- TRANSATLANTIC SKETCHES, COMPRISING VISITS
TRANSATLANTIC SKETCHES, COMPRISING VISITS TO...Transatlantic Sketches, Comprising Visits to the Most Interesting Scenes in North and South America, and the West Indies. With Notes on Negro Slavery and Canadian Emigration , by Captain J. E. Alexander, 42d Royal Highlanders, Philadelphia: Key and Biddle, 1833, First edition.
Competitive in-house shipping is available for this lot.
Condition:
Lacking spine, front board detached but present. Wear to margins. Toned, foxing.
- JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER TWO WRITTEN
JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER TWO WRITTEN LETTERS SIGNATUREJohn Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892), American Poet & opponent of slavery. Two handwritten letters with signature / autograph. Image included.
- AMISTAD TRIAL, NILES NATIONAL REGISTER,
AMISTAD TRIAL, NILES NATIONAL REGISTER, MARCH 1841 Niles National Register, March 20, 1841. A very important issue, as an inside page has: "The Case of the Amistad" being the report of the Supreme Court on this historic slavery-related event. The "Amistad" was a United States Supreme Court case resulting from the rebellion of slaves on board the Spanish schooner of this name in 1839. The rebellion broke out when the schooner, traveling along the coast of Cuba, was taken over by a group of captives who had earlier been kidnapped in Africa and sold into slavery. The Africans were later apprehended on the vessel near Long Island, New York, by the United States Navy and taken into custody. The ensuing widely publicized court cases in the United States helped the abolitionist movement. In 1840, a federal trial court found that the initial transport of the Africans across the Atlantic (which did not involve the Amistad) had been illegal, because the international slave trade had been abolished, and that they were thus not legally slaves but free. Furthermore, given they were illegally confined, the Africans were entitled to take what legal measures necessary to secure their freedom, including the use of force. The Supreme Court affirmed this finding on March 9, 1841, and the Africans traveled home in 1842. The case influenced numerous succeeding laws. This case was made famous by the 1997 movie "Amistad" by Stephen Spielberg. This issue has extensive reporting on this case taking over 1 1/2 pages, and as noted in the prefacing comments: "...Mr. Justice Story delivered the opinion of the court...", followed by a detailed review of the case from beginning to end, with the verdict of the court as noted above, in a Baltimore newspaper, close to Washington, D.C. where the verdict was given and since the verdict was rendered on March 9 this is likely one of the earliest reports to be found in a newspaper. 16pp.
- ALEXANDER STEPHENS, LECOMPTON CONSTITUTION,
ALEXANDER STEPHENS, LECOMPTON CONSTITUTION, 1858 The Lecompton Constitution. In the House of Representatives, March 10, 1858. Mr. Stephens, of Georgia, from the Select Committee of Fifteen, made the following Report. Pamphlet. 16 pp. The Lecompton Constitution was the second of four proposed constitutions for the state of Kansas. Named for the city of Lecompton where it was drafted, it was strongly pro-slavery. It never went into effect.
- WAR OF 1812, NILES WEEKLY REGISTER,
WAR OF 1812, NILES WEEKLY REGISTER, 1812-1813 The Weekly Register published by Hezekiah Niles. Covering the dates September 26, 1812 to February 27, 1813. Contains news reports of the War of 1812 as well as discussion of topics such as slavery. An interesting look at the important news during the War of 1812. Bound in white paper boards with binding tape at the spine.
- BILL OF RIGHTS, THE INDEPENDANT GAZETTEER,
BILL OF RIGHTS, THE INDEPENDANT GAZETTEER, 1789 The Independent Gazetteer, or The Chronicle of Freedom. Volume 8 #1153. Published August 22, 1789. Contains content on the Bill of Rights. This issue of the Independent Gazetteer includes key debates in the House of Representatives on the developing set of amendments that were later ratified as the Bill of Rights. Debating the 6th amendment and dissertation on anti-slavery. ?Sixth amendment??A well regulated militia, composed of the body of the people being the best security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed, but no person religiously scrupulous shall be compelled to bear arms.? ?Mr. [Egbert] Benson [of New York] moved that the words ?but no person religiously scrupulous shall be compelled to bear arms,? be struck out. He wished that this humane provision should be left to the wisdom and benevolence of government. It was improper to make it a fundamental in the Constitution. ?The motion was negative, and the amendment agreed to.? (p2/c4) [Proposed by Congress without last clause as fourth amendment; ratified as Second Amendment.] ?Eleventh amendment??The enumeration in this constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.? ?This was agreed to without amendment.? (p2/c4) [Proposed by Congress as eleventh amendment; ratified as Ninth Amendment.] ?Twelfth amendment??Art. 1, sec. 10, between the 1st and 2d part. Insert??No state shall infringe the equal rights of conscience, nor the freedom of speech, or of the press, nor of the right of trial by jury in criminal cases.? ?This amendment was accepted.? (p2/c4), thirteenth and fourteenth amendments as well both being accepted or passed.1 large page folded making 4pp. Rare newspaper example with insight as to the forming of the Bill of Rights.
- An early 19th century Anti-slavery plaque.Relief
An early 19th century Anti-slavery plaque.Relief decorated & painted on bone. Mounted in Alabaster frame. More Information AF
- TALL CASE CLOCK BY GRIFFITH OWEN, PHILADELPHIA.
