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
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...
Mostly 1917. Unbound. The collection consists of: 1) A carbon copy of the Commanding Officer’s (Lieutenant A. S Carpenter) report, “Engagement with, and destruction of German Submarine S.M.U-58,” 17 November, 1917. 10 pages. Includes A) a hand-drawn chart of the engagement and a list of German prisoners and... More about Small archive of material related to the only capture and destruction of a German U-Boat during...
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
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..... More about Letter from a lighter captain at the port of Apalachicola to his ship’s owner in New York...
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...
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. These 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... 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 on 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... 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 Street. 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...
At sea and Bombay, India: 1817-1818. Unbound. Four-page folded folio-sized sheet to Betsy Putnam of Danvers, Massachusetts signed by E. S. Nichols. Three separately dated letters are on the sheet: 31 Dec 1817, On board the Ship Saco; 2 Feb 1818, Off the coast of Ceylon; 30 Apr 1818, Bombay... More about Early 19th century American missionary correspondence from the Ship Saco and India
St. Joseph, Calhoun (now Gulf) County, Territory of Florida: 1838. Unbound. This manuscript certificate of seaworthiness measures 775” x 9.7”. It is in nice shape. Certificates of seaworthiness were—and still are—issued before owners could obtain maritime insurance for their ships and cargo. This certificate reads in part... More about A Certificate of Sea Worthiness for the Brig Favorite issued prior to a voyage from St. Joseph,...
Mid-1860s to 1871: Various locations including Copenhagen, La Spezia, Naples, Portsmouth, Trieste, etc. Envelope or Cover. These covers (none include content) span six or seven years in the career of Lieutenant S. P. (Simon P.) from the mid-1860s until 1871 when he left the U. S. Navy to pursue a.... More about A small archive of 12 U.S. and world-wide covers (including Denmark #2) from the estate of a...
Bilbao, Spain: 1831. Envelope or Cover. This three-page stampless, folded letter is datelined “Bilbao 5th Augt 1831.” Although it references an enclosed invoice, the invoice is no longer present. The letter was no doubt favor-carried to Le Havre in France as it bears a faint forwarding agent cachet on the... More about Letter from a Marblehead, Massachusetts merchant in Spain informing his family at home of the...
Ship Burgundy to Middletown, Connecticut: August 14, 1837. Envelope or Cover. This two-page folded letter measures 16” x 10” unfolded. It bears a circular red New York “Ship” postmark dated August 16 and is in nice shape. The ship Burgundy regularly brought immigrants from Europe to the United States. On... More about Letter from an American passenger describing the arrival of immigration ship and informing a...
San Francisco, California: 1849. Envelope or Cover. This three-page, stampless folded letter—in English—is dated “San Francisco 3th July 1849 and addressed to Aristide Servan via “Charle Legaut, Employee des Postes, Paris” Sent "via Panama" from San Francisco, it arrived in Avers (Antwerp), Belgium on 6 September as indicated by a...... More about Letter from a French ship captain to his male lover in Paris explaining that he had chartered his...
Vicksburg: [1876]. 8.5” x 14” and contains 14 handwritten pages. The document is in nice shape with a storage fold and docketing that reads, “699 Shelley Law / J. F. Hicks v. G. W. Truehart / Opinion / Sneed J”. It is in nice shape with some minor soiling. In... More about 14-page legal “opinion” regarding a court case (J. F. Hicks v. G. W. Truehart) regarding a...
