Late 18th/Early 19th Century French Sketch for a Cross-Topped Monument.
An attractive small ink sketch on laid paper for a monument/memorial topped with a cross. There is microscopic, partially legible writing on the cornice in French. The back of the sheet has a column of numbers being added together, but there are no other notes.
Single sheet. 4”x6.75”. Folded, small edge chips, minor soil. $25
1845 Woburn Massachusetts Cemetery Consecration Exercises Broadside.
Woburn Cemetery was consecrated on October 30, 1845, with music by the Marion, Massachusetts Brass Band. This broadside includes an original hymn by Mrs. Mary L. Bennett. Printed by William White.
Single sheet. 7.5”x13”. Some soil and wear, folds, several small tack holes, edge folding and small rips, and damage along the bottom edge. $175
Boy & Girl in Studio with Stereopticon Stereo Card Viewer on Table -Two Cabinet Photos
Taken at Shaw’s Studio, Manchester, New Hampshire. 4.25"x6.5". Minor soil, light wear. $125
David Styce appears to have carefully hand-calligraphed his calling card and sent it in a small but elegant envelope to Miss Davis. What happened next? Alas, the answer is lost in the sands of time, unless somebody wants to do some deep internet sleuthing. I’m going to guess 1840s, ‘50s, or ‘60s based on the paper.
The card measures 3”x1.5”, the envelope is 4”x2.5”. Some light wear and soil. $25
1840s Cadets of Temperance Niagara Section Blank Permission / Enrollment Slip.
The Manuscripts Division of the William L. Clements Library at the University of Michigan, which holds Cadets of Temperance (N.Y.) Papers, 1847-1850, explains- "The Cadets of Temperance [was] the youth wing of the Sons of Temperance organization, which did not admit minors. The Cadets of Temperance accepted members between 12 and 18 years of age, in an effort to instill temperance values in children before they could acquire a taste for alcohol. For its members, the organization prohibited the use of tobacco and served as a mutual aid society in the case of illness. The groups had many practices in common, including charging monthly dues of 10-15 cents and requiring parental consent to join. Members met weekly and engaged in many fraternal rituals, such as the wearing of ceremonial clothing and the use of passwords, songs, recitations, and elaborate titles. Offices within the Cadets included the grand worthy archon (G.W.A.), past worthy archon (P.W.A), grand worthy patron (G.W.P.), vice archon (V.A.), usher, and watchman. Similar titles were also used by the Sons of Temperance."
Samuel Clemens was a member for a short time, and recalled- "In Hannibal, when I was about 15, I was for a short time a Cadet of Temperance, an organisation which probably covered the whole United States during as much as a year, possibly even longer. It consisted in a pledge to refrain, during membership, from the use of tobacco; I mean it consisted partly in that pledge and partly in a red merino sash, but the red merino sash was the main part. The boys joined in order to be privileged to wear it – the pledge part of the matter was of no consequence. It was so small in importance that, contrasted with the sash; it was, in fact, non-existent. The organisation was weak and impermanent, because there was not enough holidays to support it. We could turn out and march and show the red sashes on May Day with the Sunday Schools, and on the 4th July with the Sunday Schools, the Independent Fire Company, and the Militia Company. But you can’t keep a Juvenile moral institution alive on two displays of its sash per year. As a private, I could not have held out beyond one procession; but I was illustrious Grand Worthy Secretary and Royal Inside Sentinel, and had the privilege of inventing the passwords and of wearing a rosette on my sash. Under these conditions, I was enabled to remain steadfast until I had gathered the glory of two displays – May Day and the 4th of July. Then I resigned straightway, and straightway left the lodge."
Much the same story shows up in Chapter 22 of Tom Sawyer- "Tom joined the new order of Cadets of Temperance, being attracted by the showy character of their "regalia". He promised to abstain from smoking, chewing, and profanity as long as he remained a member. Now he found out a new thing – namely, that to promise not to do a thing is the surest way in the world to make a body want to go and do that very thing. Tom soon found himself tormented with a desire to drink and swear; the desire grew to be so intense that nothing but the hope of a chance to display himself in his red sash kept him from withdrawing from the order. Fourth of July was coming; but he soon gave that up – gave it up before he had worn his shackles over forty-eight hours – and fixed his hopes upon old Judge Frazer, justice of the peace, who was apparently on his deathbed and would have a big public funeral, since he was so high an official. During three days Tom was deeply concerned about the Judge's condition and hungry for news of it. Sometimes his hopes ran high – so high that he would venture to get out his regalia and practise before the looking-glass. But the Judge had a most discouraging way of fluctuating. At last he was pronounced upon the mend – and then convalescent. Tom was disgusted; and felt a sense of injury, too. He handed in his resignation at once – and that night the Judge suffered a relapse and died. Tom resolved that he would never trust a man like that again. The funeral was a fine thing. The Cadets paraded in a style calculated to kill the late member with envy. Tom was a free boy again, however – there was something in that. He could drink and swear, now – but found to his surprise that he did not want to. The simple fact that he could, took the desire away, and the charm of it."
Single sheet. 7.5”x3”. Light soil, minor wear. Removed from an album, with remnants of album paper on the back. $35
Havana Scheme Library Association Co. Lottery of Kentucky 1865 Handbill. “P. Hoffman & Co., United States Licensed Lottery Agents, Class 363 to be drawn in Covington, Ky., on Tuesday, Oct. 31st, 1865 - Brilliant Lottery on the Royal Havana Plan of Single Numbers”. Go ahead, buy a ticket for a lottery that draws on Halloween, I suppose it’s better than April 1st.
Single sheet. 8”x9.5”. Quite worn, some soil. Edge chips and other holes, including a large hole in the middle with text loss. $60
Here's something you don't come across every day- an 1858 Handwritten Philharmonic Beethoven & Weber Concert Program. Completely enigmatic, totally useless, and utterly charming. The Magic Three-fer.
Held on Saturday July 24, 1858 in an unknown city, the concert featured Beethoven’s 2nd Symphony, a violin concerto, and the Overture to the opera Euryanthe by Carl Maria von Weber. Single sheet. 4.5”x5”. Folded, light soil, minor wear, stain. $20
IGA Grocery Coffee & Waxed Paper Handbill Printed on Wax Paper. If you want to sell the paper, print the advertisement on it.
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Mounted tintype. 2”x3” tintype in a 2.5”x3.75” card frame. Some light soil and wear to the frame, which is trimmed at the top. $35.00
The Victorians were inveterate collectors, and German collectors tended to be very organised- so here we have a very organised boy collector, A. Raquot, and apparently his collection. Or a bunch of studio props masquerading as his collection; the family portraits lead me to discount that explanation though. In any case, a striking and very period image.
The child appears to be about 5, so he would have been in his mid-20s during the First World War, and since naval service was often a family tradition confined to the northern portions of the country, and he is wearing a German naval cap with the Imperial flag and a not-quite decipherable ship’s name, one might envisage him as a future German Imperial Naval officer. Jutland, anyone? Conjecture, conjecture, I must always beware the dangers of conjecture, but there is the seashell there-
Cabinet Card. 4.25”x6.5”. Light wear and soil, removed from an album, with glue/paper residue on the back. $60
In the meantime, you can browse this one here.
