Folly Island: 1864. Unbound. This four-page letter was sent by Private Atwell B. Leavenworth of the 57th New York Infantry to his father. It is dated “Folly Island July 13. 64”. The letter is in nice shape with splits beginning at the ends of its mailing folds. Transcript included. In... More
Canandaigua, New York: 1849. Unbound. This four-page folded letter measures 15” x 9.5” and has a red Canandaigua postmark dated January 10. It is franked with a nicely centered, very fine black 10-cent Washington stamp (Scott #2) tied with a red grid cancel. Complete but fragile as some folds have... More
Mostly Ohio and Kentucky: circa 1935. Album. The album measures 12” x 14.5” and contains 35 pages filled with advertisements, broadsides, posters, photographs, and correspondence related to a 1930s swing orchestra. The material is mounted in chronological order. The contents are in nice shape. The album leaves are brittle with... More
La Salle, Illinois to London, England: 1857. Unbound. This 3-page stampless letter measures 15” x 9.75” unfolded. The letter is dated July 22, 1857 and bears a circular July 23, La Salle, Illinois postmark. A circular New York City “5/N.York BR. PKT.” postmark (with a high “R” and “T”, see..... More
Houston: 1843. Unbound. This four-page folded letter measures 15.5” x 9.5” unfolded. It is datelined “Houston 4th Dec. 1843” with a second date, “Dec. 6th” in a postscript. The letter bears a circular red postmark reading “New-York / Jan 12.” A blue manuscript annotation, which appears to read “18½” (the..... More
Juneau, Alaska and Portland, Oregon: 1948. Unbound. Two-page typed letter, unsigned. The letter is datelined, “Morningside, Hospital. / Montaville, Station. / Portland, Oregon. / Sept, 23, 1948,” and is in nice shape. Eino Mack was the son of a Finnish emigrant who worked for the Alaska-Juneau Gold Mining Company. Beginning... More
Greenwood, [Pennsylvania]: 23 June and 18 July 1863. Unbound. Two letters (one with 6-pages and one with 4-pages) measure approximately 4.5” x 6.5”. Their envelopes are postmarked at Brookeville, Maryland; one is franked with a 3-cent Washington stamp (Scott #65), and the stamp is missing from the other. The letters... More
Forsyth, Monroe County, Georgia to Elizabethtown, Bladen County, North Carolina: 1844. Unbound. This two-page letter measures 15.25” x 10”. It is dated January 30, 1844 and bears a circular red Forsyth, Georgia postmark dated Feb 3. It has some foxing. It was sent from Bryan to his brother-in-law James Evers... More
Pittsfield, Massachusetts: 1840. Unbound. This four-page folded letter measures 16” x 10” unfolded. It was sent to Reverend Thomas H. Gallaudet in Hartford, Connecticut by Horatio Brinsmade in Pittsfield Massachusetts. The letter is dated January 8, 1840. It bears a 10-cent blue manuscript rate mark in the upper right corner... More
New Philadelphia, Ohio: 1862. Unbound. This two-page letter, written by Hyatt Frost of Van Amburgh’s Circus, discusses financial matters related to the Frost family farm in Harrisburg, Indiana, and Hyatt’s brother Eli, who also—on occasion—worked for the Van Amburgh show. The letter is enclosed in a Van Amburgh..... More
St. Augustine, Florida: 1828. Unbound. This four-page, stampless folded letter measures 15.5” x 9.75” unfolded. It is dated June 18, 1828 and addressed to the Reverend Charles F. Seidel at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The cover has scarce oval “St Augustine / E. Flo.” postmark in red dated June 19 and a.... More
Hsi Chi Men, China: 1925-1926. Unbound. The archive consists of 11 captioned photos, a 14-page letter, a bilingual brochure for a Camp for Chinese Girls and Women, and a 17.5” x 22” anti-imperialist broadsheet. Some soiling, ink bleed, beginning splits, and minor insect predation. As noted in a Kingston, New... More
Galveston, Texas: 1838. This 4-page folded letter measures 14.75” x 9” unfolded. It was written in Galveston on May 24th, 1838. The front panel bears a manuscript “25” rate marking indicating the U.S. cost to send a letter over 400 miles. It bears a circular red New Orleans postmark dated... More
Gonzales, Texas: 1840. Unbound. This four-page folded letter measures 15.5” x 10” unfolded. It was sent by Nathan Watkins from Gonzales, Republic of Texas on 6 December 1840 to Joseph Watkins at Pendleton, Anderson Des, South Carolina. It has a manuscript annotation in the lower left corner that reads, “Favor... More
New York: 1814. Letter. This important three-page folio-sized manuscript letter reports on the American actions at the Siege of Fort Erie during September of 1814 including a detailed description of the sorties attacking British artillery batteries and the death of General Daniel Davis, the leader of the New York Militia... More
Vladivostok, Siberia: October 2, 1919. Unbound. Envelope only, no letter. The envelope is addressed to Anna Raumgarten, Altona-Elbe, Germany. The return address reads, “Prisoner of war Mail / Vladivostok / Siberia / American prison camp / Martin Prigge / No. 326.” It bears a small steel circular postmark that reads... More
Naples: 1810. Unbound. This two-page stampless folded letter measures approximately 14.5” x 10” unfolded. It was sent by Olphert Tittle in Naples to Olphert Tittle (his father) in Beverly, Massachusetts. The letter is dated “March 11th 1810,” and its salutation begins “Honor’d Mother.” It bears a weak red strike of..... More
Clay Center, Kansas: 1898. Envelope or Cover. The envelope features an illustration of a man hanging by his feet from a parachute attached to an ascending hot air balloon. It is addressed to “Secy of Fair. McPherson, Kansas.” The letterhead contains illustrations of “The Balloon Ascending, Leaving the Balloon, Parachute..... More
Washington, DC: 1861-1863. Unbound. Six letters to family members at home, four from 1861 and two from 1863. One of the letters has its original envelope. All of the letters are complete except one that is missing its final page. The handwriting is legible. Three of the letters are written... More
Various locations: 1863-1867. Unbound. Four letters and one stereoview. The first two letters are from Cooper to his family, one of which cautions against allowing a younger brother to become prey to full-grown seamen by joining the navy. The third is a manuscript copy of an official letter (with secretarial... More
Richmond, Virginia: 26 July 1861. Envelope or Cover. This 5.5” x 3.25” envelope has two Richmond, Virginia postal markings: a circular city postmark dated “Jul 26 1861” and a circular “Paid 10” handstamp indicating Confederate postage was paid at the time of mailing. There is also a bold strike of... More
Various locations: 1817-1854. Unbound. This archive consists of 30 different stampless letters, some with enclosures. All the correspondence pertains to Oliver’s shipping business (ship conditions, repairs, cargo, business opportunities, invoices, pricing, illustrated bills of lading, weather, etc.) which was headquartered in Portsmouth-New Castle, New Hampshire. The letters were... More
Corpus Christi, Texas to Knightstown, Indiana: 1865. Unbound. Exceptionally scarce, poignant, and historically significant Civil War letter from a well-educated African-American siblings who served in the U. S. Colored Troops informing family at home that he was ministering to a brother who was about to die from scurvy. William Trail... More
