1864 / 1865 dated & identified – FOLK ART SLIDE TOP BOX Illustrated here with a Civil War era quarter for size comparison is an attractive little slide top box, handmade from American walnut in the popular shape of a book. Its covers nicely cut with M. S. HILL 9-1864 on one side and N. SWEET 1865 GLENSFALLS on the other, the box is lined and divided into two compartments by a rich period textile suggesting intended use as a jewelry box. The history of the nicely carved memento, clearly made and gifted one to the other has unfortunately been lost in time. We found but one New York N. Sweet serving in the Civil War. He was eighteen year old Newton Sweet (local residence not given) who mustered in on August 27, 1862 as Pvt., Co. A, 125th New York Infantry. Taken as a prisoner of war at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia September 15, 1862 Pvt. Sweet was quickly paroled. On September 3, 1863 he was transferred into the Veteran Reserve Corps. His date and method of discharge not are not given. No M. S. Hill is listed as serving from New York strengthening a likelihood Hill was indeed lady friend recipient of Pvt. Sweet’s folk art gift. Reasonable speculation based on official records but speculation none the less. A nice piece of Civil War vintage folk art all the same and we have tried to reflect necessary additional research in our price. Buy with confidence! We are pleased to offer a no questions asked three day inspection with return as purchased on direct sales! Just send us a courtesy e-mail to let us know your item will be returned per these provisions and your purchase price will be refunded accordingly.
Manufacturer: handcrafted Antique  

antique silver BOATSWAIN’S PIPE This classic navy boatswain’s pipe is fashioned from sterling silver with style and construction indicative of the mid to later 1800s. Uncleaned with its natural age tarnish as found after decades of storage, this antique boatswain’s pipe offers good evidence of age and period use yet remains solid and in pleasing condition. Of particular interest upon close inspection is a period scratch engraved identification barely visible under the old silver tarnish patina. E. T. LEE in block letters may shed more specific light on the pipes past history. ALL ITEMS ARE CURRENT & AVAILABLE UNLESS MARKED SOLD!! Thanks for visiting our catalog!!
Manufacturer: American antique  

Gen. Joshua L. Chamberlain - HOME G. A. R. POST FLAG An all original circa 1889 (42 star) memorial stick flag from the home Grand Army of the Republic, Civil War veteran’s Post of Major. General Joshua L. Chamberlain. The Mountfort G. A. R. Post # 22 was located near the Gettysburg hero and Medal of Honor winner’s home in Brunswick, Maine. This vintage flag measures approximately 12 X 22 inches and offers lots of eye appeal with its bright printed coloration on nicely patinaed old cotton gauze material. A couple of small holes with accompanying age staining only add to the charm of this nice old piece of Americana. A perfect size for framing and display, this memorial flag will be of special interest to enthusiasts of the old 20th Maine Infantry Colonel, G. A. R. or American flag collector.
Manufacturer: American antique  

Civil War vintage Silver Eagle & Wreath PATRIOTIC PIN Whether considered a uniform blouse or military headgear embellishment, or worn as a piece of lady’s jewelry, this piece will set in well with any period patriotic grouping. Though unmarked as to maker or material, this eye appealing American Eagle and wreath will test as solid silver and boasts that style and design that Civil War collectors like to see. The piece measures approximately 1 1/2 inches in length and will make a nice addition to the lady’s jewelry box or period military grouping. ALL ITEMS ARE CURRENT & AVAILABLE UNLESS MARKED SOLD!! Thanks for visiting our catalog!!


