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
Elizabethport, New Jersey: 1862. Unbound. Sent from Elizabethport, New Jersey to Brooklyn, New York: circa 1862. This illustrated cover is franked with a 3-cent Washington stamp (Scott #65) and completely covered with a hand-drawn map of a small farm. It shows a farmhouse, animal pen with pigs, access roads, fences... More
Philadelphia: Dubois (artist) and Wollenweber (printer), 1850. Unbound. This three-page stampless cover city-view lettersheet measures 16” x 10.5”. The lithograph of Philadelphia measures 7.5” x 3”. The three pages of text are in German. Its letter is dated November 2, 1854 and bears two red circular Philadelphia postmarks, one dated... More
New York: 1879. Unbound. This thank-you grouping consists of a Female Guardian Society advertising cover, a two-page letter written on the organization’s stationery, and a religious tract. All in very nice shape. In 1834 a group of women established the Female Moral Reform Society of New York with the goal... More
Thibodeauxville: 1831. Unbound. This two-page folded letter measures 16” x 9.75” unfolded. The cover has no postmark nor rate mark, so it is likely it was carried outside of official post office channels. The letter’s paper is supple but it has developed splits along several folds, so quite fragile. 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
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
Washington, D.C. 1858. Unbound. In this letter, measuring 5” x 8” and dated “29th Dec’r 1858,” Ringgold provides suggestions to Ames, a major arms manufacturer, regarding the details of eagle devices, signifying the rank of captain, that attach to a naval officer’s epaulettes along with a promise to aggressively market... More
Cincinnati: 1810. Unbound. This stampless one-page folded letter measures 15.5” x 12.5” unfolded. It was sent from Sedam’s farm near Bold Face Creek about three miles west of Cincinnati and is dated November 11, 1810. The cover is addressed to McHenry at Baltimore, Maryland. It has a manuscript Cincinnati postmark... More
![LETTER DESCRIBING THE PURSUIT AND DEFEAT OF A DELAWARE RAIDING PARTY BY A FAMOUS “INDIAN FIGHTER” AND HIS BAND OF RANGERS; Stampless folded-letter from Captain “Indian” Van Swearingen at his fort near Wellsburg, [West] Virginia to his cousin, Captain Josiah Swearingen in Berkeley County [West] Virginia. Captain “Indian” Van Swearingen.](/pictures/thumb/008913.jpg?v=1507048042)
Wellsburg, [West] Virginia: 1791. Unbound. This two-page letter with separate folded-cover measures 7.75” x 12.75” unfolded. Both the letter and the cover are dated 17 March 1791. The cover is addressed to “Capt. Josiah Swearingen / Berkeley County / Virginia” and “Hon. Pn. Mr. / Van Swearingen” is written in... More
University of Virginia: [1831]. Unbound. This four-page stampless folded letter measures 15.5” x 9.75” unfolded. The letter was sealed with a black wax family crest showing a blazon with three suns in splendor, one and two. The cover is postmarked with an oval “University / of Virga” handstamp dated June... More
[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
New York: 1920. Unbound. This one-page letter on the stationery of the New York State Bridge and Tunnel Commission and New Jersey Interstate Tunnel Commission, measuring 8” x 8.5”, was written to Mr. Leon C. Hills of Washington, DC, on October 17, 1920. The lot also includes a newspaper clipping... 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
New York: George P. Putnam, 1849. Unbound. Envelope only; no booklet. Despite its appearance to the contrary, this envelope was an elaborate trompe-l’oeil ploy by George Putnam to market Frances Sargent Osgood’s booklet lampooning scandals of the New York’s literary scene. The 12½¢ stamp and the backflap seal were Putnam... 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
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 advertising envelope... 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
On board the Euterpe: January 5, 1865. 1865. Unbound. Lightly soiled with some doodling at the upper corner of the first page. In this letter, Goddard expresses heartfelt sorrow to “Eva” that he would not be able to take leave for a visit. The reason he explains as follows: “We... 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
Tallahassee: 1848. Unbound. This one-page folded letter measures 15.5” x 10” unfolded. It is dated “January the 16th, 1848.” The cover bears a green “Free” handstamp indicting no postage was required as it was addressed to a U.S. Senator. It is postmarked with a green circular Tallassee handstamp dated January... More
San Francisco: Sun Print, (1853). Unbound. This lettersheet is printed on light blue paper measuring approximately 9.25” x 11.25”. The text of the commandments is printed in three centered columns bordered on the right, left, and bottom by ten corresponding vignettes that satirically illustrate each. An eleventh vignette, at the... More
Charlestown (Boston): 1836: 1836. Unbound. This two-page stampless letter measures 15” x 9.75” unfolded. It was written by James Pearson, a clerk at the Charlestown (Boston) Navy Yard to Congressman Leonard Jarvis, the Chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Naval Affairs. The letter is dated February 13, 1836. It... More
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
