Americana
Rare Americana Books, Manuscripts & More for Sale Online
If you’re looking for first edition books celebrating the American experience, you’ve come to the right place. At Raptis Rare Books we maintain an extensive collection of rare Americana, books, manuscripts and more. Browse through our entire collection online, use our sorting tools or search to find exactly what you’re looking for then call with any questions you may have or order online today.
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"The foundations of American History": Rare early folio edition of the first official publication of the acts of the first Congress, including the Constitution and the Bill of Rights and bound with official publications of the Acts of the second and third sessions of Congress
Acts Passed at a Congress of the United States of America, Begun and Held at the City of New-York, on Wednesday the Fourth of March, in the Year M,DDC,LXXXIX; and of the Independence of the United States, the Thirteenth. [With: Acts Passed at the Second Session of the Congress of the United States of America, Begun and Held at the City of New-York, on Monday the Fourth of January, in the Year M,DCC,XC: and of the Independence of the United States, the Fourteenth. [and] Acts Passed at the Third Session of the Congress of the United States of America, Begun and Held at the City of Philadelphia on Monday the Sixth of December, In The Year M,DCC,XC: and of the Independence of the United States, the Fourteenth].
Philadelphia: Printed by Francis Childs and Joseph Swaine, Printers to the United States, [1791].
Rare early folio edition of the first official publication of the acts of the first Congress, including the Constitution and the Bill of Rights; bound with the first official printing of the acts of the second session of Congress and an early printing of the acts of the third session of Congress (issued the same year as the first official printing). Folio, three volumes bound into one in full contemporary blind-tooled calf with raised bands to the spine, burgundy morocco spine label lettered in gilt. A reprint of Childs and Swaine’s first official printing, which was issued in New York…
Price: $15,000.00 Item Number: 125641
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"No one quality by itself makes a good man or woman; many are essential; but three especially - courage, straightforward honesty, and common sense": Rare autograph quotation book lengthily inscribed by Theodore Roosevelt as President in addition to many others including William Howard Taft, John Muir, John Burroughs, and Bernard Baruch
ROOSEVELT, Theodore; William Howard Taft; John Muir; John Burroughs; Bernard Baruch et al. [Olga Roosevelt].
Theodore Roosevelt Signed and Inscribed Autograph Quotation Book.
c. 1903.
Olga Roosevelt's autograph book, lengthily inscribed and signed by Theodore Roosevelt as President of the United States, William Howard Taft as Vice President of the United States and several other famous figures of the era, including naturalists John Muir and John Burroughs and financier Bernard Baruch. Octavo, bound in full vellum with hand painted decorations to the spine and panels, patterned endpapers. Inscribed and signed by Theodore Roosevelt with a lengthy quotation, "No one quality by itself makes a good man or woman; many are essential; but three especially - courage, straightforward honesty, and common sense. Theodore Roosevelt July 23rd…
Price: $15,000.00 Item Number: 116342
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Rare Letter signed by George Washington regarding his various land holdings in Virginia
WASHINGTON, George.
George Washington Letter Signed.
Mount Vernon: July 28, 1785.
Rare letter signed by George Washington to his land agent in Virginia, Battaile Muse. Quarto, three pages on a single folded leaf, the letter is addressed to Mr. Battaile Muse. The body of the letter, in a secretarial hand, reads in full: "Mount Vernon, July 28, 1785 Sir: A few days ago by a Mr. Hickman, who either is, or wants to be a tenant of mine in Frederick County. I sent you a Dozen Blank leases. The Tract on which he says he is fixed, is part of two lots which I purchased at the sale of Colo. George…
Price: $40,000.00 Item Number: 139571
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REVOLUTIONARY WAR-DATE LETTER FROM WASHINGTON TO ROCHAMBEAU ON A PROPOSED EXPEDITION TO PENOBSCOT
WASHINGTON, George.
George Washington Letter Signed.
April 10, 1781.
Highly important letter signed (“Go: Washington”), as Commander-in-Chief, 2 pages folio, “Head Quarters New Windsor April 10 [17]81”, to his French ally Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, the body of the letter in the hand of his trusted aide-de-camp, Alexander Hamilton; horizontal fold separation repaired, minor tears and chips along margins. In the spring of 1781, officials from Massachusetts approached Rochambeau with a proposal to attack the British post at the mouth of the Penobscot river— established in June 1779 to secure timber for shipyards in Halifax and to protect Nova Scotia from any American advance. On 6…
Price: $175,000.00 Item Number: 125872
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Rare example of Johnson's Civil War era Map of the state of Florida
JOHNSON, Alvin Jewett and Ross C. Browning.
Johnson’s Map of Florida.
New York: A.J. Johnson, c. 1861.
Rare 19th century example of Johnson's famed Civil War era map of the state of Florida. One page, the hand-colored lithographic map depicts the state in full with color coding according to county in the midst of the American Civil War with references to towns, railroads, villages, depots, swamps, the territories of Native American tribes, forts and battle sites related to the Seminole Wars, Lake Okeechobee, the Everglades, Indian Hunting Grounds between Fort Poinsett and Key Biscayne Bay, Tampa Bay and the Okefenokee Swamp. Additionally notes the course of a proposed canal route leading from Tampa to the Atlantic and…
Price: $1,750.00 Item Number: 138533
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RARE 1885 PROPERTY DEED SIGNED BY FAMED ABOLITIONIST FREDERICK DOUGLASS AS RECORDER OF DEEDS FOR WASHINGTON, D.C.
DOUGLASS, Frederick.
Frederick Douglass Signed Property Deed.
Washington, D.C: March 23, 1885.