Manufacturer: american antique  

13th Maine Infantry Sgt.’s – PHOTO & Civil War COLT REVOLVER A nice item for the Civil War collector who has special appreciation for a history of honest wartime use and carrying over the fine condition, slightly used, examples favored by firearms collectors. Offered here from our long time personal collection of identified Maine related Civil War things is the Colt Navy Model 1851 percussion revolver and CDV photograph of Sgt. Horace B. Greely (a.k.a. Greeley). We first discovered the well used old Colt and the war time photo of its original owner when we saw the pair displayed in a small historical society museum. On temporary loan to the museum by descendants we were able to acquire the revolver and CDV when they were sold at the seasonal close of the museum. (Our letter certifying and preserving their history will come with the photo and Colt.) Our photographs will do best to describe the condition of this well used old Colt except to say that it is solid, functional and complete with a period modification of the front sight and what appears to be a period field repair of a loading lever screw. With all of its evidence of lots of period use and carrying the action remains smooth and the cylinder indexes and locks up well. The serial numbers are all matching and indicate a manufacture date of 1861. The accompanying photograph of the Maine soldier was rendered by the B. Moses Gallery in New Orleans, Louisiana and bears the subjects period ink identification with Co. and Regiment. Greely is captured full length and in full uniform with sergeant stripes with the hilt of his NCO sword protruding from his closed left fist. On his right side only faintly visible in the shadow of his arm, one can see the gleam of his Colt revolver holstered butt out. Sgt. Horace Bradford Greely was a twenty-four year old resident of Cumberland, Maine when on December 12, 1861 he enlisted and was mustered in as Sergeant of Co. G 13th Maine Volunteer Infantry. The muster in rank as an NCO would be no surprise as Greeley was from one of Cumberland’s most influential families with the high school there still bearing the family name. Sgt. Greely remained with the 13th Maine through it’s term of service mustering out with the regiment on January 6, 1865. The regiment had weathered the sickness and disease of Ship Island off the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, participated in the defense of New Orleans and the capture of Point Isabel, Mustang Island and Fort Esperanza in Texas before forming a part of Gen. Banks Red River expedition and the Battle of Sabine Cross Roads. After participation in the battles of Pleasant Hill and Cane River Crossing, Louisiana, the 13th Maine was sent North to Harpers Ferry then to Martinsburg, West Virginia to protect Gen. Sheridan’s supply base where they remained engaged in that task until expiration of their term of service and return to Maine for mustering out on January 6, 1865. Horace Bradford Greely died in Portland, Maine in 1916 at the ripe old age of seventy-nine. A nice honest Civil War relic with a period image of the original owner.

A note about firearms: WE SUPPORT RESPONSIBLE CONTROL OF MODERN FIREARMS AND EMPHASIZE HERE THAT THIS PIECE IS CONSIDERED AN ANTIQUE / COLLECTABLE AND IS THEREFORE OUTSIDE RESTRICTIONS APPLICABLE TO COVERED (MODERN) FIREARMS. THE PIECE IS OFFERED AS A HISTORICAL COLLECTABLE ONLY AND THOUGH MECHANICALLY OPERABLE, IS NOT TO BE CONSIDERED FIREABLE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. PURCHASE OF THIS ITEM WILL CONSTITUTE A FULL UNDERSTANDING OF AND AGREEMENT WITH THE ABOVE.


Manufacturer: Colt  

Civil War vintage JEWS HARP Period, all original and in excellent condition is this staple of the Civil War campfire. Lots of eye appeal and a desirable pocket size ( Illustrated here with a U.S. quarter for size comparison). This example remains in excellent condition with clear evidence of period construction and a rich age patina. please note: ALL ITEMS ARE CURRENT & AVAILABLE UNLESS MARKED SOLD!!.
Manufacturer: American Antique  

Silver Mounted / Decorated - Antique DRINKING GOURD A bit of a departure for us but too neat to pass up was this attractive hand decorated and silver mounted antique drinking gourd. Standing approximately 3 ¼ inches high and about the diameter of a baseball, this all original decorated drinking gourd dates in the earlier to mid nineteenth century. Deassed from a small maritime museum (see inventory # on bottom) where it had been displayed as an example of early 1800s sailor art from passage around the horn, this piece is actually of South American origin, more specifically Argentina. Our research has told us that the hand carved and paint embellished design on the body of the gourd is from the seal of Argentina’s Constitutional Assembly of 1813. (see illustration) All original and in nice condition with no cracks of flaws this piece offers wonderful rich age patina. As with all direct sales, we are pleased to offer a no questions asked three day inspection with refund of the purchase price upon return as purchased!


Manufacturer: Antique handcraft  

Victorian art - AMBROTYPE Our photo illustrations will do best to describe this attractive 9th plate ambrotype except to advise that the condition with sharp focus and contrast just as you see it here and that the matted and framed image retains its original printed backing of Heywood’s Photograph and Ambrotype Gallery on Washington Street in Boston. (see: John B. Heywood photographer working in Boston ca.1856-186. Examples of his photographs are maintained in the New York Public Library and the Massachusetts Historical Society collections.) A touching Victorian image. ALL ITEMS ARE CURRENT & AVAILABLE UNLESS MARKED SOLD!! Thanks for visiting our catalog!!