TALL CASE CLOCK BY GRIFFITH OWEN, PHILADELPHIA. A great original clock circa 1790 - 1800. Hand painted dial and moon phase. View a copy of a letter that the consignors great aunt sent to her father, her nephew, when she transferred the clock to him in 1966: “The clock was given as a wedding gift to Rebecca Brooke [my father’s great great grandmother] when [she] married Rees Thomas March the 29th 1810 …,?? she writes. “After his marriage, Rees Thomas became proprietor of the famous Gulph Mills … . He was a man of high standing and one of the original anti-slavery men of Montgomery County.?? The Thomases were Welsh Quakers who emigrated to Pennsylvania before the Revolution. Rebecca Brooke’s father, Captain Benjamin Brooke, according to the letter, was “a distinguished officer and patriot of the Revolutionary War??. From a Rye, NY estate. Dimensions: 103" h x 19" x 11". Condition: Good original condition with all parts. All clocks sold as / is whether working or not. (Come in to gallery and have a personal viewing).
- A 19th century book titled Teachings
A 19th century book titled Teachings of Patriots and Statesmen; Or, The Founders of the Republic, On Slavery, by Ezra Chase (Philadelphia, 1860).
- 19TH C. FIGURAL TOBACCO CHOPPER. A ca.
19TH C. FIGURAL TOBACCO CHOPPER. A ca. 1860 American 'anti slavery' tobacco chopper, featuring a black woman with a profane hand gesture, in wood, steel and brass, 17”L x 6.5”W x 6”H.
- JOHN MARTIN TRACY (1844-1893)English
JOHN MARTIN TRACY (1844-1893)English Setter
signed "J.M. Tracy" lower right
oil on board, 5 by 9 in.
John Martin Tracy was born in Rochester, Ohio. His father was an abolitionist preacher who was killed in an anti-slavery demonstration. His mother, Maria Conant Tracy, was a journalist who covered the Crystal Palace Explosion in London. Tracy attended Oberlin College and Northwestern University. He enlisted in the 19th Illinois Infantry in 1861. After the Civil War, he husbanded his resources from teaching and farming to attend the Ecole de Beaux Arts in Paris. He studied there for a year, after which he traveled extensively throughout the United States. He returned to Paris in 1874 for further study and exhibited at the Paris Salon that year. In 1881 he settled in Greenwich, Connecticut, where his paintings were esteemed for being exceptionally accurate.
Provenance: Private Collection, Florida
- PUERTO RICAN SLAVERY ABOLITION PORTFOLIO
PUERTO RICAN SLAVERY ABOLITION PORTFOLIO 9 PRINTSLimited edition commemorative portfolio, Primer Centenario de la Abolicion de la Esclavitud de Puerto Rico 1873-1973 (First Centennial of the Abolition of Slavery in Puerto Rico 1873-1973), Fondo deBecas para las Artes Plasticas, Inc., 1973. Portfolio numbered 48/115 in pencil, from the full edition of 125. 2 text pages and 9 prints (4 woodcuts and 5 linocuts). Jose R. Alicea, Rescate; Myrna Baez, Dos caras; Rafael Lopez de Campo, Abolicion?; Antonio Maldonado, 22 de marzo; Augusto Marin, 1873-1973; Antonio Martorell, Y tu abuela, donde esta?; Jamie Romano, Cumbe; Jose A. Rosa Castellanos, 1873-1973; Jose Antonio Torres Martino, Quien compra a quien. All signed, dated 73, titled and numbered 48/155 in pencil in the lower margins. Each sheet 14 1/2" x 17 1/2", portfolio 14 3/4" x 17 3/4". Foxing, toning, staining and discoloration to paper folio, tears and creasing at corners and along edges; front and rear text pages both with some foxing and discoloration, 4 sheets with minor losses to paper on verso.
- RARE FOUR-PAGE EYE WITNESS ACCOUNT OF
RARE FOUR-PAGE EYE WITNESS ACCOUNT OF SLAVERY IN CARRIBEAN, U.S.S. INDEPENDENCE, MARCH 14TH, 1843 10" x 8" document, 18 ¼" x 15 ?" overall framed Original eye witness of slavery, document of four pages of Chaplain Stockbridge from U.S.S. Independence on visiting Martinique, dated march 14, 1843. Framed between two glass panes in gilt wood frame. Offered with and old typed on a typewriter transcript of the document, ca. 1930's.
Provenance: private lifetime collection of John L. Ford, Curator and Historian of Soldiers & Sailors Memorial and Museum Hall, Pittsburgh, and Director of Ed. Devision at The Heinz Historical Center and Museum of Western Pennsylvania.
- RARE "COMPENSATION WANTED," ENGLISH
RARE "COMPENSATION WANTED," ENGLISH TWO-PENCE DOCUMENT AFTER ABOLISHING SLAVERY, DATED 1810 4 ?" x 7 ¼" document, 9" x 11" overall framed Rare English two pence social satirical document "Compensation wanted". English two-pence certificate requesting compensation for loss of business (shipping/ package / sales of slaves) due to abolishing of slavery own 1807. Important to note - in England in 1807 a seal was created "A Day, An Hour, of Virtuous Liberty is Worth a Whole Eternity in Bondage," which can be seen in the upper left corner of the document. Framed between two glass panes in simple silver frame.
Provenance: private lifetime collection of John L. Ford, Curator and Historian of Soldiers & Sailors Memorial and Museum Hall, Pittsburgh, and Director of Ed. Devision at The Heinz Historical Center and Museum of Western Pennsylvania.