Rare real estate document signed by famed abolitionist Frederick Douglass as Recorder of Deeds for Washington, D.C. One page, partially printed, the property deed agreement is signed by Douglass, “Fredk. Douglass” as Recorder of Deeds, certifying a deed transferring a plot of land in Washington, DC, from Joseph C.G. Kennedy to Thomas D. Bond. Following the Civil War, Douglass received numerous political appointments from Republican presidents including positions as United States Marshal of Washington, D.C. (1877-81), and later ambassador to the Republic of Haiti (1889-91). He was nominated Recorder of Deeds for Washington, D.C. by President James Garfield and confirmed by the Senate on May 7,…
Price: $5,500.00 Item Number: 141500
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Peter Force's 1833 printing of the Declaration of Independence, from William J. Stone's 1823 plate
The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America. [The Force Declaration of Independence].
Washington, D.C: Engraved by William J. Stone for Peter Force, [1833].
Rare engraved copy of Peter Force's 1833 printing of the Declaration of Independence, from William J. Stone's 1823 plate. One page, folio broadside. In 1823, with the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence approaching, Congress commissioned Stone to produce a high-quality, actual-size replica of the original engrossed Declaration. The signatures of the 56 delegates were to be carefully copied. Stone spent two years perfecting the plate and after he had printed the 200 copies ordered, his original engraved plate remained with the Department of State. A decade later, Peter Force (1790-1868), historian, publisher and mayor of Washington D.C., conceived…
Price: $25,000.00 Item Number: 143242
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Rare Photograph Portrait Signed by Theodore Roosevelt as President
ROOSEVELT, Theodore.
Theodore Roosevelt Signed Photograph.
January 29, 1907.
Rare photograph of the 26th President of the United States. Sepia-tone Harris & Ewing bust portrait of Theodore Roosevelt wearing pince-nez eyeglasses and looking to the side of the camera, boldly signed and dated by him as President, "Theodore Roosevelt Jan 29th 1907." Triple mounted. In near fine condition with slight fading to the photograph. The piece measures 9 inches by 14 inches. An exceptional piece.
Price: $3,500.00 Item Number: 147421
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Rare early printing of Elbert Hubbard's A Message to Garcia: Being A Preachment; signed by Elbert Hubbard
HUBBARD, Elbert.
A Message to Garcia: Being A Preachment.
East Aurora, New York: Done Into a Booklet by The Roycrofters, December, 1908.
Rare early printing of Hubbard's best-selling work on individual initiative and conscientiousness in work. 16mo, original publisher's full limp suede, titles to the front panel stamped in gilt, watered moiré silk endleaves. Signed by the author on a tipped in photographic frontispiece portrait, "Elbert Hubbard." In good condition.
Price: $1,250.00 Item Number: 143539
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"let those who are really inclinable to buy, come forward, like men that are in earnest, and say what they will give": Rare Autograph Letter Signed by George Washington as the First President of the United States of America
WASHINGTON, George.
George Washington Autograph Letter Signed.
January 24, 1790.
Rare autograph letter signed by George Washington as the first President of the United States. Quarto, one page, the letter reads in full, "New York Jany 24th 1790 Sir Capt. Burnett delivered me your letter of the 18th and is so obliging as to take charge of this answer - It is my sincere opinion that the land mentioned in it is worth what I asked for it--to wit four dollars per acre and once would have sold for it; but if, in the present scarcity of cash it rather fetch that sum, let those who are really inclinable to…
Price: $65,000.00 Item Number: 141583
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First edition of William Dennison Bickham's Rosecrans' Campaign with the Fourteenth Army Corps
BICKHAM, William Dennison.
Rosecrans’ Campaign with the Fourteenth Army Corps, of the Army of the Cumberland: A Narrative of Personal Observations, with a Appendix, Consisting of Official Reports of the Battle of Stone River.
Cincinnati: Moore, Wilstach, Keys & Co, Moore, Wilstach, Keys & Co..
First edition of William Dennison Bickham's Civil War memoir. Octavo, original cloth, illustrated. In good condition. Ex-library.
Price: $100.00 Item Number: 132443
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"Where liberty dwells there is my country": Rare copperplate-printed toile fragment from the popular eighteenth-century English pattern "The Apotheosis of Franklin and Washington"
[WASHINGTON; GEORGE; BENJAMIN FRANKLIN],.
The Apotheosis of Franklin and Washington Printed Textile.
c. 1785-1790.
Rare copperplate-printed toile fragment from the popular eighteenth-century English pattern "The Apotheosis of Franklin and Washington." The fragment features a copper-plate printed portrait of Benjamin Franklin in academic robes and his famous cap after the famed 1777 portrait of him by Jean-Baptiste holding the ends of a banner reading "Where liberty dwells there is my country." The fragment has been framed within a patterned textile border. In near fine condition. The piece measures 13.75 inches by 11.25 inches. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box.
Price: $2,200.00 Item Number: 139191
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"And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave, O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!": Rare early Philadelphia printing of The Star Spangled Banner
[KEY, Francis Scott].
The Star Spangled Banner.
Philadelphia: Published by J. G. Klemm, n.d. [ca. 1823].
First Philadelphia reissue of The Star Spangled Banner, printed using the same plates as the first printing. Folio, four pages, engraved sheet music with American flag vignette. The national anthem of the United States was first published under the title "The Star Spangled Banner" by Thomas Carr in October 1814 in Baltimore and was subsequently reprinted in Philadelphia by A. Bacon & Co. in November 1814. This reissue was produced using the same plates as the first Philadelphia printing (BAL 11080, 247; Filby & Howard, S-12). In very good condition. Contemporary sheet music seller stamp. Rare and desirable. Early printings…
Price: $2,500.00 Item Number: 126080
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Rare Early American Map of Wall Street; detailing lots owned by early new York City mayor and chief justice Abraham de Peyster
LUDLAM, Stephen [Wall Street].
Early American Wall Street Survey Map.
April 8, 1817.
