Historical Documents & Newspapers

Lot 597
1734 Connecticut Will. Manuscript Document Signed ("Thomas Bennit", "Tho Towley"). One page, 7¾ x 11¼", Connecticut, April 18, 1733. In brown ink. With partial wax seal. Two horizontal folds and three vertical folds. Soiling along folds, yellowing from age. In fine condition.

An early Connecticut citizen named Thomas Bennit, Sr., bequeaths his land in Newton, Connecticut to his son. The document is also signed by Justice of the Peace, Thomas Towley. Colonial-era wills and testaments, signed under the auspices of the crown's officials, have become increasingly popular as interest in the pre-Revolutionary era deepens.
Estimated Value $150-250.

Lot 598
1907 Coal Mining Payroll Book. Payroll book of the Leigh & Wilkes-Barre Coal Company of Pennsylvania. Covering the months of July, August, and September of 1907, this detailed book records the payroll information of outside company employees, inside company employees, and miners, listing each individual's name, hours worked, pay scale, etc. Also detailed, are deductions made for those miners who lived in company housing. Sixty-nine pages in total, each features the company name at heading. Entries are made in black and red ink, and are verified both by a foreman and outside superintendent. Spine is Morocco leather gold stamped "Colliery No 4 July / August / September / L&W B.C. Co. Honey Brook Division". Measuring 28½ x 18½". General toning, but still in very good to fine condition.

The Leigh & Wilkes-Barre Coal Company was one of eight major coal operators dominating the coal industry at the turn of the century. Located in Pennsylvania, the company was formed by Phillip Ginder after discovering anthracite coal near Summit Hill in 1791. Unfortunately, the company was the site of a violet strike-turned-massacre in 1897 over wage prices. Our payroll book reflects an increase, albeit ten years later.
Estimated Value $200-300.
Please note, this is a large item and shipping will be charged accordingly.

Three Great Assortments of Theatrical Posters

Lot 599
19th Century Theatre Broadsides (Boston). Lot of four posters, all archivally mounted on muslin. Sizes range from 6 x 18" to 8 x 19½". An 1868 performance of Merry Wives of Windsor at Selwyn's, an 1878 Boston Museum production of Rice's Evangeline, Miss Cushman as "Queen Katherine" in The Globe's 1871 Henry VIII and Augustin Daly's Arabian Night (featuring Catherine Lewis as "The Wild Rose of Yucatan") commencing May 24th, 1880 at the Boston Theatre, are all touted in this great lot of desirable broadsides. The Boston Theatre bill is on light green paper, the rest are on white. Some foxing and surface soil throughout, there are a few pencil marks scattered. Good to very good condition.

American theater in the 19th century was as varied and interesting as the land itself; from makeshift shacks in mining towns to Civil War encampments to grand auditoriums in the largest cities, it was one of the most accessible forms of entertainment, offering Shakespeare, broad melodrama and broader comedy to the masses and the elite alike. Uncle Tom's Cabin gained almost as much notoriety from stage performances as it did in book form and an evening at the theater, whether in the pit or a luxurious box, was an event to look forward to.

The photo above features posters from this lot and the following two.
Estimated Value $75-100.

Lot 600
19th Century Theatre Broadsides (The Bowery). Lot of six broadsides from Bowery theaters, all archivally mounted on muslin. Sizes range from 5 x 15" to 10 x 28". The lot is made up of two Bowery Theatre shows, Mlle. Pougaud's from 1853 and 1856's Birth of Freedom; three New Bowery Theatre shows: Gitanilla (clipped from a newspaper) and The Duke's Signal from 1863 and 1864's Ismael Lyons or The Persecuted Jewess in a bill with Counterfeiter's Daughter (Mrs. W.G. Jones plays the title role in both works); The Bowery Garden Variety Theatre is represented by an 1878 sheet advertising the "Event of the Season", featuring a variety of famous performers at the "Coolest Place in the City". Foxing and surface soil throughout, scattered paper loss and tears repaired through application to muslin, trimmed margins. Good to very good condition.

From the early 1800s, the Bowery was one of New York's major theater districts and the opening of the Great Bowery Theater in 1826 (it was the largest theater on the North American continent) helped to cement that position for the next 100 years. Particularly popular with working-class crowds, the Bowery theaters presented an outstanding variety of entertainment from "French and Spanish Dancers... in a Grand Ballet Divertisment" to "Miss Clara Maxwell The...Serio Comic Vocalist".
Estimated Value $150-250.