- RARE SET OF ENGLISH COINS (PENNY, HALF
RARE SET OF ENGLISH COINS (PENNY, HALF PENNY AND FARTHING) "AM I NOT A MAN OR A BROTHER", COMMEMORATING OF ABOLISHING OF SLAVERY, PENNY AND HALF PENNY, CA. 1790-97 AND FARTHING, CA. EARLY 19TH CENTURY Set of English Coins (Penny, Half Penny and Farthing) "Am I Not a Man or a Brother" of Abolishing Slavery, 29.5 mm, 27 mm, and 20 mm. Offered in a presentation case, 6" x 4 ¾" x 1 ¼".
Provenance: private lifetime collection of John L. Ford, Curator and Historian of Soldiers & Sailors Memorial and Museum Hall, Pittsburgh, and Director of Ed. Devision at The Heinz Historical Center and Museum of Western Pennsylvania.
- CIVIL WAR PATRIOTIC TOKEN "LIBERTY AND
CIVIL WAR PATRIOTIC TOKEN "LIBERTY AND NO SLAVERY" "UNION FOREVER", 1863 Civil War patriotic token signed "Liberty and No Slavery" on averse, and "Union Forever" on reverse, 1863.
Provenance: private lifetime collection of John L. Ford, Curator and Historian of Soldiers & Sailors Memorial and Museum Hall, Pittsburgh, and Director of Ed. Devision at The Heinz Historical Center and Museum of Western Pennsylvania.
- U.S. MERCHANT TOKEN, W.W. WILBURN, CHARLESTON,
U.S. MERCHANT TOKEN, W.W. WILBURN, CHARLESTON, S.C., 1846 27 mm Brass U.S. Merchant Token, W.W. Wilburn, Charleston, S.C., 1846, slavery money substitute.
Provenance: private lifetime collection of John L. Ford, Curator and Historian of Soldiers & Sailors Memorial and Museum Hall, Pittsburgh, and Director of Ed. Devision at The Heinz Historical Center and Museum of Western Pennsylvania.
- THREE BRONZE MEDALS AMERICAN "AM I NOT
THREE BRONZE MEDALS AMERICAN "AM I NOT A WOMAN AND A SISTER", 1838, BARBADOS "I SERVE", 1788, AND LIBERIA "AMERICAN COLONIZATION SOCIETY", 1833 Consisting of three bronze medals, commemorating abolishing of slavery, including: American "Am I Not a Woman and a Sister", 1838, 28 mm; Barbados "I Serve", one penny token, 1788, 31 mm; and Liberia "American Colonization Society" (founded 1816), 1833, medal dedicating for opening Liberia promoting migration to Liberia for freed of slavery (after manumission), 28 mm.
Provenance: private lifetime collection of John L. Ford, Curator and Historian of Soldiers & Sailors Memorial and Museum Hall, Pittsburgh, and Director of Ed. Devision at The Heinz Historical Center and Museum of Western Pennsylvania.
- RARE GREAT BRITAIN BRONZE MEDAL OF ABOLISHING
RARE GREAT BRITAIN BRONZE MEDAL OF ABOLISHING OF SLAVERY, 1807 35 mm Great Britain bronze medal "We Are All Brethren" Slave trade abolished by Great Britain 1807, G.F.P., on the averse, and inscription in Arabic on the reverse.
Provenance: private lifetime collection of John L. Ford, Curator and Historian of Soldiers & Sailors Memorial and Museum Hall, Pittsburgh, and Director of Ed. Devision at The Heinz Historical Center and Museum of Western Pennsylvania.
- PRINT PORTFOLIO, FREEDOM OR SLAVERY:
PRINT PORTFOLIO, FREEDOM OR SLAVERY: THE PAUL ROBESON PORTFOLIO "Freedom or Slavery: The Paul Robeson Portfolio," 1998, a portfolio of fourteen (14) silkscreens, including works by Elizabeth Catlett, Betye Saar, Erique Chagoya, Rupert Garcia, Raymond Saunders and more, each pencil signed, each edition 62/100, published by Alliance Graphics, curator and art director Jos Sances, Assistant printer Doug McCarthy, sheet (each): 25.25"h x 20"w, overall (with portfolio case): 27"h x 21.75"w
- CSA CHAPLAIN WITHERSPOON DIARY, AUTOBIOGRAPHY1862
CSA CHAPLAIN WITHERSPOON DIARY, AUTOBIOGRAPHY1862 Confederate diary of T. D. Witherspoon, Chaplain of the 2nd and 42nd Mississippi Regiment, starting July 7th, 1862-Dec. 31, 1862, together with an 1875 autobiography penned by Chaplain Witherspoon. Chaplain Thomas Dwight Witherspoon was born in Greensborough, Alabama in 1836. He graduated from the University of Mississippi in 1856 and became pastor of the Presbyterian church at Oxford, Mississippi. He became a chaplain in the Confederate army and served for the duration of the Civil War. After the war, he was awarded a Doctorate of Divinity from University of Mississippi in 1868 and an Honorary Doctorate in 1884. For most of the war, Witherspoon served as part of the 42nd Mississippi Infantry, Davis' Brigade, Heth's Division, A. P. Hill Corps, Army of Northern Virginia. At the Battle of Gettysburg, Witherspoon was captured on Sunday, July 5th, 1863 while conducting a service for the wounded in a hospital tent. Chaplain Witherspoon was imprisoned at Fort McHenry, Baltimore, and paroled in 1863. He returned to the Confederate army until the surrender at Appomattox Court House, Virginia. Witherspoon was an influential and outspoken Chaplain in the Confederate Army (ref. "Pastor Witherspoon Goes to War", Ronald Coddington, New York Times, April 09, 2011). 