{"title":"Odds \u0026 Ends","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"early-19th-century-financial-accounting-manuscript-addressed-to-the-hon-george-read-new-castle-delaware","title":"1805-1820 Financial Accounting Manuscript Addressed to \"The Hon. George Read,\" New Castle, Delaware","description":"\u003cp data-start=\"2467\" data-end=\"2674\" class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003eOriginal manuscript accounting sheet filled with extensive contemporary financial calculations, interest computations, and ledger figures, addressed to \u003cstrong data-start=\"2619\" data-end=\"2645\"\u003e\"The Hon. George Read\"\u003c\/strong\u003e of \u003cstrong data-start=\"2649\" data-end=\"2673\"\u003eNew Castle, Delaware\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003cspan aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2676\" data-end=\"2991\"\u003eThe document contains numerous handwritten columns of figures, percentage calculations, and balancing entries typical of early American merchant, banking, or estate accounting practices. Such working financial manuscripts provide an excellent glimpse into the bookkeeping methods employed during the early Republic.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2993\" data-end=\"3300\"\u003eAddressed prominently across the center to \u003cstrong data-start=\"3036\" data-end=\"3060\"\u003eThe Hon. George Read\u003c\/strong\u003e, the manuscript offers an intriguing connection to one of Delaware's most distinguished political families. Additional research may identify the specific recipient and the underlying financial transaction represented by these calculations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3302\" data-end=\"3444\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"3302\" data-end=\"3316\"\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Original laid paper with expected folds, scattered edge wear, one area of paper loss, and strong manuscript entries throughout.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3446\" data-end=\"3612\"\u003eAn appealing piece of early American financial history, ideal for collectors of merchant manuscripts, banking records, Delaware history, and Early Republic documents.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"309\" data-end=\"810\" class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003eThe large central inscription strongly suggests the document was prepared for or submitted to \u003cstrong data-start=\"403\" data-end=\"442\"\u003eGeorge Read of New Castle, Delaware\u003c\/strong\u003e. Based on the handwriting and accounting style, it likely dates to \u003cstrong data-start=\"510\" data-end=\"529\"\u003ecirca 1805–1820\u003c\/strong\u003e, though the exact date is difficult to determine from this side alone. There are several notations that appear to reference interest calculations (e.g., percentages such as \"6%\" and numerous columns of figures), suggesting it was used to reconcile accounts, debts, or investments.\u003cspan aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"812\" data-end=\"1368\"\u003eOne important question is \u003cstrong data-start=\"838\" data-end=\"859\"\u003ewhich George Read\u003c\/strong\u003e this is. If the recipient is \u003cstrong data-start=\"889\" data-end=\"919\"\u003eGeorge Read II (1765–1836)\u003c\/strong\u003e—the son of the signer of the Declaration of Independence—then the document has collectible appeal because of its association with one of Delaware's leading political families. If it can be proven to relate directly to \u003cstrong data-start=\"1138\" data-end=\"1192\"\u003eGeorge Read, signer of the Declaration (1733–1798)\u003c\/strong\u003e, that would be extraordinary; however, the handwriting and apparent dating seem later than his lifetime, making that unlikely.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-section-id=\"16e5qng\" data-start=\"1370\" data-end=\"1388\"\u003eIdentification\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1390\" data-end=\"1657\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"1390\" data-end=\"1403\"\u003eDocument:\u003c\/strong\u003e Merchant's financial accounting sheet \/ statement of account\u003cbr data-start=\"1464\" data-end=\"1467\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"1467\" data-end=\"1476\"\u003eDate:\u003c\/strong\u003e Approximately 1805–1820 (estimated)\u003cbr data-start=\"1512\" data-end=\"1515\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"1515\" data-end=\"1532\"\u003eAddressed to:\u003c\/strong\u003e \"The Hon. George Read,\" New Castle, Delaware\u003cbr data-start=\"1577\" data-end=\"1580\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"1580\" data-end=\"1591\"\u003eFormat:\u003c\/strong\u003e Manuscript accounting sheet with extensive financial calculations\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-section-id=\"1uef3h1\" data-start=\"1659\" data-end=\"1672\"\u003eCondition\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul data-start=\"1674\" data-end=\"1861\"\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"1fetwmh\" data-start=\"1674\" data-end=\"1696\"\u003eOriginal laid paper.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"fcz5gr\" data-start=\"1697\" data-end=\"1753\"\u003eHeavy contemporary manuscript calculations throughout.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"1l7oygg\" data-start=\"1754\" data-end=\"1775\"\u003eCentral paper loss.