Rare 1817 hand-colored copy of an original map of early 18th century Wall Street attached to a Deed of Partition between Col. Abraham de Peyster and Samuel Bayard dated January 3rd 1718, copied on April 8th 1817 by Stephen Ludlam, City Surveyor. One page, the hand-colored map details the intersection of Wall Street, Broad Street, and Kip Street (now Nassau Street) and includes the Presbyterian Church, the original City Hall, and 23 partitioned lots each labeled as owned by Abraham DePeyster or Samuel Bayard. Born in 1657 in New Amsterdam, wealthy merchant and ship owner Abraham de Peyster received numerous…
Price: $9,800.00 Item Number: 139509
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Rare partial document signed by George Washington in 1799 regarding the sale of land; signed by him eleven months before his death on December 14, 1799
WASHINGTON, George.
George Washington Signed Partial Document.
January 21, 1799.
Rare partial document signed by George Washington on January 21, 1799, eleven months before his death on December 14, 1799. Octavo, the partial manuscript document reads, "I do acknowledge that this is the Platt referred to in the Deeds made for the Lands of George Mercer." Signed by Washington, "Go. Washington" and countersigned by three witnesses. Accompanied by a typed letter signed by Dorothy Twohig, editor-in-chief of the The Papers of George Washington which reads in part, "The note on Mercer explains Washington's involvement in the whole affair which started before the Revolution. After the war Washington tried to extricate himself from…
Price: $27,000.00 Item Number: 142623
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"I have never advocated war except as a means of peace": Rare Henry Shrady Ulysses S. Grant Bronze Bust
GRANT, Ulysses S.] Henry Merwin Shrady.
Ulysses S. Grant Bronze Bust.
Original bronze bust of Ulysses S. Grant by Henry Shrady, the famed sculptor of the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial on the west front of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. Mounted on socle and base, the entire piece measures 18.5 inches in height, the base measures 9.5 inches square. In fine condition. An exceptional piece of Americana.
Price: $22,500.00 Item Number: 102885
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Rare 17th century map of Florida published by French cartographer Alain Manesson Mallet
MALLET, Allain Manesson.
Floride. Das Landt Florida. [17th Century Map of Florida].
Frankfurt: Allain M. Mallet, c. 1686.
Rare 17the century copper engraved map of Florida from Allain Manesson Mallet's Description De L' Univers, Contenant Les Differents Systemes Du Monde, Les Cartes generales & particulieres.' One page, hand-colored, the copper-engraved map shows Canada or Nouvelle France, the Appalachians, Florida (Tegesta), the Gulf of Mexico, and Cuba. In fine condition. An exceptional example.
Price: $750.00 Item Number: 138207
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Rare Trustee's Deed signed by famed American abolitionist Frederick Douglass
DOUGLASS, Frederick.
Frederick Douglass Document Signed.
July 6, 1881.
Rare Trustee's Deed signed by famed American abolitionist Frederick Douglass. Manuscript document signed, "Fred'k Douglass, Recorder," three pages, 8 x 12.5 inches, July 6, 1881. Trustee's deed for a transaction between William Taylor Snyder and Nelson A. Ryon, signed on the docketing panel by Douglass as recorder of deeds, beneath a manuscript endorsement. Douglass served as the Recorder of Deeds for the District of Columbia from 1881 to 1886. This role involved overseeing the recording of property deeds and other legal documents. His appointment to this position was a notable achievement, reflecting his prominence and the respect he had garnered…
Price: $1,750.00 Item Number: 146954
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RARE NINETEENTH CENTURY PORTRAIT OF PRESIDENT ABRAHAM LINCOLN
GARDNER, Alexander. [Abraham Lincoln].
Abraham Lincoln Portrait.
c. 1860.
Rare original painting of the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. After a photograph by Civil War photographer Alexander Gardner. Scottish photographer Alexander Gardner immigrated to the United States in 1856 where he became best known for his photographs of the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln, and the execution of the conspirators to Lincoln's assassination. In near fine condition. In a period frame. The entire piece measures 20.75 by 16.75 inches. Rare and desirable.
Price: $3,500.00 Item Number: 95830
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Rare genealogical archive documenting the life and heritage of the first President of the Confederation Congress John Hanson
THOMAS, Douglas H. [John Hanson].
John Hanson Genealogical Archive.
c. 1880-1885.
Rare genealogical archive documenting the life and heritage of the first President of the Confederation Congress John Hanson, whose biographers have argued to be the true first President of the United States. The archive is composed primarily of letters, historical records and biographical documents prepared by Hanson's ancestors, most notably several biographical volumes composed by his descendant Douglas H. Thomas who, in his numerous biographical papers, promoted Hanson as the the true first President of the United States. Contents also include biographical accounts of Hanson's father Philip Thomas, and his descendant John Hanson Thomas who served in the American Civil…
Price: $8,800.00 Item Number: 116321
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"AND THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER IN TRIUMPH SHALL WAVE, O'ER THE LAND OF THE FREE AND THE HOME OF THE BRAVE!": RARE EARLY NEW YORK PRINTING OF THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER
[KEY, Francis Scott].
The Star Spangled Banner, Sung by Mesrs Darley & Nicholls Composed by J. Hewitt.
New York: Published by Geib & Walker 23 Maiden Lane, c. 1829.
Rare early New York reissue of The Star Spangled Banner. Folio, four pages, sheet music engraved by T. Birch. The national anthem of the United States was first published under the title "The Star Spangled Banner" by Thomas Carr in October 1814 in Baltimore and was subsequently reprinted in Philadelphia by A. Bacon & Co. in November 1814. (BAL 11081, 247; Sabin 90498). In very good condition. Early printings of The Star Spangled Banner are scarce.
Price: $3,000.00 Item Number: 126440
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Frederick Douglass Autograph Letter Signed to M. M. Rodgers
DOUGLASS, Frederick.
Frederick Douglass Autograph Letter Signed.
Washington, D.C: November 30, 1888.
Autograph letter signed by Frederick Douglass to M. M. Rodgers. Octavo, one page on Lyons Parchment, the handwritten letter reads in part, "Since you have so much to desire a letter by my own hand, though I have more of that kind of work to do than ought to be required of me, I take pleasure in obliging you. I am glad to know that you are devoting your time, thought and talents to the education of the colored people of the South." In very good condition with toning, mail folds, and slight loss to the edges.