Lot 601
19th Century Theatre Broadsides (New York). Lot of ten broadsides from New York theaters, all archivally mounted on muslin. Sizes range from 6 x 21" to 10½ x 28". Two posters from America's oldest theater (Walnut Street Theatre, founded 1808) from 1876 and 1880; an elaborate 1876 poster for the Eagle Theatre ("The Most Beautiful Theatre in America"); Niblo's Garden advertises an 1859 performance of War in Italy; Brougham's Lyceum opens Devil in Paris (with Miss Mary Taylor "as the Oh! no we never mention It") and Eton Boy on an April evening in the 1860s; the 1875 Grand Re-Opening of the Palais Royal Varieties features "Madame Levantine's Renowned Female Minstrels"; and four posters from Wallack's Theatre advertise a wide variety of entertainment in the 1860s and 1880s. Conditions vary from fair to very good: there is some foxing, toning and surface soil throughout; tears and paper loss are repaired through application to muslin.

A fabulous lot of highly collectible posters illustrating the varied tastes of New York's theater-going public.
Estimated Value $200-250.

Lot 602
British Indentures (Lot of 3). Three indentures, ink on vellum, dating from 1769, 1826 and 1831. An interesting collection of documents made up of two land transfers and a debt settlement. Both land transfers offered here (1769 and 1826) feature women as the lessees and in each case they are referred to as "spinster". The 1769 indenture measures 29 x 21½" and the 1826, 29 x 16". Our debt settlement (22 x 28¼") involves two wine merchants and their many creditors. All three pieces are docketed on verso, marked with the appropriate stamps and seals and show the expected wear, folds, toning and soil. Conditions range from good to very good.

The tops of all three pieces show the wavy edge which gives this type of document its name -- as a measure to prevent counterfeiting, all copies of a legal agreement were placed together and the top margins were cut in an irregular "indented" pattern, uniquely authenticating each copy. With their handsome seals and elegant script, all three pieces would make beautiful display items.
Estimated Value $100-125.

Lot 603
Chance Silver Mining Company Certificate. Elaborate trefoil motif surrounds the text of the great silver mining share certificate. Certificate number 674, offered here, has an elaborately illustrated "C" featuring the silver miners at work and typically elaborate typefaces. Established in San Francisco in February of 1874. The Chance Silver Mine was one of hundreds of mining companies formed to take advantage of the strikes in Nevada. Many of those companies failed and, as we can't find current records of the Chance, it likely shared the same fate. Minor toning to top edge, else fine. A great piece of history.
Estimated Value $100-150.

Lot 604
Cuban Land and Steamship Company Archive. Seventeen relics from one of the great swindles of the early 20th century, this Cuban Land and Steamship Company lot includes a stock certificate made out to one Lewis F. Mickey, indicating that gentleman bought eighteen shares for five dollars each. Other items include Mickey's Power of Attorney , several letters on Cuban Land and Steamship stationery, and a map of the Viaro region where Mickey's land (2+ acres) was located. There are seven receipts indicating Mickey made payments from $4.00 to $81.00 to the company. Conditions vary,a couple of letters have split at the folds and there is some toning. Otherwise, conditions are very good.

The United States used their victory in the Spanish American War to enter Cuba for political and commercial purposes. As is always the case, once new opportunities arose, swindles soon followed. The Cuban Land and Steamship Company promised, among other things, "A Free Plantation for Thrifty People" -- plantations of 5 to 40 acres being "given away" and for a "small monthly payment" a guaranteed income -- "The Opportunity of a Lifetime!" We wonder how many archives like this ended up hurled into stoves or torn into a hundred pieces!
Estimated Value $500-600.

Lot 605
Deed to Thomas and Richard Penn. Document Signed ("James Hamilton"). As Governor. One page, elephant folio, Philadelphia, June 10, 1760. On a land grant to Thomas and Richard Penn. In brown ink. With original, decorative wax Pennsylvania State Seal affixed to the bottom. Seal features an encircled tri-bladed symbol with botanical accents and a chevroned edge attached by a blue ribbon. Handsomely matted and framed to an overall size of 35 x 31½". With two horizontal and two vertical folds, splitting along folds, a walnut sized loss of paper at left edge, staining. Seal has slight losses, but remains almost whole. In fair to good condition overall.

After inheriting a substantial amount of land from their father (William Penn), the brothers John, Thomas, and Richard served as Proprietors of Pennsylvania until 1746. Thereafter, it seems the brothers began to disperse their holdings. In this land grant, Thomas and Richard Penn agree to sell a large plot of land to one Samuel Herr. Lieutenant Governor Hamilton signs the document, attaching the large State Seal of Pennsylvania.
Estimated Value $700-1,250.