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"rzra0k\" data-start=\"1776\" data-end=\"1803\"\u003eEdge losses and trimming.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"1wmwu3x\" data-start=\"1804\" data-end=\"1821\"\u003eOriginal folds.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"qzloph\" data-start=\"1822\" data-end=\"1861\"\u003eGood overall legibility despite wear.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Signature Documents LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52594820153626,"sku":null,"price":125.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2221\/0931\/files\/IMG_1833.jpg?v=1785165629"},{"product_id":"1835-bordeaux-brandy-shipment-to-philadelphia-merchant-john-d-laffitte-wax-seal","title":"1835 Bordeaux Brandy Shipment to Philadelphia Merchant John D. Laffitte—Wax Seal","description":"\u003cp class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003eAn original French commercial invoice documenting a substantial shipment of \u003cstrong\u003eBordeaux eau-de-vie, or brandy, to Philadelphia merchant John D. Laffitte\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003cspan class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePrepared at Bordeaux on March 5, 1835, the invoice covers \u003cstrong\u003e10 half-pipes and 20 quarter-pipes of third-proof eau-de-vie\u003c\/strong\u003e—30 commercial casks equivalent to approximately ten full Bordeaux pipes. Its ruled cargo table records shipping marks, cask sizes, gross and net weights, leakage allowances, charges and commissions, with a total value of approximately \u003cstrong\u003e4,423 francs\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe document was folded to serve as its own transatlantic mailing cover and addressed:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMonsieur John D. Laffitte\u003cbr\u003enégociant\u003cbr\u003eà Philadelphie\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exterior directs it by the ship \u003cem\u003eConcorde\u003c\/em\u003e, Captain Mason. A substantial original red wax seal remains attached. The manuscript also carries a French fiscal notation indicating payment of the applicable stamp duty.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe recipient, \u003cstrong\u003eJohn D. Laffitte\u003c\/strong\u003e, was evidently engaged in the nineteenth-century Bordeaux–American wine and spirits trade. His surname resembles that associated with \u003cstrong\u003eChâteau Lafitte\u003c\/strong\u003e, the Camblanes-et-Meynac estate named for Bordeaux wine merchant Raymond Lafitte, and with \u003cstrong\u003eChâteau Lafite\u003c\/strong\u003e, later Château Lafite Rothschild. However, no direct family, ownership or commercial connection between John D. Laffitte and either wine estate has presently been established. The shipment described here consists of Bordeaux brandy and does not identify a particular château or vineyard.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn evocative survivor of the thriving nineteenth-century commerce that carried Bordeaux wines and spirits across the Atlantic to American merchants. Its detailed cargo accounting, Philadelphia destination, maritime address panel and surviving wax seal provide considerable historical and visual interest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDate:\u003c\/strong\u003e March 5, 1835\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin:\u003c\/strong\u003e Bordeaux, France\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDestination:\u003c\/strong\u003e Philadelphia, Pennsylvania\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRecipient:\u003c\/strong\u003e John D. Laffitte, merchant\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCargo:\u003c\/strong\u003e Thirty casks of third-proof Bordeaux eau-de-vie\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShip:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003eConcorde\u003c\/em\u003e, Captain Mason\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/strong\u003e French\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFeatures:\u003c\/strong\u003e Detailed cargo table, merchant signatures, fiscal notation and original red wax seal\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Considerable edge losses and tears, original mailing folds, creasing and toning. Portions of the writing and cargo table are affected, but the principal content, address panel and wax seal survive. Please examine the photographs carefully.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Signature Documents LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52734419501338,"sku":null,"price":395.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2221\/0931\/files\/IMG_2405.jpg?v=1787498177"},{"product_id":"1866-martin-coryell-signed-survey-of-the-diamond-colliery-pennsylvania-anthracite-mining","title":"1866 Martin Coryell Signed Survey of the Diamond Colliery — Pennsylvania Anthracite Mining","description":"\u003cp class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003eOriginal manuscript engineering survey of the \u003cstrong\u003eDiamond Colliery at Sugar Loaf, Pennsylvania\u003c\/strong\u003e, prepared and signed by prominent civil and mining engineer \u003cstrong\u003eMartin Coryell\u003c\/strong\u003e, April 10, 1866.