Manufacturer: Heywood’s Photograph and Ambrotype Gallery - Boston  

scarce early issue Civil War vet’s G. A. R. MEMBERSHIP MEDAL We will let our illustrations speak for this hard to find early Grand Army of the Republic membership medal except to advise that it was picked out of Maine and is completely original to the period down to it’s early Medal of Honor style fastener, complete with good traces of period gold wash, original ribbon and early configuration star suspension. All original with lots of character and eye appeal, this MOH style G. A. R. medal is a tough one to find on today’s market. As with all direct sales, we are pleased to offer a no questions asked three day inspection with refund of the purchase price upon return as purchased!
Manufacturer: American antique  

early hand turned MAPLE DRUMSTICKS Each measuring approximately 15 3/8 inches in length and about 9/16 in diameter at the widest point with a period characteristic straight taper to the acorn shaped tip, these antique rock maple drumsticks remain in excellent untouched original condition. The classic straight taper and hand cut butt ends will make this set fit in nicely with any Civil War and earlier grouping and will go especially well with any smaller period drum. Don't forget to give our search feature a try for special wants. A simple key word in lower case works best.
Manufacturer: hand turned Antique  

Newspaper Man & Author- William Wirt Sikes / Civil War era Photographs Offered here as a group to keep them together are four original photographs of noted Civil War era newspaper man and author W. Wirt Sikes. Found in the period CDV / tintype album of a well to do Watertown, New York family, (Elizabeth Townsend Porter Beach wife of John C Beach) the two carte de viste images are ink identified on the back with family pencil notations. The tintypes are period pencil identified on the album page. All are in excellent condition with sharp focus and strong contras. A nice grouping for the Civil War era newspaper enthusiast and American literature collector, Watertown born W. Wirt Sikes started his literary career in 1856 as a typesetter and contributor for the Utica Morning Herald. At the outbreak of the Civil War we find Sikes in a prestigious position appointed as State Canal Inspector of Illinois. Two years later Wirt Sikes was back again in newspaper work on the Chicago Evening Journal and by 1865 he had removed to New York where he was a contributor to several of the popular periodicals of the day to include Harpers New Monthly Magazine, the Youth's Companion, Oliver Optic's Magazine, and the New York Sun. He became part owner and editor of the Nyack City & Country and the Rockland County Journal while at the same time writing for other periodicals such as the Toledo Weekly Blade and more. He was appointed U.S. consul at Cardiff, Wales, in June, 1876, and published much on the archaeology and history of that region. By the time of his death in 1883 the prolific William Wirt Sikes was said to have used over twenty pen names. A rare opportunity for the America literary enthusiast to acquire personal unpublished photographs of one of the Civil War eras most prolific American writers.



 

c. 1870 antique miniature book - PUNCH COMIC BIJOU This desirable miniature antique comic book dates to approximately1870, quite possibly a little earlier, and is titled Bijou Comic Album. Published by Rock Brothers & Payne of London, this miniature volume measures approximately 1 X 1.25 with 26 wood-engraved comic illustrations with captions. Bound in fine green morocco leather, gilt-stamped with oak leaves, this desirable collectable remains in nice original condition. (Illustrated here with a U.S. quarter for size comparison.) As with all direct sales, we are pleased to offer a no questions asked three day inspection with refund of the purchase price upon return as purchased!
Manufacturer: Rock Brothers & Payne of London  

Patent 1877 FINGER LAMP Offered here uncleaned and in nice condition with a soft natural age patina just as it was relegated to attic trunk storage decades ago, is this eye appealing little spun brass finger lamp. The wick adjustment wheel is nicely marked PAT-FEBY- 27- 1877. (Illustrated here with a U. S. quarter for size comparison.) A nice little item for the lighting collector. Don't forget to give our search feature a try for special wants. A simple key word in lower case works best.


Manufacturer: American Antique  

early hand forged SOD KNIFE Though it would well pass as a thrusting knife and surely could have been utilized as a personal weapon, we have been advised by the early tool experts that this murderous looking piece is in actuality a sod knife. (An earlier to mid 19th century tool, the sod knife was commonly used to cut and fit sod blocks in construction of such as the sod homes built by pioneers of the American western plains.) Measuring a full 12 inches in total length with an 8 ½ inch by 1 ¾ inch wide double edged, spear point blade and oak grip, this fascinating old piece was hand forged in two pieces with its nicely shaped, hammered blade blacksmith welded to a forged yoke shaped iron grip section. All original and untouched with a rich age patina, this rare piece of Americana will display well in any number of venues. As with all direct sales, we are pleased to offer a no questions asked three day inspection with refund of the purchase price upon return as purchased!
Manufacturer: blacksmith forged American antique  

patriotic gutta-percha PHOTOGRAPHY CASE with AMBROTYPE An end of the day 9th plate gutta-percha (thermoplastic) photo case byLittlefield, Parsons & Co. / Union Cases / Pat. 1856 -1857. The case sports a scarce Constitution and the Laws patriotic front cover with a floral, bird pattern back cover. The case retains its original label with tight hinges and remains in excellent condition save a single chipped corner on the back cover. The case retains its original sealed ambrotype of a nicely posed pair of well dressed gentlemen. As with all direct sales, we are pleased to offer a no questions asked three day inspection with refund of the purchase price upon return as purchased!


Manufacturer: Littlefield, Parsons & Co.