1st item - Diary starting July 7th, 1862 and concluding December 31st, 1862 (222 pages total). A large portion of the diary covers Chaplain Witherspoon's period in Richmond and the battle of Fredericksburg, VA. On 7/22/62, Witherspoon writes of visits to the battlefield of Seven Pines, "The first thing that attracted our notice was the immense swarm of flies which blackened the ground, and which having tasted blood of decaying flesh were perfectly rabid in their attacks upon our horses.." On page 65 titled "Frazier's Farm", Witherspoon's group came upon a "free negro whose house is perforated with hundreds of balls, says the victory was very complete on our side but our loss was fully as great as the enemy's he thinks even greater...the Yankees carried off great numbers of their dead while ours was all buried in the field." 7/28/62 - Witherspoon applies for a furlough to visit hospitals in Lynchburg at General Hood's office. He overhears General Hood say, "Grant it, of course...Let chaplains go to see the sick and wounded or anywhere else they want to go. I don't care, sir, where they go or how long they stay". Witherspoon wonders if this is an insult or compliment. On 8/28/62 - He is called to conduct a funeral service for a fallen officer. He goes to the hospital 'death house' with a group to retrieve the body and finds that during the night, "rats have eaten the face (of the deceased) so as to disfigure it most shockingly". 9/18/62 - Witherspoon goes to the War Department to inquire on a petition and is ushered into the Secretary's office. The individuals present include Senator Brown of Mississippi (who is "pacing up and down the floor"), an unnamed Senator from Kentucky, and the Speaker of the House, Mr. Bocock. On page 187 regarding Fredericksburg titled "Defending the Ford", Witherspoon gives a detailed account of the placement of the 42nd Mississippi at the fords of the Rappahannock River to prevent Union forces from crossing. He writes, "The fact was apparent that we were left without any support whatever. Neither cavalry or artillery were willing to support us..." Later, Witherspoon's regiment is sent to Goldsboro, NC, and the diary closes in December 1862 with an account of Witherspoon battling Typhoid fever (transcription summary courtesy Jay Warrick). 2nd item - 1875 autobiography penned by Chaplain Thomas Dwight Witherspoon (136 pages total). Witherspoon writes the autobiography from Petersburg, VA to his children. Insight is given to events that shaped Witherspoon's life and philosophy. Early in the diary, Witherspoon discusses the efforts of his wealthy uncle to leave provision upon death for all of his uncle's slaves to go to Liberia in Africa and set up a functioning society there. Unfortunately, it was not successful and may have influenced Witherspoons views on slavery for the remainder of his life. In his early years, Witherspoon's schooling was fairly extensive in Latin, Greek, and the Classics. He also shared sicknesses of youth including typhoid fevor and being bitten by a poisonous snake. He decided his senior year to seek the Gospel ministry as a profession. Regarding the Civil War, Witherspoon goes into depth on the causes of it and his views regarding the conflict.
Condition:
Both diaries in overall very good condition. It appears the 1862 diary may have incurred some water damage in the front of the diary and there appears to be traces of earlier writings, as this diary begins on page 35.
- BEAUFORD DELANEY PORTRAIT OF DELIA DELANEYBeauford
BEAUFORD DELANEY PORTRAIT OF DELIA DELANEYBeauford Delaney (American, 1901 - 1979) oil on canvas of his mother, Delia Delaney. Subject attired in green with a white collar, yellow background. Signed lower right corner, "Beauford Delaney 1963" (or 1964). Executed in Paris, Beauford painted this oil on canvas of his mother from memory. Author David Leeming writes, "Beauford Delaney's early life was dominated by the powerful figure of his mother, Delia Johnson Delaney, a strict, proud woman who upheld what she saw as the Christian virtues. She punctuated lessons on forbearance, patience, self-control, and turning the other cheek with songs." (Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney). In 1865, Delia was born into slavery in Richmond, married and had 10 children in the Knoxville, TN area (only 4 children lived past the age of 20 years old). Delia Delaney died in 1958. This work was exhibited in "Beauford Delaney: A Retrospective", The Studio Museum in New York, 1978, with a full page color illustration in the exhibition catalog, #10. This work is also referenced in “Hidden Treasures: Beauford and Joseph Delaney of Knoxville, Tennessee”, Volume 24, Number 1 (1997). Verso on central stretcher support, "Mother's portrait" in black marker script, "Beauford" label, Ollendorf Fine Art moving label, and other inventory annotations. 25 1/8" x 20 7/8" sight, 26" x 21 1/2" framed. Provenance - Delaney Estate, Derek L. Spratley, Esquire, court-appointed administrator.
Condition:
Minor exfoliation above head, light lifting of paint to hair above left ear, background around head.