\u003cspan class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCoryell carefully records the vertical, horizontal and diagonal measurements of the colliery’s principal workings, including three left-hand workings and new excavations intended to determine the bottom of the coal basin. His calculations extend to 970 feet vertically, 1,426 feet horizontally and 1,759 feet diagonally from the surface.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe survey additionally estimates approximately 11.76 miles of water transportation required to ship the coal at Penn Haven. Coryell describes the inclination of the coal strata at approximately 48¼ degrees and records exploratory work driven through slate, mixed coal and lower strata. A “monkey drift” approximately 41 feet long was run back to the bottom slate to prove the continuation of the coal seam.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCoryell concludes that “the coal is good at the end of workings,” providing a firsthand professional assessment of the colliery’s commercial potential.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMartin Coryell was a respected Pennsylvania mining engineer whose career included canal construction, copper and anthracite mining, mine surveying and management of the Warrior Run Mining Company. In 1871, Coryell joined Eckley B. Coxe and Richard P. Rothwell in organizing the first meeting of the \u003cstrong\u003eAmerican Institute of Mining Engineers\u003c\/strong\u003e, making him one of the founding figures of the modern American mining-engineering profession.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn uncommon primary document combining Pennsylvania industrial history, anthracite geology and the working calculations of an important early American mining engineer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVery good condition, with original folds, light toning, minor edge wear and scattered small marks. The writing remains dark and legible, and Coryell’s signature is bold and complete.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Signature Documents LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52734998544666,"sku":null,"price":650.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2221\/0931\/files\/IMG_2438.jpg?v=1787515516"},{"product_id":"1921-early-connecticut-penmanship-and-religious-commonplace-manuscript","title":"1921 Early Connecticut Penmanship and Religious Commonplace Manuscript","description":"\u003cp class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003eTwo-sided American manuscript combining early nineteenth-century penmanship exercises, religious meeting notes and moral verse. Inscribed at \u003cstrong\u003eHampton, May 30, 1821\u003c\/strong\u003e, and subsequently dated \u003cstrong\u003eJuly 28, 1822\u003c\/strong\u003e, with \u003cstrong\u003e“Winchester Connecticut”\u003c\/strong\u003e written at the foot.\u003cspan class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe upper portion records notes from a \u003cstrong\u003e“Local Preachers Conference”\u003c\/strong\u003e and identifies a Mr. Pinkham’s text as Proverbs, chapter 9. The writer interprets Wisdom’s seven pillars as “reason,” “scripture,” “conscience,” “discipline,” “experience,” “union” and “Divine Protection.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe remainder contains moral and devotional passages written in several hands or penmanship styles. Among them are selections from Alexander Pope, including the celebrated lines:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The world recedes; it disappears!\u003cbr\u003eHeaven opens on my eyes! my ears\u003cbr\u003eWith sounds seraphic ring…”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe reverse is headed \u003cstrong\u003e“Penmanship £3 6 8”\u003c\/strong\u003e in an ornamental hand and opens with a version of Pope’s famous observation:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“True ease in writing comes from art, not chance—\u003cbr\u003eAs those move easiest who have learned to dance.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA particularly attractive example of an early American copybook leaf, preserving the interrelationship of education, religion, moral instruction and handwriting practice in the early republic. A faint attribution at the bottom appears to include the surname \u003cstrong\u003eHolcomb\u003c\/strong\u003e, although the writer has not been conclusively identified.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOriginal laid paper with age toning, folds, stains and losses along the upper and lower edges. Most text remains clear and legible.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Signature Documents LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52740890001690,"sku":null,"price":200.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2221\/0931\/files\/IMG_2503.jpg?v=1787658032"},{"product_id":"1972-73-the-watergate-crisis-nixon-white-house-senate-committee-and-participant-correspondence-archive","title":"1972-73 The Watergate Crisis: Nixon White House, Senate Committee and Participant Correspondence Archive,","description":"\u003cp class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003eA remarkable archive of approximately twenty-four pieces documenting the Watergate crisis through correspondence from the Nixon White House, members and counsels of the Senate Watergate Committee, nationally known journalists, and individuals directly implicated in the scandal.