Boston: 1899. Unbound. This lot includes a 14-page 6.5” x 3.5” catalog with b/w illustrations, a letter on company stationery, and the envelope in which it was mailed. All are in nice shape. The Boston Cycle Company was founded in 1897 and originally sold both new and second hand bicycles... More about Advertising package for Boston Cycle Company, a short-lived bicycle manufacturer
Quincy, Illinois: Electric Wheel Company, 1908. Envelope or Cover. The illustrated advertising cover features a farm scene with two Electric Wheel wagons loaded with hay as well as an illustration of an Electric Wheel. The text reads, “Electric Wheel Co. Manufacturers Solid Metal Wheels and Farmers’ Handy Wagons.” The envelope..... More about Illustrated advertising envelope and catalog for Electric Wheel Company farm and lumber wagons
Concord, New Hampshire: Rufus Merrill, 1852 on the cover and 1853 on the title page. Wraps. Complete with original buff cover and 24 pages. The title page features an illustration of the ship Essex. Wood engravings throughout. Tiny “VtHi discard” stamp at the bottom margin of the first text page... More about Sailor Stories and Songs
Brooklyn, Ten Mile River, Peekskill, and Warrensburg: circa 1900. Album. All but one of the images measure approximately 4.5” x 3.5”. The cyanotype on the front cover is approximately 3.75” x 2.75”. The images are glued to the album pages. The two pages with photos have been removed from the... More about Small album with nine cyanotypes (and two photographs) of Brooklyn and outstate New York
Liverpool: George Holt & Co., 1841. Unbound. This two-page folded letter and circular measures 15.5”” x 9.5” unfolded. It is addressed to A. Richards, Esq., New York and dated 4 June 1841. The cover has a manuscript annotation that reads, “Via Boston / Steamer Columbia.” There is a “Paid at... More about Two-page folded letter with printed circular sent via the Steamer Columbia from Liverpool to New...
Lancaster and Akron Ohio: 1969-1970. Unbound. This archive contains approximately 140 photographs ranging in size from 2.25” x 2.75” to 8” x 10”. Most are b/w (about 30) and color (about 110) 3.5” square or 3.5” x 5” snapshots. The others are all b/w and include official “photo finish” shots..... More about Photographic archive documenting a teenager’s two-year Soap Box Derby competition career to...
Washington DC: United States Patent Office, 1909. Wraps. The six page original patent is printed on thin cardstock with three pages of text and three pages of technical illustrations. It was awarded to Adolph Lubke, a resident of San Francisco, California. The leaves bear patent office file labels in the... More about Early patent for airship “combination of plane and hot-air dirigible
Cleveland, Ohio: Cleveland Yachting Association, 1880. Envelope or Cover. The bi-fold, cardstock invitation is addressed to L. Lockwood Esquire of Sandusky. It includes a chart of the regatta course as well as the regatta rules and list of prizes. Also included are the cover letter and envelope used to forward... More about Invitation to participate in the Cleveland Yachting Association 1880 Inter-Lake Regatta
[Cincinnati]: circa 1855. Unbound. One-page undated letter from Master Charles David of the Steamer Express to the Captain Benedict of the Steamboat Jane Franklin at Cincinnati, Ohio. The letter is in nice shape; the envelope has some wear and soiling. This reads in part: "We send a bill pricing cost... More about LETTER DEMANDING PAYMENT FOR DAMAGE DONE TO THE STEAMER EXPRESS BY THE STEAMBOAT JANE FRANKLIN...
Apalachicola, Florida: 1843. This one-page letter is dated “Apalachicola Janry 15th 18,43”. It bears a circular, red “Apalachicola FTy” postmark with a bold red “25” rate stamp. It is in nice shape. A transcript will be provided. In this letter, Russell, the Captain of the lighter Ida replies to a...... More about Letter from a lighter captain at the port of Apalachicola to his ship’s owner in New York...
Transcontinental United States: 1928-1929. This 11” x 7.5” album contains 88 pages packed with over 80 photographs (2.75” x 2”) plus postcards, Baker's original bill-of-sale, driver’s permits, tickets, original art, souvenir stickers, telegrams, and other ephemera. The album and contents are in very nice shape. Baker, the grandson... More about Scrapbook-photograph album documenting a cross-country trip from Brooklyn to San Francisco on a...
Oregon, at sea, and in many ports of call: 1919-1926. Album. The album measures 15.5” x 9” and contains 100 pages with over 300 photographs (mostly 3” x 5”), several pieces of personal ephemera, about 15 newspaper or periodical clippings, and 46 different beer bottle labels. The photos are arranged... More about Photograph album documenting six years in the life of an itinerate west coast laborer, whaler,...