- THOS. JEFFERSON: NOTES ON THE STATE
THOS. JEFFERSON: NOTES ON THE STATE OF VAJEFFERSON, Thomas. Notes on the State of Virginia. Philadelphia: Mathew Carey, 1794. 4 3/4" H X 8 1/4" W (Octavo). 336 Pages. Second Edition (THE FIRST AUTHORIZED EDITION) of Jefferson's only full-length book. Original period treerain leather with red leather spine label. Previous owner signature of Edward Hicks of Devon Farm, Tennessee (1831-1894) to front pastedown in pencil. Lacks the folding map, but all other plates and illustrations intact. Widely considered the most significant book printed in America in the 18th Century. Jefferson's Notes on the State of Virginia was originally composed as a response to questions from a French diplomat. The book is a historical and statistical account of Virginia, but also provides much insight to the mind of one of America's most beloved Founding Fathers. Thomas Jefferson's views on religion, politics, natural history and slavery inadvertently established his reputation abroad as a serious scientist, thinker and a man who was a spokesman for his country. Although he never openly submitted his ideas of emancipating the slaves and returning them to a more permanent land in Congress, he did pen such ideas in this book. Note: the 1794 Carey Edition was the first authorized printing. Provenance: the estate of Sarah Hunter Hicks Green, formerly of Historic Devon Farm, Nashville, Tennessee. (Higher-resolution photos are available at www.caseantiques.com)
Condition:
Large fold-out chart at page 134 complete, but torn at bottom right corner. Light foxing and toning to interior. Scuffing to outer boards. Well preserved overall.
- IMPORTANT EARLY SOUTH CAROLINA MAP 1696Pierre
IMPORTANT EARLY SOUTH CAROLINA MAP 1696Pierre Mortier / Nicolas Sanson, CARTE PARTICULIERE DE LA CAROLINE, DRESSE FUR LES MEMOIRES LE PLUS NOUVEAUX, published Amsterdam, circa 1696. Copper engraving with hand colored highlights. The first map of South Carolina printed in Continental Europe. Housed in ebonized frame with gilt liner and cream silk matte. Sight - 19" H x 23 1/2" W. Framed - 28" H x 32" W. Scarce map of the coastal region around Charleston and the Cooper River, depicting the area from the Santee River in the North to the Edisto River in the south. It shows several early roads and Indian settlements, as well as names and locations of dozens of early landowners, including the Santee and Sewel Indian Forts, the Kayawah (Kiawah) Indian Settlement, and Colletons Barony along the Cooper River. (Sir John Colleton was one of the eight proprietors of the Carolina Grant, a member of the Council for Foreign Plantations and of the Royal African Company, which introduced slavery into the British possessions in North America). This map is generally regarded as the first obtainable map of the region to appear in a commercial atlas. Cumming 121, Kendall Early Maps of Carolina 17C. Provenance: Private collection, acquired several years ago from Carolina Prints, Charleston, South Carolina. Documentation will be provided to winning bidder. (Higher-resolution photos are available at www.caseantiques.com)
Condition:
Some light toning, possible repaired tear at upper left corner and on far left side near word "Occident", a couple of light creases. Map has not been fully examined out of frame, but appears to be hinge mounted to backing board rather than glued down.
- 2 GIERS PORTRAITS OF AFRICAN AMERICANS2
2 GIERS PORTRAITS OF AFRICAN AMERICANS2 Tennessee Photographic portraits of African Americans. 1st item: Thuss cabinet card photograph of "Uncle" Alfred Jackson (born about 1802-d. 1901), slave to President Andrew Jackson, and historian of his home, The Hermitage. This image, taken about 1890, depicts Uncle Alfred sitting in a chair, looking straightforward at the camera. It is inscribed in pencil en verso "The old body servant of Gen. Jackson" and in colored pencil "No. 4". Thuss studio stamp on front. This image is featured in the book Nashville: From the Collection of Carl and Otto Giers, Volume II", page 68, James Hoobler. Alfred was born into slavery at the Hermitage and stayed on through Jackson's death, emancipation, and the eventual transfer of the home to the Ladies Hermitage Association. His memories from the early days of Tennessee statehood through Jackson's military and presidential career, the deaths of Rachel and Andrew Jackson, the Civil War, and Reconstruction, were essential in turning the house into a Presidential Historic Site. He often gave tours of the property and has been called "the first curator of the Hermitage." 2nd item: Albumen print, 6" x 9", mounted on card, of an African American woman wearing a turban on her head and holding a fan and cane; she is depicted seated with her elbow resting on a table. Signed lower right "Giers copy". This print is featured in the book Nashville: From the Collection of Carl and Otto Giers, Volume II, page 42. The author James Hoobler suggests that the sitter may be that of Hannah, Andrew Jackson's slave. Circa 1890. Provenance: the estate of Giers descendant Sarah Hunter Hicks Green, formerly of Historic Devon Farm, Nashville, Tennessee. (Higher-resolution photos are available at www.caseantiques.com)
Condition:
1st item: loss at lower right corner, image toned, with some grime. 2nd item: losses to upper right and lower left corners of card, lower edge stained; image intact and in good condition with some scattered grime.
