telescopes to sea. History: English born Royal Society Fellow John Dolland (1706-1761) joined his son Peter's business of making optical instruments about 1752, and patented the achromatic lens a few years later, earning him the Copley Medal from the Royal Society. Shortly before his death, Dolland was made Optician to the King. After John Dolland's death, Peter and his company continued to make optical advancements and produce high quality telescopes and equipment through the 19th century. In 1927, Dolland & Co. merged with Aitchison & Co. to form Dolland & Aitchison, the well known British high street chain of opticians. The epic naval engagement between the CSS Alabama, the most famous of the Confederate Navy cruisers, and the USS Kearsarge off the coast of France on June 19, 1864, is one of the two most famous single ship versus single ship actions of the American Civil War, the other being the duel of the ironclads CSS Virginia versus the USS Monitor. Both had significant affects on the naval actions of the Civil War and beyond. Throughout her career, the CSS Alabama, under the command of Raphael Semmes, conducted seven raids around the world against American shipping taking or destroying 65 Union vessels while boarding over 400 others. She put into Cherbourg, France on June 11, 1864 for repairs. Hunting her was the USS Kearsarge, also a sloop of war that was steam powered, launched in September 1861 and by February 1862 had set sail for Spain. She was under the command of Captain Winslow, also a veteran naval officer, Mayflower descendant, and a past friend and roommate of Semmes. Finally, on June 14, 1864, Winslow found his prey in the French harbor and the battle occurred on June 19 (details are found in the Kearsarge's abstract log, also offered in this auction). Winslow's crew had draped heavy chains over the side of the wooden ship, creating in effect chain mail armor, then planked over the chains to make them invisible, providing greater protection from Alabama’s fire, which came with great intensity. Several rounds that hit the Kearsarge failed to explode however, and ultimately it was the Alabama that began taking on water and sank. About 40 Confederates were killed; one Kearsarge sailor later died of his injuries, and Raphael Semmes escaped. Captain John Winslow became a household name; the Kearsarge victory won him a promotion to Commodore and he was voted the thanks of Congress. He was advanced to Rear Admiral in 1870 and commanded the Pacific Squadron until 1872, a year before his death of natural causes. Note: for more information on Winslow and the victory of the USS Kearsarge, including other objects related to the ship, see lots #561-567 in this auction). This lot will include a copy of a notarized provenance letter from the direct descendant of Admiral Winslow.
Lot 565. USS Kearsarge Wood Relic Frame and Marine Painting.
Estimate $800 - $900
Two (2) USS Kearsarge items originally owned by its commander, Rear Admiral John Ancrum Winslow. 1st item: CDV-sized picture frame made of 4 intersecting wooden sticks, along with a piece of wood inscribed, "This frame made of the stern post of the Kearsarge where shell from the Alabama lodged". Accompanied by a handwritten note with similar inscription. (The original photograph housed in this frame is not present). Frame overall: 7" x 5". Opening - 3 1/2" x 2 1/2". Note: In his report to U.S. Navy Secretary Gideon Welles the day after the USS Kearsarge sank the CSS raider Alabama, then-Captain Winslow reported that his ship was in relatively unscathed condition. "Although we received some twenty-five or thirty shots, twelve or thirteen taking effect in the hull, by the mercy of God we have been spared... the only shot which I fear will give us any trouble is one 100-pound rifle, which entered our stern post and remains at present unexploded." (Had that shell fired by the Alabama exploded, the consequences could have been catastrophic for the Kearsarge). Worldwide admiration for the famous ship in the wake of its victory spread all the way to the White House. On Jan. 28, 1865, Commandant S.H. Stringham notified Gideon Welles, Secretary of the U.S. Navy on behalf of Abraham Lincoln, "Sir: Understanding from Captain Winslow that the President desired the shell from the sternpost of the Kearsarge, I have had the sternpost sawed off and the piece containing the shell has been boxed up and sent by the Supply to Norfolk, with a request to the commandant of the station that he would forward the box to you at the earliest opportunity." While it is unknown what Lincoln ultimately did with the shell, this small surviving wood frame and its note suggest that Winslow, also, kept a souvenir from the ship itself as a reminder of its good luck during battle. 