Lot 606
Early American Land Deed. Autograph Document Signed ("Samuel Sorothrick"). One page, quarto, Essex, Massachusetts, March 15, 1680. In brown ink. Original wax seal remains affixed at the lower left. With one horizontal and two vertical folds, splits along both horizontal folds, several areas of paper loss, notably to the left of the signature. In fair condition overall.

Only 60 years subsequent to the Pilgrims' landing in Massachusetts, this well crafted land deed grants a parcel of land on the coast of Massachusetts to one Samuel Sorothrick by his father-in-law on occasion of Samuel's marriage. Interestingly, this rare and early American land deed was issued just following the separation of New Hampshire colony from Massachusetts.
Estimated Value $225-300.

Lot 607
Early IRS License. Internal Revenue Service Business License. In compliance with the new excise laws of the United States, this license certifies that retail dealers Camble & Brown have paid the appropriate taxes -- in this case, ten dollars. Valid for only one year, this certificate was issued on October 11, 1865. Apparently as the license was effective from May 1, 1865 through May 1, 1866, Camble & Brown appears to have been tardy in compliance. Measuring 11 x 8½". Foxing at upper right, and a small stain at lower left, residue from an adhesive remains along upper edge of verso. In good condition overall.

In order to support the Civil War effort, Congress enacted the nation's first income tax law in 1862, just three years prior to the Camble & Brown company's overdue cooperation, illustrating early disdain for this longstanding law.
Estimated Value $75-100.

Lot 608
Early Massachusetts Bay Document. Document Signed ("H. Gardner"?). As Treasurer. Partially printed accomplished in manuscript. One page, quarto, Massachusetts, December 1777. On a printed financial note. In black ink. Three horizontal folds and two vertical folds, time staining, left edge is trimmed. In good condition overall.

Signed by the Treasurer of the State of Massachusetts-Bay, this war bond, which features the sword in hand vignette -- based on designs by Paul Revere --grants one William Gowen six percent interest.
Estimated Value $400-600.

Lot 609
Illuminated German Document, 1726. Illuminated vellum document (similar to Fraktur Style), folio, penned in the town of Wollstein, 24 days after the feat of St. Bartholomew, 1726. Admitting Johann Heinrick Schick into the Butcher's Guild, in the place of the deceased Johann Adreas Lex, son of Johann Ludwig Lex. Schick was admitted on the grounds that he had married the young Lex's widow. The document is illuminated in red and green at the top and sides in the German style which was the predecessor of Pennsylvania Dutch fraktur. At the upper center is painted the seal of the butcher's guild, the head of a horned bull with a cleaver hanging over it; the first line of the document is ornately illustrated, with tulips and other flowers surrounding the borders. A beautiful piece of craftsmanship and obviously something that would have been either put in a place of honor for display or carefully put away for posterity. There is some fading and a spot of discoloration at the top to the right of center. Good to very good condition. Accompanied by a beautifully scripted English translation on vellum.
Estimated Value $650-900.

Lot 610
Marconi Wireless Stock Certificates. Here we offer two sheets of dividend shares issued by Marconi's Wireless Telegraph Company Limited. Each 3¾ x 6½" sheet is comprised of four certificates, which individually grant 1 and 5 shares respectively. Printed atop the sheet, a notation indicates: "The edge of this sheet is gummed to enable it to be affixed to the relative share warrant bearing the same number." Both sheets are trimmed, slight toning at extreme edges with one horizontal fold at center. Else, in very good condition.

Marconi's Wireless Telegraph Company began in 1897 by Guliemo Marconi, an inventor focused on the goal of perfecting communication to eliminate the isolation of the wide open seas. Marconi believed that electromagnetic waves could be used for transmitting information without the need for wire connections -- a revolutionary notion at the time. After perfecting his idea, the first practical radio communication system was borne, and by 1907 the "wireless" was used on trans-Atlantic voyages. In fact, in 1912 when the Titanic stuck an iceberg, it was Marconi's equipment that dispatched the first distress calls. Though the company began issuing stock in 1897, Marconi preferred to reinvest in research and experiments and it did not pay dividends until 1911. These shares are believed to have been issued at this point.
Estimated Value $200-300.

Lot 611
The Panic of 1873. Two pages, recto and verso, December 9, 1873, Greenville. From C.A. Hagan (?) to his cousin Eugene Betts. Some adhesive discoloration to edges, otherwise very good condition.