\u003cspan class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMost of the archive was assembled by \u003cstrong\u003eCecelia Belanger of North Vassalboro, Maine\u003c\/strong\u003e, who corresponded with the White House and leading participants during the nationally televised Senate Watergate hearings. Their responses discuss the investigation, presidential responsibility, political espionage, campaign misconduct, public confidence, media coverage, and the search for truth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe archive’s most immediate piece is an entirely handwritten note signed by former presidential adviser \u003cstrong\u003eJohn D. Ehrlichman\u003c\/strong\u003e, dated July 31, 1973—immediately following his testimony before the Senate Watergate Committee. Ehrlichman tells Belanger that he hopes the \u003cem\u003eCongressional Record\u003c\/em\u003e will soon carry his opening statement. Preserved with the note is a September 12, 1973 issue or extract of the \u003cem\u003eCongressional Record\u003c\/em\u003e, apparently retained because it contained or related to that statement.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlso present is a signed July 18, 1973 letter from \u003cstrong\u003eJeb Stuart Magruder\u003c\/strong\u003e, deputy director of the Committee for the Re-Election of the President and an admitted participant in the Watergate conspiracy. Magruder directly references Belanger’s comments about his Senate testimony and his “situation”—a striking contemporary communication written shortly before his guilty plea.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Senate investigation is represented by committee chairman \u003cstrong\u003eSam J. Ervin Jr.\u003c\/strong\u003e, vice chairman \u003cstrong\u003eHoward H. Baker Jr.\u003c\/strong\u003e, chief counsel \u003cstrong\u003eSamuel Dash\u003c\/strong\u003e, minority counsel \u003cstrong\u003eFred D. Thompson\u003c\/strong\u003e, and committee member \u003cstrong\u003eEdward J. Gurney\u003c\/strong\u003e. Particularly important is Baker’s extensive letter discussing Nixon’s August 1973 address, Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox, Attorney General Elliot Richardson, possible presidential involvement, and the need either to uncover wrongdoing or clear Nixon of suspicion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA signed White House letter from \u003cstrong\u003ePatrick J. Buchanan\u003c\/strong\u003e, dated October 16, 1973, thanks Belanger for supporting his appearance before the Senate committee and describes Nixon as having borne “the brunt of the present storm.” It was written only four days before the Saturday Night Massacre.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOther noteworthy material includes a forceful signed letter from ABC correspondent \u003cstrong\u003eSam Donaldson\u003c\/strong\u003e, declaring that reporters must continue until “the liars” had been separated from honest witnesses and every criminal participant brought to trial; signed letters from Senators Edmund Muskie and William Hathaway; three additional Howard Baker letters; and White House communications from Ronald Ziegler and First Lady Pat Nixon.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe archive also includes two signed White House travel letters and a Cliff Hotel registration card documenting a March 1972 San Francisco visit by John and Mrs. Ehrlichman, as well as a letter from the Office of Vice President Spiro Agnew.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA compelling, unusually concentrated archive capturing Watergate not retrospectively, but as the constitutional crisis was unfolding. It brings together the White House, investigators, witnesses, press, and American public in a single contemporary collection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eApproximately twenty-four principal pieces, together with several original envelopes. Expected mailing folds, creases, edge wear, staple holes, occasional small tears and scattered toning. Several letters exhibit heavier wrinkling or handling wear. Signatures appear handwritten where stated, but mass-response letters may contain autopen, secretarial or mechanically applied signatures and are offered subject to further authentication.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Signature Documents LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52741372281114,"sku":null,"price":2795.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2221\/0931\/files\/IMG_2551.jpg?v=1787673655"},{"product_id":"pioneer-photography-1849-philadelphia-daguerreotype-receipt-from-t-p-d-c-collins","title":"PIONEER PHOTOGRAPHY—1849 PHILADELPHIA DAGUERREOTYPE RECEIPT FROM T. P. \u0026 D. C. COLLINS","description":"\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCOLLINS, THOMAS PAINTER and DAVID CHITTENDEN.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Original manuscript receipt from the pioneering Philadelphia daguerreotype studio of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eT. P. \u0026amp; D. C. Collins\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, 100 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia. January 9, 1849. One sheet, written on both sides, with contemporary docketing and a faded red circular marking.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA rare piece of early American photographic history documenting the price of a child’s daguerreotype portrait and a duplicate image only ten years after Louis Daguerre publicly introduced his revolutionary photographic process.