USAHS Louis A. Milne and Hawaii: 1945. Album. This comb-bound album measures 12” x 9” and contains approximately 225 images and several additional pieces of ephemera. About 170 of the images are vernacular photographs; the remainder are a mix of postcards, professional photographs, and half-tone prints. Most of the snap-shots... More about Photograph album documenting service on the World War II Hospital Ship, USAHS Louis A. Milne
Liverpool: 1818. Envelope or Cover. This two-page letter was sent from Liverpool to New York on 30 July 1818. After delivery to a ship’s agent, it was dispatched on the second voyage the Black Ball Line ship, the Amity, which departed Liverpool on 2 August and arrived at New York... More about Letter from an American in Liverpool describing his efforts to prevent an Englishman from...
New York to Cognac, France: 1836. Envelope or Cover. This two-page folded letter was written on December 31, 1836 and sent to Cognac, France via the Havre-Whitlock Line’s packet ship Albany. It arrived at Le Havre on February 1, 1827 where a “Bureau Maritime” receipt stamp was applied along with... More about Letter from Ebenezer Stevens & Sons, a New York firm, to Messrs Otard Dupuy, one of the most...
Minneapolis, Minnesota: circa 1931. Unbound. This grouping consists of three items: 1) An autographed airmail cover franked with a red and blue 5-cent Beacon airmail stamp (Scott #C11) and a Minneapolis station number “2” barrel postmark date Jul 27. It is addressed to a St. Joseph, Missouri address. The cover... More about Small grouping of three items related to the famed American aviatrix Florene E. “Tree Tops”...
Baltimore: 1833. Envelope or Cover. This one-page folded letter was written on March 20, 1833 and privately carried to the New York forwarding agents DeRham, Islen, and Moore who placed it aboard the Old Line’s packet ship, Henri IV. (The envelope bears ab oval “De Rham Iseling & Moore” forwarding..... More about Letter from Frederic de Graft, a Baltimor Merchant, to Mess. Clossmann, a wine merchant in Bordeaux
San Francisco to Cette (today Sète), France: 1869. This three-page folded letter, in French, measures 16.5” x 10.5” unfolded. It is dated “Sn Francisco le 7 Yuillet 1869” and franked with a 15-cent black Lincoln stamp (Scott #77) canceled with a ‘fancy’ black circle-of-wedges. Three postmarks are on the front..... More about Letter from a French ship captain in San Francisco to a wine wholesaler in Southern France...
London to Boston: 1807. Envelope or Cover. This two-page stampless folded letter measures 14.5” x 9”. It is datelined “London 7th Jany. 1807 with a manuscript annotation, “per Enterprise via New York” in the lower left corner. There is “36” rate marking along with a circular postmark in red that..... More about Stampless folded letter sent from London to merchants in Boston with a handstamp advertising...
Vera Cruz to Massachusetts via Mobile, Alabama and New Orleans, Louisiana: 1847-1848. Envelope or Cover. Two one-page and one two-page folded letters, each measuring 15” x 10”, were written by a civilian ship captain to his wife while transporting soldiers and supplies to Mexico during the Mexican-American War. Two of... More about Series of three stampless folded letters from a ship captain to his wife while transporting...
Newport, [Rhode Island]: October 15, 1767. Unbound. This manuscript receipt from James Tanner to Ann Rhodes (received in her behalf by Edward Rhodes) measures 7.5” x 3”. Minor edgewear including two small chips that do not affect any text. The receipt reads in part: “For 4 Days work my Negro... More about Receipt for work performed by a rented Rhode Island slave on the Sloop Venus shortly before it...
Greencock, [Scotland]: 1849. Unbound. Four-page letter. In nice shape with mailing folds and minor soiling. Transcript included. In this letter, a ship captain’s attorney, Jonathon Macdougall, requests information from his client, Captain James Welsh, in order to pursue a legal action in Scotland against a ship owner named Cairnie. It..... More about Letter from a Scottish lawyer requesting information from a ship captain in Baltimore about an...
New York: 1857. Envelope or Cover. This invoice was sent by Joseph Greenleaf, the Treasurer of Sailors’ Snug Harbor on Staten Island to Caleb Swan at 126 Ninth Stree. It is dated 28 October 1857 and bills Swan $100 for “Six Months Ground Rent”. It bears a somewhat blurred Boyd’s... More about Invoice—sent by Boyd’s City Express—for property rental to support the Sailors, Snug...
Circa 1830. Unbound. This manuscript lesson book contains 45 pages of navigational problems, one hand-drawn map (“A Chart from England to the Cape de Verde Islands”), and two illustrations (one of a sailing vessel and one of a Hadley Quadrant). The pages are in nice shape and soundly bound together... More about Deck officer’s navigational ciphering book
Cleveland, Ohio: 1840. Envelope or Cover. This four-page letter is dated July 29, 1840 and postmarked in Cleveland the following day. It has a red “PAID” handstamp and blue “25” manuscript rate mark indicating the cost to send the cover to New York with a red circular transit handstamp dated... More about Letter from a British immigrant to her mother at home in Surrey about her journey to Cleveland...