- TN CIVIL WAR BROADSIDE, PAMPHLET, LETTERThree
TN CIVIL WAR BROADSIDE, PAMPHLET, LETTERThree (3) Civil War era documents, including a Tennessee 1865 Franchise Act broadside, Civil War Surgeon letter from Nashville, and an 1858 slavery related pamphlet. 1st item: Broadside copy of "An Act to Limit the Elective Franchise", William Heiskell, Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives, Samuel Ramsey Rodgers, Speaker of the Tennessee Senate, passed June 5th, 1865. The act barred ex-Confederates from voting for 15 years, with ex-Confederates defined under Section II as "all persons who are or shall have been civil or diplomatic officers or agents of the so-called Confederate States of America, or who have left judicial stations under the United States or the States of Tennessee, to aid in any way in the existing or recent rebellion against the authority of the United States, or who have been military or naval officers of the so-called Confederate States above the rank of Captain in the army of Lieutenant in the navy, or who have left seats in the United States Congress, or seats in the Legislature of the State of Tennessee to aid said rebellion, or have resigned commissions in the army or navy of the United States and afterwards have voluntarily given aid to said rebellion, or persons who have engaged in any way in treating otherwise than lawfully as prisoners of war persons found in United States service as officers, soldiers, seamen, or in other capacities, or persons who have been or are absentees from the United States for the purpose of aiding the rebellion, or persons who held pretended offices under the government of States in insurrection against the United States, or persons who left their homes within jurisdiction and protection of the United States, or fled before the approach of the National forces and passed beyond the Federal military lines into the so-called Confederate States for the purpose of aiding the rebellion, shall be denied and refused the privilege of the elective franchise in this States, for the term of fifteen years, from and after the passage of this act". Housed in a plastic sleeve. 2nd item: Civil War era letter written by Doctor John G. Brown, a Surgeon in the 4th Regiment Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry, Union Army, written from Head quarters Detach...Edgefield [East Nashville] TN and dated Feb 1st 1865 and addressed to his brothers Charles and William Brown. He writes "Dear brothers, I take this opportunity of writing to you to let you know where I am and how I am...I have only a small detachment of men here of sick and convalescent. The main part of the regiment is at East Port Miss. where our front is at the present. How long I will remain here I do not know [I] have been expecting orders to join the regiment any day. I have not been able to learn anything very definite from upper echelon since General Burnbridge's expedition though from what I am able to guess the Rebels have no regular force nearer than Bristol our front is at Strawberry Plains and the country between is infested with scouting parties and guerrillas killing a good many of the citizens at there [sic] homes...I recon [sic] the Copperheads have all gone into their holes not to return since they see the people have sustained Lincoln and the War. I hope he puts a collar around there [sic] necks before long and bring[s] [them] into the Army...I do not know but think a rigorous campaign with Sherman's destruction of South Carolina will make the Rebels willing to make peace at any terms if they do not they will not only lose their Negros [sic] but their lands and lives for the government is determined to conquer if it become necessary exterminate every rebel in the land...". Housed in a plastic sleeve with typed transcription. 3rd item: Slavery related Pamphlet, "The Kansas Question", Speech of Hon. Thomas S. Bocock of Virginia, House of Representatives, March 8, 1858. Speaking out against the refusal to admit Kansas into the Union under the Lecompton Constitution, the second constitution drafted for Kansas Territory that permitted slavery, excluded free African Americans from living in Kansas, and allowed only male citizens of the United States to vote, Bocock states "I do not know what will be the effect of a refusal to admit Kansas under the Lecompton constitution. I am not authorized to speak the views of Virginia...But I will say this... although hand join in hand to prevent, the destiny of Virginia, for once and for all, for now and forever, is indissolubly united with that of her sister States of the South". Housed in a plastic sleeve. American, mid 19th century. Provenance: all acquired from the estate of Harry Brown of Western Greene County, Tennessee. See other related lots to the Brown family, lots 539 and 570. (Higher-resolution photos are available at www.caseantiques.com)
Condition:
1st item: Minute foxing spots, scattered on surface of sheet. Toning lines along sheet creases. Paper tears, largest 3/4", edges of sheet. 2nd item: Areas of toning, largest 3 1/2", surface of sheet. Paper tears, largest 1 3/4", creases and edges of sheet. 3rd item: Areas of water damage, largest 4 1/2", surface of sheet. Areas of insect damage, largest 1 1/8", surface of sheet. 7 1/2" tear along paper crease.
- 2 SLAVE DOCUMENTS, NASHVILLE TN & NORTH
2 SLAVE DOCUMENTS, NASHVILLE TN & NORTH CAROLINA2 Slavery related items pertaining to Charles Ordway, Hardee Murfree, and Gen. Thomas Eaton of Tennessee and North Carolina. 1st item: Handwritten one-page inventory listing the names and ages of slaves belonging to Charles Ordway of Nashville plus those of the slaves brought to his marriage by his wife Mary Crockett Bramlett. Dated February 1862. The list includes the first names of ninety-one men, women, and children with their numerical ages, the youngest recorded as "Sallie Anne 0" and the oldest recorded as "Joe 71", with a line of text reading "Negros taxable from 12 to 15-15 to 30-30 to 40-40 to 50" along the lower right margin. Additional ink and pencil inscriptions, en verso. 2nd item: 1873 copy of an 1807 handwritten three-and-one-half page bifolium slave deed from General Thomas Eaton of Warren County NC (c. 1739-1809), to his granddaughter Frances Bland Dudley and his friend Colonel Hardee Murfree, both of Williamson County, Tennessee. Eaton was a military officer in the North Carolina militia during the War of the Regulation in 1771 and the American Revolutionary War from 1775 to 1784. Colonel Hardee Murfree (1752-1809), was a lieutenant colonel from North Carolina during the American Revolutionary War, and an early settler of Middle Tennessee. The deed grants four slaves by the names of Jeffrey, Ephraim, Lisbon, and Chance to Dudley and Murfree. Includes two envelopes, not postmarked. Note: In addition to Eaton's military service, he was a member of the North Carolina Provincial Congress and North Carolina House of Commons for several terms simultaneously with his military service. Eaton was a member of the North Carolina Council of State under Governor Richard Caswell. At the time of the 1790 census, Eaton was one of the largest slaveholders in North Carolina. A miniature portrait of him is also being sold in this auction.