Price: $12,500.00 Item Number: 145323
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Col. I Winslow Ayer's The Great Treason Plot in the North During the War
AYER, I. Winslow.
The Great Treason Plot in the North During the War. Most Dangerous, Perfidious, Extensive and Startling Plot Ever Devised! Imminent Hidden Perils of the Republic. Astounding Developments Never Before Published.
Chicago: U.S. Publishing Co, n.d..
Early printing of Ayer's Civil War account. Octavo, original cloth, illustrated. In good condition.
Price: $125.00 Item Number: 132537
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Rare photograph of Baseball Hall of Famers Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle; Signed by both
DI MAGGIO, Joe and Mickey Mantle.
Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle Signed Photograph.
Original black and white photograph of American baseball legends Joe Di Maggio and Mickey Mantle in New York Yankees uniform. Boldly signed by both Di Maggio and Mantle. In fine condition with a PSA/DNA authentication label adhered to the lower right corner. The entire piece measures 8 inches by 10 inches. Rare and desirable.
Price: $2,200.00 Item Number: 146708
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"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind": Rare Original July 21st 1969 Delaware Evening Journal Front Page; Signed by legendary astronaut Neil Armstrong
ARMSTRONG, Neil.
Neil Armstrong Signed Delaware Evening Journal.
Wilmington: Delaware Evening Journal, July 21, 1969.
Rare original Delaware Evening Journal featuring the headline "Eagle Jets Safely Off Moon; In Orbit for Rendezvous", a front page article on the Apollo 11 moon landing, and large photograph of Neil Armstrong collecting dirt on the lunar surface. Boldly signed by Neil Armstrong on his photograph. Below the headline is Armstrong's famous quote, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Articles featured on the front page include, "Neil, Buzz Leave Prints on Moon", "Kennedy Charged in Crash", and "Luna 15 Lands On Moon, 500 Miles from LM." In very good condition. Double matted and framed.…
Price: $4,000.00 Item Number: 100158
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"Sail on O Ship of State! Sail on, o union, strong and great!" One of the two broadsides specially printed and carried by Churchill to the Atlantic Conference signed by both him and Franklin Delano Roosevelt
ROOSEVELT, Franklin Delano; Winston S. Churchill. [Henry Wadsworth Longfellow].
Sail On, O Ship of State! The Longfellow Verse in Mr. Roosevelt’s Message to Mr. Churchill.
Raphael Tuck & Sons, Ltd., [1941].
Rare lithographic broadside signed by Franklin Delano Roosevelt as the thirty-second President of the United States and Winston S. Churchill as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom at the Atlantic Conference; one of only two known examples of this broadside specially printed at Churchill's direction and signed by both world leaders at their first wartime conference. One page, the lithograph features the famed Henry Wadsworth Longfellow verse first used by FDR in a letter of support to Churchill before the United States entered the war and a galleon at sea. The letter, sent the day before Roosevelt's third inauguration on…
Price: $150,000.00 Item Number: 125419
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Rare Bound Collection of over 200 orders of the War Department issued in 1863 including Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation and from the library of General Alexander S. Webb
[WEBB, Alexander S.].
General Orders of the War Department, Adjutant General’s Office, Washington, January 2, 1863 to July 27, 1863. No. 1-235. [The Emancipation Proclamation].
Washington: Adjutant General's Office [Government Printing Office], January - July 1863.
First printings of over 200 orders of the War Department issued during the Civil War to Union Army commanders in the field, including an early appearance in print of Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation (General order No. 1 of January 2, 1863). This copy prepared for General Alexander S. Webb, Brigadier General, winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor and the focus of Pickett's charge at Gettysburg. Octavo, bound in full cloth. Association copy, specially prepared for Gen. Alexander Webb with an inscription to the third free endpaper, "Alexander S. Webb Brig. Gen. Vol. U.S.A. Fort Trumbull Ct. June 26th 1864."…
Price: $12,000.00 Item Number: 142567
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"The Allied Armies, through sacrifice and devotion and with God's help have wrung from Germany a final and unconditional surrender": Proclamation of Nazi Germany’s Surrender; Signed by Harry Truman
TRUMAN, Harry S.
A Proclamation.
Washington, D.C: May 8, 1945.
Large three-colored broadside of Harry Truman’s Proclamation declaring the surrender of Germany, boldly signed by Harry S. Truman. Also included at the lower left is the original 1945 Christmas card from the President and Mrs. Truman and at lower right, the original red, white and blue ribbon. These were presented by the President as gifts for friends. Uncommon, especially with the original Christmas card and ribbon. Matted and framed, which measures 21 inches by 28 inches.
Price: $11,500.00 Item Number: 4419
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"The most influential and enterprising paper in Massachusetts after the Revolution": Rare Original 18th century printing of the Massachusetts Centinel; issued on Wednesday, October 21, 1789 during the presidency of George Washington
The Massachusetts Centinel. Wednesday, October 21, 1789.
Boston: Russell, Benjamin, October 21, 1789.
Number II, of Vol. XII of "the most influential and enterprising paper in Massachusetts after the Revolution", Benjamin Russell's Massachusetts Centinel, issued on Wednesday, October 21, 1789 (Hudson, 147). Folio, one page, folded. The issue includes front-page articles on recently enacted acts allowing compensation for Members of the Senate and House of Representatives and the temporary establishment of the Post-Office and appointment of a Post-Master General, both approved by Speaker of the House Frederick Augustus Muhlenburg, President George Washington and Vice President John Adams on September 22nd, 1789. The issue also includes sections on Foreign Intelligence, News From France, and…
Price: $4,000.00 Item Number: 116337
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"The first full-sized marble statue in New England": Fine terracotta pedestrian statue of George Washington, after Sir Francis Chantrey's Washington as a Roman Senator, 1826
CHANTREY, Sir Francis. [George Washington].