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe receipt is headed:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“No. 100 Chesnut St., Jany 9th ’49”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIt is made out to a customer identified as “Mr. Learning” and itemizes:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“For Daguerreotype of Daughter — $4.00\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDuplicate of Same — $3.00”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA further one-dollar charge, apparently for a case or related finishing work, brought the total to \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eeight dollars\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. At the bottom, the account is acknowledged:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“Rec’d Payment\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eT. P. \u0026amp; D. C. Collins\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBy S. Collins.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe reverse bears contemporary docketing that appears to read “Collins bill \/ Daguerreotypes \/ Maria,” possibly identifying the young sitter as Maria Learning.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBrothers \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThomas Painter Collins (1823–1873)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDavid Chittenden Collins (1825–1909)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e were among Philadelphia’s notable pioneer daguerreotypists. They opened their studio at 100 Chestnut Street in 1846, only seven years after the public announcement of the daguerreotype process.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePhiladelphia was then one of America’s leading centers of photographic innovation. Chestnut Street supported a remarkable concentration of competing studios, including those of Marcus Root, the Langenheim brothers, McClees \u0026amp; Germon, and T. P. \u0026amp; D. C. Collins.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Collins brothers’ surviving business registers record more than 23,000 customers between 1845 and 1854. During one five-year period alone, their studio reportedly produced over 9,500 daguerreotypes. Their portraits are now held by such institutions as the American Antiquarian Society, the Library Company of Philadelphia, and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis receipt offers unusually direct evidence of the economics of early photography. The original portrait cost four dollars, while the “duplicate” cost three dollars. Because a daguerreotype was a unique image formed directly upon a silvered copper plate, a duplicate was not simply printed from a negative; it generally required another exposure or the copying of the completed original with a second camera.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCondition:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Original mailing and filing folds, general toning, scattered light soiling, creasing, small marginal tears, and several areas of weakness or short separation along the folds. The manuscript remains legible, including the studio address, charges, business name, and payment acknowledgment. Contemporary docketing and a faded red circular marking appear on the reverse.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA scarce and highly evocative artifact from the first decade of commercial photography in America, documenting the operation and pricing of one of Philadelphia’s important early daguerreotype galleries.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Signature Documents LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52766065885466,"sku":null,"price":450.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2221\/0931\/files\/IMG_2706.jpg?v=1788098929"},{"product_id":"1794-legal-fee-agreement-addressed-to-founding-father-luther-martin-and-philip-barton-key-uncle-of-francis-scott-key","title":"1794 LEGAL FEE AGREEMENT ADDRESSED TO FOUNDING FATHER LUTHER MARTIN AND PHILIP BARTON KEY—UNCLE OF FRANCIS SCOTT KEY","description":"\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMARTIN, LUTHER and KEY, PHILIP BARTON.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Original manuscript legal fee agreement addressed jointly to Luther Martin, Maryland attorney general and delegate to the Constitutional Convention, and Philip Barton Key, future federal judge and congressman and uncle of Francis Scott Key. October 21, 1794. Written and signed \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“Alexr Scott”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e by their client, probably Alexander Scott. One page with integral docket panel.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAn uncommon early American legal document connecting two of the most distinguished attorneys of the Federal period.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe client writes:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“Gentlemen,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eI promise to pay for your services in the case of the Thomases, in case you succeed, twelve guineas, and if you fail the half of the above sum.