The Panic of 1873 created the worst depression the United States had ever known. The failure of the Jay Cooke & Co. banking firm on October 1, 1873, was merely the first step in a calamitous economic downturn that lasted almost five years. Ten years of expansion and economic success had ill-prepared America for the hard times that followed, and they were hard. By winter 1873, 25% of the workers in New York were unemployed and hunger and homelessness spread. A worker's protest in January 1874 resulted in widespread police brutality but protests continued throughout the next three years. Although the impact was felt to varying degrees throughout the country, its impact was noticeable everywhere. The letter offered here, while opening with family pleasantries, makes direct mention of the events of 1873 and their effect on (presumably) the South. "...How did the 'Panic' use you? It gave us 'Hell' in this part of the country. Cotton which sold last year for 18 cts. has sold this year for 10 cts and is now only 12½, which is just the cost of production...the prospect for the future is not very brilliant...However there is no condition of general destitution with us not even among that most thriftless improvident class...."
Estimated Value $300-350.

Lot 612
[Pope Pius IX] (1792-1878). Acting head of the Roman Catholic Church from 1846 to his death, thus making him the longest pontificate in the Church's history.

Manuscript Document Signed ("Carlo de Jengo"). In Latin. One page, 16½ x 9½", n.p., December 1860. In black ink. Docketed verso. With three vertical and three horizontal folds, spotty toning and wear to lower left quadrant. In very good condition overall.

Presumably a notice of excommunication, here we offer an official Papal document, complete with "Pius PP IX" printed boldly across the top. Though not signed by the Holy Father himself, his seal appears stamped at the lower left. Addressed to one John Coppinger, it would seem that this Civil War soldier, who received so many military appointments (see Presidential section), was not in as favorable terms with the Church. If his excommunication served as a catalyst for his entrance into the military, it also opened a whole new career, he was still serving active duty through 1884.
Estimated Value $150-250.

Lot 613
[Sears &] A.C. Roebuck Postal Advertisement. Postal advertisement card issued by A.C. Roebuck. Stamp cancellation dated May 18, 1891. Measuring 5¼ x 3". Addressed in manuscript on the address leaf, with additional pencil notations and a small fold to one corner. Else, in very good condition.

Marking the advent of American mail order marketing, this postcard was issued by A.C. Roebuck in his first year in business. Though Roebuck had previously worked for Richard Sears as a watch repairman, Sears sold out to Roebuck in 1891 and thus the A.C. Roebuck Company began. The company's first catalogue, which appeared that same year, featured 32 pages of watches (with an additional insert). This postcard presents a wonderful offer -- a beautiful gold-filled hunter case pocket watch for the low, low, low price of $10.80. Offering to ship the timepiece C.O.D., this card states that the deal (the "best on earth" no less), will "cost you nothing".

As is to be expected, very little of this type of advertising has survived over the years.
Estimated Value $300-400.

Lot 614
[Shirley, William] (1694-1771). British colonial governor and soldier. Appointed the governor of Boston in 1741 and served till he was removed in 1756 after an unsuccessful attack during the French and Indian War.

Manuscript Document. One sheet, octavo, n.p., February 5, 1744. Being a copy of a House of Representatives decision. In brown ink. A few horizontal folds and light stains in lower margin, upper edge is rough. In good condition overall.

In the midst of "King George's War", which was also known as "Governor Shirley's War", this document stipulates the salaries for soldiers participating in the capture of Louisbourg, as consented to by Governor Shirley. Specifically, compensation was to be awarded as follows: "One month pay be advanced to each effective man upon his enlistment for the intended expedition against Louisbourg. Also that five shillings a week be allowed each man ..." Surely an inexpensive cost for Shirley's greatest victory.
Estimated Value $200-300.

Important Spiritualism Archive

Lot 615
Spiritualism Archive of Arthur Thomas Reynolds (1864-1957) Reynolds was a Maine carpenter, photgrapher and painter who spent almost 30 years conducting seances and recording the wisdom of his otherwordly "visitors".

Lot of 27 notebooks, dated 1930-1957, variously bound in leather and paperboard. Extensive indices in front of each volume indicate "visitors" recorded in each book. Reynolds' visitors included Washington, Lincoln, Benedict Arnold and Nero, in addition to a guide Theodore and others. Several of the volumes have charmingly painted covers. There are a few loose pages scattered throughout the volumes and a few scuffed covers, otherwise the collection is in very good condition. A unique, museum-worthy archive.

The roots of modern New Age philosophies lie in the wildly popular "spiritualism" of the mid- to late 19th century and that handful of adherents who continued using the "other side" as a source of wisdom and comfort into the 20th century. The resurgence of alternative spiritual movements in the 1970s relied heavily on these believers who served as a bridge between the "knockers and bangers" of the 19th century and the "seekers" of the late 20th century.
Estimated Value $1,500-2,000.