Property of the Lincoln County Museum, Fayetteville, TN; Bequest of Mary Bright Wilson (1909-2004), formerly of Fayetteville, and descended in her family.
Condition:
All items in overall good, legible condition with toning/acid burn, tears, areas of loss, foxing spots, dampstaining, to be expected from age and manner of use. 1st item: Areas of loss, largest 3 1/4" x 3/4" with one area obscuring the age of one individual, center right.
- PAIR WORCESTER ABOLITIONIST PLATTERS,
PAIR WORCESTER ABOLITIONIST PLATTERS, HERBERT FAMILYPair of large Chamberlains Worcester anti-slavery style burgundy and parcel-gilt decorated porcelain platters with scalloped edges and central portrait of a black man surrounded by a banner with Herbert family motto ASGRE LAN DIOGEL EL PHERCHEN ("A good conscience is the best shield"). Unmarked. 17 3/8" H x 20 1/4" W. United Kingdom, first half of 19th century. Note: The Herbert family commissioned this porcelain tableware set to celebrate Great Britain's passing of the Slavery Act of 1833, utilizing their morally reputable motto as a critique of slavery. (Source: "Finding Slavery in a Campus Art Museum: Resistance", University of Wisconsin-Madison).
The Collection of Dr. Joe Newsom Rawlings, Davisboro, Georgia.
Condition:
Overall good condition with scattered wear to glaze and parcel-gilt decoration; slight surface grime/residue; and minor losses to rim, largest measuring 1/8" x 1/4".
- BESSIE HARVEY MIXED MEDIA FOLK ART SCULPTUREBessie
BESSIE HARVEY MIXED MEDIA FOLK ART SCULPTUREBessie Harvey (Georgia/Tennessee, 1929-1994) abstract folk art sculpture depicting a standing figure, comprised of painted driftwood mounted onto a 2 x 4 wood base with additional paint and bead decorations throughout. Unsigned. 13" H x 10" W x 3 1/4" D. Biography: Bessie Harvey was born in Dallas, Georgia, the seventh of thirteen children. She attended school through the fourth grade. In her early twenties she moved to Tennessee, living briefly in Knoxville and then permanently in nearby Alcoa, where she secured a job with Blount Memorial Hospital in order to help provide for her children and grandchildren. Although aware of her own creative gifts as a child, Harvey did not devote her full-time energies to making art until in her late forties. Seeking solace from life's challenges, she found strength and comfort in her faith and began to discern spirits in seemingly ordinary pieces of gnarled wood. In her makeshift basement studio, Harvey added paint, wood putty, shells, hair, cloth, and other items to each piece of wood in order to give vivid physical form to the spirit she perceived within. Her earliest creations tended to be small, simple figures decorated only with black paint, human hair, and shells or beads. Collectors began to recognize the raw expressive power of her strange, dark figures, and Harvey's reputation soared by the early 1980s. Troubled by local rumors that her work was the product of voodoo, Harvey one day in 1983 burned the contents of her studio. After a few weeks of self-reflection, however, she went back to work with the newfound realization that her sculptures were important messages from God to a troubled world. Her works became increasingly large, colorful, and elaborate and enriched by glitter, cloth, beads, and jewelry. She also embarked on a loosely autobiographical series, Africa in America, which she intended as a teaching tool for children in her community. By the time of her death in 1994, the series included more than twenty sculptural dioramas depicting the African American experience and race relations during and after the era of slavery. (source: The Tennessee Encyclopedia).
Condition:
Overall very good condition with expected light wear.
- J. WILKES BOOTH EAGLE POMMEL SWORDImportant
J. WILKES BOOTH EAGLE POMMEL SWORDImportant circa 1840's eagle pommel militia sword with incised name under hand guard J. WILKES BOOTH / ROUS. Sword has bone grip and fancy guard (Indian, eagle & shield) with gilt patriotic designs on the 32.75 inch blade (some bluing still intact). Overall length 38 inches. Provenance: This sword was purchased, along with several other swords, by a general dealer about 35 years ago from a local Mass. VFW post. Unbeknownst to him or the sellers, this inscription was subsequently discovered on close examination. Booth was known as an avid weapons collector and had a short stint in the Richmond Grays militia. We speculate the word ROUS may have something to do with either this regiment or possibly a misspelling of the word ROUSE - as in awakening or call to action. Booth was a staunch advocate of slavery and attended the hanging of abolitionist John Brown in 1859 after Brown's failed attempt to seize Harper's Ferry in VA. Booth left the Grays, went back to his acting career, and later assasinated president Abe Lincoln.
- BOOKLET "THE UNCONSTITUTIONALITY OF
BOOKLET "THE UNCONSTITUTIONALITY OF SLAVERY"Lysander Spooner; Boston: Bela Marsh, 1846; Second edition, designated "Cheap Edition." 7 1/2" high, 4 3/4" wide.Foxing, stains, corner losses. We offer in-house packing and shipping of this item to an address in the United States for $45 viaUSPS Priority Mail. The price includes insurance up to $5000. Tracking information will be sent to your email address. International buyers are responsible for arranging third party shipping.