Washington as a Roman Senator, 1826. [Sir Francis Chantrey George Washington Terracotta Pedestrian Statue].
c. 1850.
Fine terracotta statue of President George Washington, after Sir Francis Chantrey's Washington as a Roman Senator, 1826. Terracotta. In 1818, the Washington Monument Association commissioned Francis Chantrey to sculpt a pedestrian statue of George Washington in white marble. Unveiled in Doric Hall of the Massachusetts State House in November 1827, it was the first sculpture to be placed in the then new State House and the first full-sized marble statue in New England. In fine condition. The statue measures 14.75 inches in height.
Price: $5,500.00 Item Number: 123164
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Rare 19th century example of Johnson's Map of Florida
WARD, Benjamin P. and Alvin Jewett Johnson.
Johnson’s Map of Florida.
New York: Johnson and Ward, c. 1866.
Rare 19th century example of Johnson's famed post-Civil War era map of the state of Florida. One page, the hand-colored lithographic map depicts the state in full with color coding according to county shortly following the close of the American Civil War with references to towns, railroads, villages, depots, swamps, the territories of Native American tribes, forts and battle sites related to the Seminole Wars, Lake Okeechobee, the Everglades, Indian Hunting Grounds between Fort Poinsett and Key Biscayne Bay, Tampa Bay and the Okefenokee Swamp. Additionally notes the course of a proposed canal route leading from Tampa to the Atlantic…
Price: $1,800.00 Item Number: 138512
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Toledo Israel Bond Committee Invitation; Signed by The First Lady of the Free World Eleanor Roosevelt
ROOSEVELT, Eleanor.
Eleanor Roosevelt Signed Israel Bond Committee Invitation.
B'Nai Israel Social Hall (Kenwood Blvd.): The Toledo Israel Bond Committee, November 11, 1957.
Rare invitation from the Toledo Israel Bond Committee, addressed to "The Outstanding Woman of Our Time" First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. One page, invitation administered on behalf of State of Israel Development Bonds to attend a community meeting at B'Nai Israel Social Hall on November 11, 1957, illustrated with a portrait of Roosevelt on the front panel, boldly signed by her beneath the portrait of herself. In near fine condition with card folds. A rare and unique example.
Price: $1,250.00 Item Number: 146600
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"Reader if thou wilt do the fame, thy profit will be as great as mine": Exceptionally rare printing of Benjamin Franklin's An Old Man's Experience, or Poor Richard's Maxims Improved
SAUNDERS, Richard [Benjamin Franklin].
An Old Man’s Experience, or Poor Richard’s Maxims Improved.
: , .
Rare printing of Benjamin Franklin's An Old Man's Experience, or Poor Richard's Maxims Improved, published under the pseudonym Richard Saunders in full, "An Old Man's Experience, or, Poor Richard's Maxims Improved. Reader, if you buy this Book, and seriously consider its contents, though it cost thee but a Trifle, it may save thee Many Pounds." Small octavo, original wrappers as issued. No publisher or date listed. In very good condition with tape repair to the spine and rear panel. Exceptionally rare, no other copies matching this title and pagination have come to auction.
Price: $7,500.00 Item Number: 96182
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First edition of James Thomson Callender's The American Annual Register, or, Historical Memoirs of the United States for the Year 1796
CALLENDER, James Thomson.
The American Annual Register, or, Historical Memoirs of the United States, for the Year 1796.
Philadelphia: Printed and Sold by Bioren & Madan, January 19, 1797.
First edition, first issue in book form of Callender's searing exposé. Octavo, bound in three quarter contemporary calf over marbled boards, morocco spine label lettered in gilt. In very good condition. Housed in a custom cloth chemise and half morocco slipcase. Ownership inscriptions. The first printing of this work is exceedingly scarce as it was quickly exhausted and reissued in the same year as The History of the United States For 1796.
Price: $4,000.00 Item Number: 125974
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Rare forty-five star American Flag; commemorating the statehood of OKLAHOMA
Forty-Five Star American Flag.
[c. 1896].
Rare forty-five star American Flag. The forty-five star American Flag was in use between July 4, 1896 when the state of Utah was admitted into the Union and July 3, 1908 when Oklahoma was admitted as the 46th state. In near fine condition. The flag measures 58 inches by 114 inches.
Price: $2,800.00 Item Number: 133095
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Rare printing of the Acts Passed at the First Session of the Ninth Congress of the United States including Miami and Pottawatomie Indian Treaties
Acts Passed at the First Session of the Ninth Congress of the United States…Begun and Held at the City of Washington, in the Territory of Columbia, on Monday, the second of December, 1875.
[1875].
Rare printing of the Acts Passed at the First Session of the Ninth Congress of the United States including Indian treaties with the Creek, Cherokee, Delaware, Pottawatomie, Miami Indian tribes. Octavo, bound in contemporary wrappers. The Ninth Congress of the United States was a significant legislative Congress which passed the first laws abolishing importation of slaves in its second session. In very good condition.
Price: $450.00 Item Number: 135321
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"the most widely read journal in the United States throughout the period of the Civil War": Rare continuous run of 260 issues of Harper's Weekly covering the entirety of the American Civil War; profusely illustrated with engravings depicting all of the war's major events and battles
Harper’s Weekly, A Journal of Civilization. [Harper’s Weekly’s Complete Coverage of the American Civil War: January 1, 1861-December 30, 1865].
New York: Harper & Brothers, January 1, 1861-December 30, 1865.