Lot 616
Three Early Historic Documents. 1. Ornamental Baccalaureate Degree Certificate. Partially printed, accomplished in manuscript. In Latin. One page, elephant folio, Schenectady, New York, August 9, 1850. On vellum. In brown ink. Several light folds. 2. Honorary Fire Service Certificate. Partially printed, accomplished in manuscript. One page, folio, Eastchester, New York, May 7, 1877. In brown ink. Issued to one Henry Fisbeck. Light yellowing. 3. Governor's Greeting. Partially printed, accomplished in manuscript. One page, elephant folio, Knox County, Tennessee, July 16, 1865 (?). In brown ink. Remnants of a wafer seal at lower left. Ink is faded, with several folds and ink notations at the upper left. Overall, the lot is in fair condition.

Here we offer three decorative documents, all dating from the mid 19th century, each with allegorical vignettes and calligraphic ornamentation.
Estimated Value $100-150.

Lot 617
U.S. Involvement in China. Group of three letters detailing American concerns and intervention in China in 1849, probably the most significant American military involvement in that country since sailors and marines from the St. Louis were landed in Canton following a clash between Americans and Chinese at the trading post.
The British/Chinese Opium Wars (1839-1842) had resulted in a painful defeat for the Chinese, as they fought to limit British opium smuggling and resisted paying damages for opium they had confiscated from the smugglers. Although technically ended by the Treaty of Nanking, the relationship between the British and Chinese was never free from strife and the letters offered here illustrate the concerns of Americans in China vis-a-vis the impact of hostilities between those two countries.

Our first item appears to be a transcript or summary of an article from the North Peking Gazette which makes evident Chinese suspicions of British/American collusion "...It is believed in the inner city, that the Americans are assisting the English both in men and money, for the opening of the city gates..." The second item, an April 5, 1849 letter written by U.S. Consul P.S. Forbes in Canton, is directed to Commodore David Geisinger, Commander of U.S. forces in the East Indies. Minor foxing and soil do not obscure the text which reads, in part, "...It is of course very gratifying to my feelings to merit the approbation of the commodore...and I have seconded your own efforts to protect American citizens and their property..." An April 11 letter from several Canton businessmen to Geisinger expresses their gratitude for the deployment of the Dolphin to protect American factories: "...The difficulties which are expected to arise between the British and Chinese Governments on the 6th instant, having been deferred...we take the earliest moments of returning tranquility to impress how much we feel indebted to you for your prompt attention to American interests in this quarter..."
Estimated Value $800-900.

Lot 618
Washington's Relatives as Witnesses. Document Signed by Washington's cousin Thomas Washington and his nephew John Washington for the Court of Westmorland on June 5, 1783. Quarto, framed to 17 x 14". Being testament of land value. Minor toning, one area of paper loss. Very good to fine. Not examined out of frame.

"the acre of land said of on the estate of the orphan of Edward Moxley is worth two pounds -- ten Shillings and the land that will be drownded [sic] is worth seven pounds..." A nice connection and attractive document.
Estimated Value $250-300.

Lot 619
20th Century Landmark Events. Seven pieces. Offering a range of noteworthy newspapers, this collection of historical periodicals spans the twentieth century -- covering events from November 7, 1900 through August 9, 1974. Featuring sections of The New York Times, The Boston Herald, The Daily Sketch, the Wall Street Journal, and the Tampa Tribune. Highlights include two editions reporting on the assassination of John F. Kennedy (with a stock market report from the New York Times on that date), two portions of the Tampa Tribune dated Moonday [sic], July 21, 1969, and two newspapers on the Resignation of President Richard Nixon. Sizes vary and conditions range from fair to very good.
Estimated Value $100-UP.

Lot 620
The Columbian Magazine. Philadelphia: William Spotswood, April 1788, pages 175-234, 5 x 8". Unbound. Aging with a few stains. In good condition.

Beginning on page 198, this issue of The Columbian Magazine outlines a plan for the establishment of a mint, specifically proposing which coins to be minted, their weight, as well as the value of denominations, and which metals should be used.
Estimated Value $200-300.

Meriwether Lewis Issues General Orders!

Lot 621
The Connecticut Courant. Hartford: Hudson and Goodwin, May 24, 1809. Beautifully engraved masthead. Expected folds, toning to edges, light foxing. With a full text of Meriwether Lewis' General Orders, issued as Governor of the Louisiana Territory at the time of an Indian insurrection.
Estimated Value $300-400.