2nd item: Ink wash/watercolor detailed painting depicting the USS Kearsarge, with figures on board, in a harbor with a city (likely Boston) in the background. The unsigned maritime painting appears to be executed on paper which has then been adhered over a photograph or print of a photograph by important Boston photographer John A. Whipple, 1864 (the year the Kearsarge achieved international fame by sinking the CSS Alabama in battle). Framed under glass. Painting: 14 1/2" x 10". Print: 12" x 15". Frame - 20" x 24". Note: The victory of the USS Kearsarge over the Alabama captured the imagination of numerous artists, starting with French artists present among the crowds watching the action from the shores of France, and continuing through the ship's American homecoming. Impressionist painter Edouard Manet famously painted the Kearsarge (Ref. "Manet and the Civil War: the Battle of USS Kearsarge and CSS Alabama," Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2003), as did Xanthus Smith and Theodore Antoine Gudin ("There is a great rush to see the Kearsarge. M. Gudin, the famous marine painter, has gone to take designs for a picture of the combat." - The Louisville Courier Journal, July 14, 1864). This small painting is likely pasted over the photograph or print that inspired it, now in the collection of the Library of Congress (Ref. "USS Kearsarge vs. CSS Alabama: Personal Accounts and Official Reports, Anthology by Maxim Ferapontov, p. 59). Note: "The Mohican-class steam sloop-of-war, USS Kearsarge, was commissioned on January 24, 1862, at Portsmouth Navy Yard. Deployed to European waters during the Civil War, she searched for Confederate raiders. On June 19, 1864, in the Battle of Cherbourg, Kearsarge, commanded by Captain John A. Winslow, sank CSS Alabama, commanded by Raphael Semmes, ending the career of the South's most famous commerce raider. The engagement lasted an hour and ten minutes. Seventeen of Kearsarge's crew received the Medal of Honor for their actions. Decommissioned after the war, Kearsarge was in and out of commissioned for nearly the next thirty years serving in the Pacific, the Atlantic, Central American waters, and in the Caribbean. On February 2, 1894, while en-route from Haiti to Nicaragua, she wrecked on Roncador Reef. Efforts to salvage her proved fruitless, and Kearsarge was stricken from the Navy List later that year. A model of Kearsarge is in the Civil War section of the National Museum of the U.S. Navy." (Source: National Museum of the U.S. Navy). For more information on Winslow and the victory of the USS Kearsarge, including other objects related to the ship including flags and the ship's abstract log, see lots #561-567 in this auction. This lot will include a copy of a notarized provenance letter from the direct descendant of Admiral Winslow.
Not to say there are other lots to consider. From lot 548 there are maps and documents to consider. Beginning from lot 569 there are ambrotypes, images and then swords and so on.
Lot 594. Rare 19th C. Silk Ribbon Copy of the Declaration of Independence
Estimate $500 - $550
Rare ribbon copy of the Declaration of Independence, jacquard woven in silk with the Trophy of Eagles emblem depicting the bald eagle with the American flag, shield, and arrows in the upper margin. Inscribed in thread "American Silk Label Mfg. Co. NY" to lower left corner. 13" H x 8 1/4" W. American/New York, late 19th century, possibly circa 1876. Note: Commemorative versions of this item dating from 1925 and 1975 are housed in the Smithsonian and Metropolitan museums, each including phrases "Presented as a Souvenir of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the American Silk Label Manufacturing co." (1925 edition) and "This historical reproduction was first woven by us in 1876 for the centennial expedition at Philadelphia and was given an award for outstanding workmanship. the original was hung in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. We are proud to weave it again in commemoration of our 100th anniversary and on the coming of the Bicentennial of the United States of America." (1975 edition). The ribbon in this lot appears to pre-date the later editions and does not include references to an earlier version, suggesting it was made closer to or right around the time of the Centennial Exposition, however we can find no extant 1876 examples with which to compare it.
And there is at least one other lot to give you pause.
It's lot 609 - 4 Memphis, TN Oversize Sanborn Insurance Map Books, 1907.
Estimate $500 - $550
Four oversize volumes of the 1907 Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps of Memphis, Tennessee, with 1922 and 1928 revisions pasted in. These color lithographed maps describe the city in great detail, including the location of all buildings, roads, railroads, and water systems. Maps 14-15, vol. 1, and 140-143, vol. 2, are either missing or were not included. Published by Sanborn Map Company, 1907, New York. Folio, 27 1/4" H x 19 1/2" W x 2 3/8" D. Note: Of interest to historical researchers and for preservation and restoration purposes, these volumes describe demographic changes in Memphis. For instance, plates 151-152, vol. 2, show the area changing from a white middle-class neighborhood to a black middle-class neighborhood and business district, evidenced by the "negro tenements" and black churches, including Centenary Methodist Episcopal and Metropolitan Baptist Church. The area on plate 152, vol. 2, was razed in 1939 for the construction of William H. Foote Homes, a public housing project. Daniel Alfred Sanborn, a civil engineer and surveyor, began working on fire insurance maps in the 1860s and his company soon became one of the largest and most successful American map companies. Sanborn's first work mapping cities for insurance purposes began in Tennessee when Aetna Insurance hired him to survey a few towns across the state. (Courtesy Tennessee State Library and Archives, Tennessee Virtual Archive)
Enjoy your browsing and if you decide to bid: bon chance!
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