Rare continuous run of 260 issues of Harper's Weekly, covering the entirety of the American Civil War. Folio, five volumes, bound in full buckram with morocco spine labels lettered in gilt, illustrated with hundreds of wood-engraved illustrations, many from noted American illustrators including portraits of Union and Confederate Army Generals and Officers, battlefield scenes, maps, city views, and dozens of satirical caricatures and cartoons, many from noted American illustrators. Of note are dozens of illustrations by American painter Winslow Homer early in his career, including the "Great Sumter Meeting in Union Square," "The Sharpshooter," and "The Inauguration of Abraham Lincoln." Also…
Price: $8,800.00 Item Number: 142619
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Rare Autograph Document Signed by Andrew Jackson as President
JACKSON, Andrew.
Andrew Jackson Autograph Document Signed.
December 6, 1830.
Rare Presidential Land Grant signed by Andrew Jackson as President and countersigned by Commissioner of the General Land Office Elijah Hayward. One page partially printed on vellum the document is dated November 11, 1830 and officially grants Scott Riggs a 72-acre land parcel in Springfield, Illinois. Signed at the conclusion "Andrew Jackson" and "Elijah Hayward" with the white paper paper seal to the lower left corner. In very good condition. Matted and framed. The entire piece measures 19.5 by 13.5 inches.
Price: $2,800.00 Item Number: 104206
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Rare original printing of The Gazette of the United States, issued on July 29, 1789
Gazette of the United States. No. XXXI. Wednesday, July 29, 1789.
New York: John Fenno, July 29, 1789.
Rare original printing of the Gazette of the United States, issued during the presidency of George Washington on July 29, 1789. Folio, one page, folded, this issue includes a the following articles, many continued from previous issues: Sketch of the Political State of America, Original Specimens of Eloquence, Foreign and Domestic Miscellaneous Articles, and Sketches of Proceedings of Congress approved by G. Washington, President of the United States. In near fine condition.
Price: $5,500.00 Item Number: 116728
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WASHINGTON APPOINTS FIRST SURVEYOR GENERAL: Rare manuscript document appointing Simeon De Witt as the first surveyor general; signed by President George Washington
WASHINGTON, George.
George Washington Signed Appointment of the First Surveyor General.
Philadelphia: May 13, 1796.
Rare manuscript document boldly signed by George Washington as the first President of the United States of American appointing the first Surveyor General of the United States. One page, oblong quarto, manuscript document in a secretarial hand on vellum, Philadelphia, 13 May 1796, signed at the conclusion, "G. Washington" and countersigned by Timothy Pickering, Secretary of State. With paper presidential seal, docketed on verso, creased from folding. Trained in surveying as a youth, Simeon De Witt (1756-1834) gained early distinction making maps for George Washington during the Revolution, ultimately becoming Geographer and Surveyor of the Continental Army. After the war,…
Price: $30,000.00 Item Number: 145490
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“The Body of Benjamin FRANKLIN Printer, Like the Covering of an Old Book Its contents torn out and stript of its Lettering and Gilding, Lies Here, Food for Worms": Scarce first edition of Nathaniel Ames' 1771 Almanack, containing the first known printing of Benjamin Franklin's famous epitaph
AMES, Nathaniel. [Benjamin Franklin].
An Astronomical Diary or Almanack, for the Year of Our Lord Christ 1771.
Boston: Printed and Sold by the Printers and Booksellers, [1770].
First edition of Nathaniel Ames' 1771 Almanack, containing the first known printing of "the most famous of American epitaphs" (Mark Van Doren). 12mo, original wrappers stitched as issued. In very good condition. Housed in a custom cloth chemise and half morocco slipcase. An exceptional example of this scarce early almanac.
Price: $3,500.00 Item Number: 125283
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John Brown's John Bunyan: His Life, Times and Work; signed and inscribed by John Brown, President Woodrow Wilson, Alexander Stewardt, Charles A. Salmond, James Stark and many other turn of the 20th century American, English, and Scottish educators and ministers
BROWN, John. [Woodrow Wilson; Charles A. Salmond; Alexander Stewart; James Stark; et al].
John Bunyan: His Life, Times and Work.
London: Wm. Ibister Limited, n.d..
Early edition of Reverend John Brown's important biography of his predecessor and the author of Pilgrim's Progress, English Puritan preacher John Bunyan. Octavo, original cloth. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the half-title page, "With all fraternal regards John Brown Bedford, England, August 10th 1899" and signed by his wife, "Ada H. Brown." Additionally signed by Robert Christie, "Robert Christie Presbyterian Seminary Allegheny, Pa"; Woodrow Wilson, "Woodrow Wilson, Princeton, New Jersey"; Alexander Stewart "Alexander Stewart D.D. St. Mary's College- St. Andrews- Scotland-"; Charles A. Salmond, "Charles A. Salmond. South Morningside Free Church, Edinburgh-"; James Stark, "James Stark Aberdeen"; and…
Price: $2,500.00 Item Number: 121964
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Rare Civil War Era Naval Commission Signed by Abraham Lincoln as President
LINCOLN, Abraham; Gideon Welles.
Abraham Lincoln Signed Naval Commission.
April 21, 1864.
American naval commission signed by Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States and Gideon Welles as Secretary of the Navy. Folio, partially engraved on vellum the document is dated April 21, 1864 and promotes Charles W. Tracy to the rank of Lieutenant. In near fine condition. Matted and framed with a portrait of Lincoln and engraved plate. The Commission measures 19 inches by 16 inches. The entire piece measures 34 inches by 29.5 inches.
Price: $17,000.00 Item Number: 132067
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RARE ORIGINAL PRINTING OF THE GAZETTE OF THE UNITED STATES, ISSUED ON Wednesday, August 19, 1789
Gazette of the United States. No.XXXVII. Wednesday, August 19, 1789.
New York: John Fenno, Wednesday, August 19, 1789.
Rare original printing of the Gazette of the United States, issued during the presidency of George Washington on August 19, 1789. Folio, one page, folded, this issue includes a the following articles, many continued from previous issues: Extract of a Letter on Weights, The Bow, By Express From Paris, and Sketches of the Proceedings of Congress in the House of the Representatives of the United States, an Act for the Establishment of Lighthouses, Beacons, Buoys, and Public Piers approved by George Washington as President of the United States, and the obituary of George Washington Knox. In very good condition with…
Price: $5,500.00 Item Number: 116518
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Rare Treasury Department Circular signed by Alexander Hamilton as the first Secretary of the United States Treasury
HAMILTON, Alexander.