- A RECONSTRUCTION ERA FEDERAL "AMNESTY
A RECONSTRUCTION ERA FEDERAL "AMNESTY OATH" WITH REFERE...A RECONSTRUCTION ERA FEDERAL "AMNESTY OATH" WITH REFERENCE TO THE EMANCIPATION OF SLAVERY, WITNESSED BY H. BEARD, CAPT. & ASST. PROVOST MARSHAL, SIGNED, PARDON FOR J.N. SCHMIDT, GALVESTON, JULY 6, 1865, engraving and hand inscribed ink on paper, no. 220, the contracts signed by former confederate soldiers to gain full amnesty and pardon for participation "during the existing rebellion," and witnessed by federal Provost Marshals. 8 1/2" x 10" Provenance: Estate of Dr. Paul E. Schutts, Houston, Texas.
Condition:
Some creases as issued, spots, edge wear, tears and minor losses, stains, but overall in good to very good condition, wear commensurate with age. Simpson Galleries strongly encourages in-person inspection of items by the bidder. Statements by Simpson Galleries regarding the condition of objects are for guidance only and should not be relied upon as statements of fact and do not constitute a representation, warranty, or assumption of liability by Simpson Galleries. All lots offered are sold "AS IS." NO REFUNDS will be issued based on condition.
- NEW BEDFORD CUSTOM HOUSE LEDGER 1843-1846NEW
NEW BEDFORD CUSTOM HOUSE LEDGER 1843-1846NEW BEDFORD CUSTOM HOUSE LEDGER 1843-1846 , Kept by Rodney French Esq. Collector, David Silvester Inspector, New Bedford Sept. 23, 1843. "In September 1843, President John Tyler appointed Rodney French, Collector of Customs for the Port of New Bedford. However, once Tyler found out that he was a vocal opponent of slavery, he gave up on French's nomination and the Senate refused to confirm him."
Reference: Pease, Zephaniah W., ed. (1918). "XXXV". History of New Bedford, Volume 3. New York: The Lewis Historical Publishing Company. p. 188.
Condition:
Items may have wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging. Please contact the gallery for further details prior to bidding. Any condition statement given as a courtesy should not be treated as fact.
- EARLY ABOLITIONIST PAMPHLET:"SLAVERY
EARLY ABOLITIONIST PAMPHLET:"SLAVERY INCONSISTENT WITH ...Early Abolitionist Pamphlet:"Slavery Inconsistent with Justice and Good Policy" by the Reverend David Rice, New York, printed by Isaac Collins and Son, 1804.
6 in. x 3 ¾ in.
Provenance : Descended in the Cary Family of Nantucket.
Condition:
Items may have wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging. Please contact the gallery for further details prior to bidding. Any condition statement given as a courtesy should not be treated as fact.
- 3 BOOKS UNCLE TOMS CABIN TEMPERANCE
3 BOOKS UNCLE TOMS CABIN TEMPERANCE SLAVERYMeasures 0.75" tall, 8.5" wide, 7" deep. Good original condition. Please Email or call for a detailed condition report. The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections, repairs, restorations or the effects of aging. The majority of the items we sell are Antiques and will show the appropriate wear and Patina. Packaging, Insurance, Handling And Shipping Are Done In House or You Are Welcome To Pick Up In Person Or Make Your Own Shipping Arrangements.
Condition:
Measures 0.75" tall, 8.5" wide, 7" deep. Good original condition. Please Email or call for a detailed condition report. The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections, repairs, restorations or the effects of aging. The majority of the items we sell are Antiques and will show the appropriate wear and Patina. Packaging, Insurance, Handling And Shipping Are Done In House or You Are Welcome To Pick Up In Person Or Make Your Own Shipping Arrangements.
- RECENT INDIAN WARS, JAMES P. BOYD, SALESMAN
RECENT INDIAN WARS, JAMES P. BOYD, SALESMAN SAMPLEIncluded in this lot is a Rare Hardcover 1891 Salesman Sample of the First Edition of "Recent Indian Wars, Under the Lead of Sitting Bull and Other Chiefs; with a Full Account of The Messiah Craze and Ghost Dances" by James P. Boyd, A. M., Publishers Union, 1891. The salesman sample is an even more rare piece. This would have been sent out to garner sales for the full size book. The sample has original publisher notes in the rear and also representations of what the full book has. The book provides a comprehensive account of major battles fought with the Native American Indians in the late 1800's. This book was written during the uprising of the Sioux Indians and their kindred tribes in the Dakotas in 1891. The time came when the Indians declared that they preferred extinction to slavery or to the adoption of colonial civilization. Boyd's book contains information on events and figures such as the Yuma Massacre of 1850, the Marias Massacre and Piegan torture, General Custer's Last Stand against the Sioux, the Nez Perce War of 1877, The Messiah Craze, Ghost Dance, Life of Sitting Bull, the Mountain Meadow Massacre. The book contains numerous illustrations and features a brown cloth gold gilt covers, the front and rear covers depict gold gilt crossed bow and arrow, rifle and tomahawk. Cover and pages are in good condition, slight foxing and age tanning noted, slight scuffing of cover edges, measures 5"W x 7.75"L x .25"D