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAlexr Scott”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe document is then directed to:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“Luther Martin\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eand\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePhilip B. Key Esquires.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eScott accordingly promised the attorneys twelve guineas if they succeeded in the case and six guineas if they failed. The agreement is a striking early example of a success-based or contingent legal fee. Its continued use of the British guinea also illustrates the persistence of colonial monetary conventions during the first years of the American republic.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLuther Martin (1748–1826)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e was one of the most formidable courtroom advocates of the Founding era. A Revolutionary patriot and longtime attorney general of Maryland, Martin represented the state at the Constitutional Convention of 1787. He opposed the final Constitution because he believed that it granted excessive authority to the federal government and insufficiently protected the states and individual liberties. He became a leading Anti-Federalist whose objections contributed to the demand for a Bill of Rights.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMartin’s later clients included Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase in his Senate impeachment trial and Aaron Burr during his celebrated 1807 trial for treason.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePhilip Barton Key (1757–1815)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e studied law at the Middle Temple in London before developing a prominent Maryland practice. He later served as a federal circuit judge and represented Maryland in the United States House of Representatives from 1807 to 1813. Key was the uncle of Francis Scott Key, author of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” who later joined his uncle’s legal practice.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMartin and Key subsequently served together on the distinguished defense team that secured the acquittal of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase in the historic 1805 impeachment trial. This 1794 agreement documents their professional association more than a decade before that landmark constitutional proceeding.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe precise identity of Alexander Scott and the litigation described as “the case of the Thomases” remain subjects for further research. The integral docket panel contains an early case-file notation that is only partially legible.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNeither Luther Martin nor Philip Barton Key signed the document; it was written and signed by their client and specifically addressed to them as his attorneys.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCondition:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Numerous original filing folds with general toning, scattered staining and soiling, marginal wear, irregular edges, small losses, and several holes or short separations at fold intersections. A puncture and associated paper loss appear along the right edge. Despite these faults, the date, agreement, names of both attorneys, and the client’s concluding signature remain clear and substantially complete.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA remarkable survivor from the early American bar, directly associating two lawyers who would later participate in one of the most consequential impeachment trials in United States history.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Signature Documents LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52766078370074,"sku":null,"price":495.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2221\/0931\/files\/IMG_2711.jpg?v=1788102521"},{"product_id":"1828-robert-e-lee-jefferson-davis-and-joseph-e-johnston-as-west-point-cadets-rare-1828-congressional-report","title":"1828 Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis and Joseph E. Johnston as West Point Cadets — Rare 1828 Congressional Report","description":"\u003cp class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003eAn exceptionally revealing official record of the United States Military Academy, issued in 1828 while \u003cstrong\u003eRobert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis and Joseph E. Johnston\u003c\/strong\u003e were cadets at West Point—more than three decades before they emerged as three of the most consequential figures of the American Civil War.\u003cspan class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTitled \u003cem\u003eCadets at West Point: Letter from the Secretary of War, Transmitting a List of the Cadets Now at West Point; Their Names, the State and County from Whence Sent, \u0026amp;c. \u0026amp;c.\u003c\/em\u003e, the report was published in Washington by Gales \u0026amp; Seaton for the \u003cstrong\u003e20th Congress, First Session\u003c\/strong\u003e, as House Document No. 167. It was submitted on February 29, 1828, and ordered laid upon the table.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe document contains extensive lists and folding statistical tables recording the cadets’ names, states of appointment, dates of admission, ages, residences and the names and addresses of their parents or guardians.