Alexander Hamilton Treasury Department Circular Signed.
March 30, 1793.
Partially printed United States Treasury Department circular signed by Alexander Hamilton as the first secretary of the treasury. Folio, partially printed, the document is dated March 30th 1793 addressed to Henry Marchant, Judge of the Rhode Island District Court. The document reads in full: Sir, I take the liberty to inform you, that the President, Directors and Company of the Bank of the United States have consented to accept Powers of Attorney from such persons as may have demands upon the Treasury, and to hold the monies which they may be authorised to receive, subject to drafts to be made…
Price: $16,000.00 Item Number: 135218
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Rare original program from the Christmas Party of the Oldsmobile Girls held on December 19th 1928; signed by legendary aviator Amelia Earhart
[EARHART, Amelia].
Amelia Earhart Signed Oldsmobile Girls Club Christmas Party Program.
[Lansing, Michigan]: [1928].
Rare original program from the holiday luncheon held for female employees of Olds Motor Works held on December 19th 1928, signed by legendary aviator Amelia Earhart. Octavo, bound in handmade tissue paper with a red ribbon, illustrated with a tipped in portrait of Amelia Earhart. Signed by Earhart in pencil beneath her portrait. In very good condition.
Price: $3,500.00 Item Number: 142535
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THE MOST IMPORTANT GEORGE WASHINGTON DOCUMENT IN PRIVATE HANDS; GEORGE WASHINGTON'S COMMISSION AS COMMANDER IN CHIEF, 1775, ONE OF ONLY TWO ORIGINALS
THOMSON, Charles. [George Washington].
George Washington’s Commission as General and Commander in Chief of the Army of the United Colonies.
Philadelphia: June 19, 1775.
One of only two originals of George Washington's Commission as General and Commander in Chief of the Army of the United Colonies; the Ahlstrom discovery, the only duplicate of Washington's own document now in the Library of Congress. One-page, oblong folio on sheepskin vellum, autograph document signed, entirely in the hand of Charles Thomson Secretary of the Continental Congress (including the signature of John Hancock which Thomson copied from the original document), appointing George Washington as General and Commander in Chief of the army of the United Colonies, Philadelphia, 19 June 1775. The document reads in full, "In Congress The…
Price: $975,000.00 Item Number: 145372
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Rare Civil War Pocket Diary Kept by Assistant Surgeon Robert P. Davis, 84th Indiana Regiment
[DAVIS, Robert P.] .
Pocket Diary of Assistant Surgeon Robert P. Davis, 84th Indiana Regiment.
[1863].
The Civil War pocket diary of Assistant Surgeon Robert P. Davis, 84th Indiana Regiment. 16mo, original wrappers, the diary is printed with blank three days per page, entries have been recorded intermittently beginning on January 1, 1863 and include brief accounts of skirmishes at Resaca, Hooker's rescue of the Indiana Regiment and reports of duties and the diarist's own illness: May 27: “I am on duty at the Hospital handing instruments for amputation.” The next day: “At same duty as yesterday.” June 1: the sick and wounded are moved to a more permanent hospital and their field tents are moved…
Price: $2,000.00 Item Number: 132395
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Appointment Authorization Signed by President Theodore Roosevelt
ROOSEVELT, Theodore.
Theodore Roosevelt Signed Document.
City of Washington: February 13, 1908.
Rare document signed by Theodore Roosevelt as President. One page, partially printed and accomplished in manuscript, the document is dated February 13, 1908, and appoints Robert Eaton as "Collector of Internal Revenue for the District of Connecticut." Signed at the conclusion by Theodore Roosevelt, and countersigned by Secretary of Treasury George B. Cortelyou. Gold foil seal remains affixed. The printed document reads in full: To all who shall see these presents greeting: Know Ye, That reposing special trust and confidence in the Integrity, Diligence and Discretion of "Robert O. Eaton" I have Nominated and by and with the advice and consent of…
Price: $1,600.00 Item Number: 146763
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Rare 1912 Theodore Roosevelt Progressive Battle Flag
[ROOSEVELT, Theodore].
Progressive Era Battle Flag: Theodore Roosevelt.
[1912].
Progressive era "Battle Flag" from 1912 with a printed portrait of Theodore Roosevelt at the center surrounded by the text "Progressive Roosevelt 1912 Battle Flag", with "D & C N.Y." at lower left and and "Copyright by Underwood & Underwood NY." The flag measures 22 inches by 24 inches. Frustrated that he did not win the Republican nomination for the Presidency in 1912, Roosevelt founded the Progressive or the "Bull Moose" party in order to challenge the Republican incumbent William Howard Taft. Both would ultimately lose to Democrat Woodrow Wilson. In very good condition.
Price: $1,600.00 Item Number: 149691
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Rare American Boxing Champions Signed Photograph Collection; signed by James J. Braddock, Max Baer, James 'Red' Burman, Sixto Escobar, and Bob Pastor
BRADDOCK, James J.; Max Baer; James "Red" Burman; Sixto Escobar; Bob Pastor.
American Boxing Champions Signed Photograph Collection.
c. 1937.
Collection of six original photographs signed and inscribed by five 1930s American boxing champions, including: "Cinderella Man" James J.Braddock, World Heavyweight Champion Max Baer, James 'Red' Burman, Sixto Escobar, and top-ranked heavyweight Bob Pastor. In near fine condition. An exceptional collection.
Price: $1,600.00 Item Number: 119265
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Rare Signed Lyndon B. Johnson and Hubert Humphrey Signed Inaugural Ceremonies Program
JOHNSON, Lyndon B. and Hubert Humphrey.
Lyndon B. Johnson and Hubert Humphrey Signed Inaugural Ceremonies Program.
