Sent from Iowa City to Buffalo, New York: 1864. This one-page letter-sheet features an early image of the Penatacrest showing the Old Capital Building—the first building owned by the University of Iowa—with South Hall in the background. The envelope is embossed in the upper left corner with the university seal... More
Boston: Published and sold by Charles Spear, 1853. The illustrated envelope measures 5.25” x 3.25” and features a snake within a banner that reads, “Intemperance is the Bane of Society,” a series of vignettes showing a drunken brawl outside of a saloon, a woman selling a cooking pot to a.... More
Washington, DC: 6 July 1837. Unbound. One-page personal letter (8” x 10”) to the Secretary of the Navy, Mahlon Dickerson, signed by Archibald Henderson, the Commandant of the Marine Corps., at the Marine Barracks at 8th and I Street in Washington, DC The letter is in nice shape with only... More
Atlanta: 1889. This very early Coca-Cola advertising envelope, dated October 5, 1889, contains a four-page employee’s letter. It shows “Asa G. Candler & Company, Wholesale Druggists, 47 Peachtree St. Atlanta, Georgia” as the return address and has one of the earliest Coca-Cola script logo advertisements on its back flap: “The... More
Boston: C. A. Fernald, 1908. Unbound. This advertising envelope measures 11.5” x 5”. It is printed in red and black and almost entirely covered (front and back) with hieroglyphics, line drawings, obscure phrases printed in a variety of fonts and sizes, names with birth dates, a map of Mount Ararat... More
Alexandria, Egypt: Letter, 1892. Letter. Letter from General F. Walker to the British Consul-General in Egypt (Lord Cromer, Evelyn Baring, 1st Earl of Cromer) regarding the construction of buildings for the garrison at Ramleh. At the time F. Walker was the Commanding General of the British Army in Egypt following... 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
Washington DC: Gales & Seaton, 1828. Wraps. Complete with 22 pages. Minor wear; previously bound so the left edge has binding holes and is a little rough. This collection of correspondence between Andrew Jackson and Secretary of War John Armstrong was requested in 1828 by the Jacksonian majority in Congress... More
Camp Vermont near Hunting Creek, Virginia: 5 December 1862. Unbound. Two-page letter with envelope. Envelope is franked with a three-cent stamp (Scott #65) canceled with a circular Washington, DC postmark. The letter and envelope are in nice shape; clean and legible. This charming letter, written to the wife of a.... More
Dunkirk, France: 1918. Letter and envelope are both lightly toned. The envelope has been postmarked with an APO #2 (Paris) flag machine cancellation and has some old tape repairs. Lasher was assigned to the U.S. Naval Air Station at Dunkerque, a seaplane station from which naval aviators attacked U-boats going... More
Los Angeles: 1937. Unbound. The 5” x 8” letter sheets are written on one side only. The airmail envelope is franked with an orange 6-cent airmail stamp (Scott #C19) and canceled with a Los Angeles machine slogan (“Airmail Saves Time”) postmark featuring a biplane and dated 16 December 1937. The... More
Chillicothe, Ohio: 1877. Letter. 7-page letter dated April 29, 1877. Clean with light wear. Legible. Partial transcript included. In this letter Newcomb recounts some details of the now largely forgotten Basin Dam War in Maine over Sebago Lake and Presumpscot River water rights. Newcomb's father, a Portland & Ogdensburg Railroad... More
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
Leadville, Colorado: Manuscript, 1892. Letter. This four-page letter to fellow Mason Solomon F. Sears of Ann Arbor from "Bro John" recounts the conclusion of the 1892 Conclave of Knights Templar in Denver and the return of attendees to their homes. The author jokingly notes that one man was happy to... More
Kobe, Japan: 1907. Unbound. The lettersheet measures 14.5” x 7.5” unfolded. It features two color illustrations of the Empress Shoken, one in front of a large red cross wearing civilian clothes with a Red Cross medal and arm brassard, the other in traditional Japanese dress. The letter sheet is dated... More
Richmond: January [1862]. The cover measures approximately 3” x 5.5” and is made from wallpaper as at this time it was very difficult for prisoners to obtain envelopes. It is franked with a 3-cent Washington stamp (Scott #65) that is tied to the cover with a segmented cork cancel. The... More
Marietta, Ohio: 1892. Envelope or Cover. This advertising envelope features an illustration of ascending hot air balloon and a text that reads, “Billy F. Travise’s * Souvenir Minstrels * Season ’92. & ’93. Touring Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky.” The reverse notes that for the next season, the show will be... More
Dallas, Georgia: 30 May 1864. Unbound. This four-page letter is written on partially printed lettersheet featuring a poem that begins, “I’m thinking, fondly thinking”. The letter is from a member of the 111th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment. The letter is is nice shape with a little soiling. While the writing... 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 the sorties attacking British artillery batteries and the death of General Daniel Davis, the leader of the New York Militia. The handwritten letter is... 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
1944-1945. Envelope only, no letter. The envelope was addressed to Private First Class Walter Mikucki at the Osaka Yodogawa Bunsho POW Camp in Japan. It has a typed “Prisoner of War Postage Free” free frank in the upper right corner and has received a Chicago “War Savings machine postmark dated... 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
Louisville, Kentucky: 1929. This small 2” x 3” typewritten advertisement was enclosed in the accompanying envelope with a printed return address that reads, “Presbyterian Colored Missions, Incorporated, 314 South Hancock Street, Louisville, KY.” The advertisement reads, “EXTRA ****** WANTED—TEACHERS At the Presbyterian Colored Missions, 314 S. Hancock St. Won’t YOU... More
Greenpoint (Brooklyn), New York: 1861. This 3-page letter and endorsement measures approximately 8” x 9”. It was apparently delivered by courier between Rowland’s Continental Iron Works and the Providence Tool and Armory Company, which employed both Borden and Andrews, as there are no postal markings. The letter has two horizontal... More