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAmong the Virginia cadets appears \u003cstrong\u003eRobert E. Lee\u003c\/strong\u003e, then approximately twenty-one years old. Lee had entered West Point in 1825 and would graduate second in the Class of 1829 without receiving a single demerit. The extended table also identifies his guardian or parent as “C. C. Lee” and records his Washington and Virginia connections.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAppearing alongside Lee is \u003cstrong\u003eJoseph E. Johnston\u003c\/strong\u003e, printed in one list as “Jos. E. Johnson,” an early official misspelling of the future general’s surname. Lee and Johnston were classmates, both graduating in 1829 before pursuing distinguished United States Army careers and ultimately commanding major Confederate forces during the Civil War.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Mississippi section records \u003cstrong\u003e“J. Davis,”\u003c\/strong\u003e identified through the accompanying entry for his guardian, Mrs. Jane Davis, and his residence at Woodville, Mississippi. The cadet was \u003cstrong\u003eJefferson Davis\u003c\/strong\u003e, who graduated from West Point in 1828, served in the United States Army and as United States Secretary of War, and became president of the Confederate States of America in 1861.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe report includes many additional officers who later served in the Mexican and Civil wars, among them James Barnes, Theophilus Holmes, William H. Emory, Philip Kearny, Seth Eastman, Albert G. Blanchard and William Hoffman.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis remarkable document captures Lee, Davis and Johnston not as the opposing leaders history remembers, but as young cadets being educated together by the United States Army. Few documents illustrate more vividly the shared military institution from which much of the Civil War’s senior leadership emerged.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNine printed pages with extensive folding tables. Removed from a bound Congressional volume, with binding residue and losses along the inner edge, scattered foxing and toning, edge wear, old folds, occasional small tears and some weakness at fold intersections. The important entries remain clear and legible, and the complex folding tables are substantially intact.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA rare and highly displayable intersection of \u003cstrong\u003eWest Point, Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis, Joseph E. Johnston and Civil War history\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Signature Documents LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52770428944666,"sku":null,"price":1395.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2221\/0931\/files\/IMG_2720.jpg?v=1788136593"},{"product_id":"1843-essex-county-new-jersey-guardianship-document-oliver-s-halsted-seal","title":"1843 Essex County New Jersey Guardianship Document – Oliver S. Halsted – Seal","description":"\u003cp class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003eOriginal \u003cstrong\u003e1843 Essex County, New Jersey, Orphans’ Court guardianship certificate\u003c\/strong\u003e, signed by prominent Newark attorney and public official \u003cstrong\u003eOliver S. Halsted\u003c\/strong\u003e in his capacity as Surrogate of Essex County.\u003cspan class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDated \u003cstrong\u003eJuly 2, 1843\u003c\/strong\u003e, the document records the court’s appointment of \u003cstrong\u003ePeter Fern [possibly Fenn]\u003c\/strong\u003e as guardian of the persons and real and personal property of \u003cstrong\u003eFrederick and Mariam Beecroft\u003c\/strong\u003e, both minors under fourteen years of age.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe certificate retains its original applied, embossed official seal, displaying an American eagle surrounded by the inscription \u003cstrong\u003e“Surrogate Seal of Essex County, N.J.”\u003c\/strong\u003e Traces of red coloring remain within the lettering and design. The unusually large seal gives the document considerable visual and historical appeal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOliver Spencer Halsted (1792–1877) was a respected Newark lawyer and public official who served in the New Jersey Assembly, the State Council, and as Surrogate of Essex County.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Considerable age toning, foxing, soiling and edge wear. The document has separated substantially along its original horizontal and vertical folds, with small losses where the folds intersect. The principal text, Halsted’s signature, and the official seal remain present and legible. Please examine the photographs carefully.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn appealing piece of early New Jersey legal and genealogical history with a particularly attractive surviving county seal.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Signature Documents LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52795753988378,"sku":null,"price":250.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2221\/0931\/files\/IMG_2862.jpg?v=1788555510"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.princetonaudubonprints.com\/collections\/odds-ends.oembed","provider":"TheArchiveAuthority.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}