January 20, 1965.
Original Inaugural Ceremonies Program from 1965 of Lyndon B. Johnson and Hubert Humphrey, boldly signed by both on the front panel. Octavo, original wrappers, presidential seal in gilt, ribbon bound in, eight pages. In fine condition. Rare and desirable signed.
Price: $2,800.00 Item Number: 133502
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Rare collection of printed and manuscript documents signed by the first 28 Governors of Pennsylvania
MIFFLIN, Thomas; Thomas McKean; William Findley; Joseph Hiester; et al.
Collection of 28 Autographs of the First Governors of Pennsylvania.
c. 1798-1908.
Rare collection of printed and manuscript documents, signed by the first 28 (of 29) Governors of Pennsylvania, being a near continuous representation of the office from its establishment in 1790 with the first Governorship of Thomas Mifflin, up until the 1930s with the 29th Governorship of Gifford Pinchot. Quarto, each document is tipped in to a paper folder with calligraphic title (many with engraved portraits), and housed in a quarter blue gilt morocco presentation box with a gilt gift inscription to the 30th Governor of Pennsylvania, George Howard Earle III (1890-1974), from the "Wizard of Washington" and Democratic Party politico, Emil Hurja…
Price: $6,000.00 Item Number: 142634
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First edition of James Ward's A History of Gold
WARD, James.
A History of Gold as a Commodity and as a Measure of Value Its Fluctuations both in Ancient and Modern Times with an Estimate of the Probable Supplies from California to Australia.
London: William S. Orr & Co, c. 1850.
First edition of Ward's extensive survey of gold and gold mining, published at the height of the California Gold Rush. Octavo, original wrappers bound in full goatskin, retaining a section of the hand-colored folding map of the Gold Regions of Victoria and New South Wales. In near fine condition. Ownership inscription to the front panel of the original wrapper. Rare.
Price: $3,800.00 Item Number: 117088
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Rare Reconstruction Era Carte-de-visite of Confederate Commander Robert E. Lee; Signed by Him
LEE, Robert E.
Robert E. Lee Signed Carte-de-Visite.
Lexington, Va: Boude & Miley, [1869].
Rare Reconstruction era carte-de-visite portrait of former Confederate commander General Robert E. Lee in civilian attire, boldly signed "RE Lee." The carte-de-visite measures 2.5 inches by 4 inches with Boude & Miley's imprint on the verso. This striking postwar portrait of Lee was captured by photographer Michael Miley of Lexington, Virginia in 1869, perhaps less than a year prior to Lee's death on October 12, 1870. Following the conclusion of the American Civil War in 1865, Lee became president of Washington College (later Washington and Lee University) in Lexington, Virginia; in that position, he supported reconciliation between North and South.The…
Price: $7,200.00 Item Number: 140513
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"It admonishes me that the best return I can make, is the zealous dedication of my humble abilities to their service and their good": Broadside of Andrew Jackson's Inaugural Address, Printed Just Six Days After Its Delivery
JACKSON, Andrew.
Andrew Jackson’s Inaugural Address Broadside.
Pennsylvania: Marietta, March 10, 1829.
Rare broadside of the seventh President of the United States' first inaugural address, printed in the Marietta Pilot six days after his being sworn in on March 4, 1829. Quarto, broadside printing of Andrew Jackson's inaugural address, the speech reads in part, 'Fellow Citizens: About to undertake the arduous duties that I have been appointed to perform, by the choice of a free people, I avail myself of this customary and solemn occasion, to express the gratitude which this confidence inspires, and to acknowledge the accountability which my situation enjoins... As the instrument of the Federal Constitution, it will devolve…
Price: $1,500.00 Item Number: 147278
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"In every battle there comes a time when both sides consider themselves beaten, then he who continues the attack wins": Rare Henry Kirke Bush-Brown Bust of Ulysses S. Grant as the first general of the united states army
BUSH-BROWN, Henry Kirke. [Ulysses S. Grant].
Ulysses S. Grant Bronze Bust.
New York: Henry-Bonnard Bronze Co., [c. 1885].
Attractive bronze bust of of Ulysses S. Grant as General of the Army by famed American sculptor Henry Kirke Bush-Brown. The adopted nephew of sculptor Henry Kirke Brown, Henry Kirke Bush-Brown was revered for his accurate realist sculptures illustrating American history. He produced three equestrian bronze sculptures erected at the Gettysburg battlefield depicting General George Mead (the victor at Gettysburg), General John F. Reynolds (killed in action July 1, 1863), and General John Sedgwick (the senior most Union casualty of the American Civil War). In addition, Bush-Brown made a bust of Abraham Lincoln, dedicated in 1912 as part of the…
Price: $12,500.00 Item Number: 125381
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Rare Confederate States presidential election sample ballot heralding Jefferson Davis as President
[DAVIS, Jefferson].
Jefferson Davis Confederate States Electoral Ticket.
[1861].
Rare electoral ticket from the 1861 Confederate States presidential election. 16mo, one page, printed. The sample ballot heralds Jefferson Davis for President, Alexander Stephens for Vice President, a representative for the state at large and some local districts. In near fine condition. Ownership inscription to the verso.
Price: $1,250.00 Item Number: 132575
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Rare Thirty-Eight Star American Parade Flag
Thirty-Eight Star American Parade Flag.
[1877-1890].
Rare 38-star linen American parade flag. Canton of 38 stars against blue, field of 13 alternating red and white stripes, printed on linen bunting, 2 holes on hoist end without grommets. The thirty-eight star flag was in use between July 4, 1877 when the state of Colorado was admitted into the Union as the 38th state and July 4, 1890 when North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Washington, and Idaho were admitted as the 39th, 40th, 41st, 42nd, and 43rd states. The flag measures 9 inches by 14 inches. Glazed and framed. The entire piece measures 13.5 by 18.5 inches.
Price: $6,500.00 Item Number: 149038
