Extremely Rare Hand Drawn & Painted Sword Catalogs of Widmann & Co. & Horstmann, Philadelphia, Ca Late 1840s-1851

Lot 15

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About Auction

American History, Featuring the Property of N. Flayderman & Co. by Cowan's Auctions

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American History, Featuring the Property of N...

By Cowan's Auctions

Jun 9, 2017 - Jun 10, 2017

Set Reminder 2017-06-09 10:00:00 2017-06-10 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : American History, Featuring the Property of N. Flayderman & Co. https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/cowans/american-history-featuring-the-property-of-n-flayderman-co-2392 Cowan's Auctions dawnie@cowans.com

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Lot Description

Pages from two sword catalogs, that of F.W. Widmann (pre-1848) and their successors, W.H. Horstmann & Sons.

One catalog consists of an oblong 5.75 x. 9.5 in. album, originally with 3/4 leather. Spine is now gone and most pages loose. Sword styles are numbered in Arabic, pages have Roman numerals. There is no correspondence between the two (first page is Roman I, style No. 6; next is page II, swords No. 12 and 33, etc.) There are approx. 35 pages of hand-drawn and colored swords, each with a description (in ink). Pages 3, 20, 23 are blank, with only style numbers and/or page numbers; p. 29 which has a penciled sword, description in ink; p. 35 blank; p. 39 has a penciled number, and rough penciled description. Otherwise, pages 1 - XXXVII, XL - XLII, XLIV present.

Next follows a page with a crescent gorget and two eagles and a shield sketched at top. The gorget has an inscription: To Colonel Elijah Ward / From the second Brigade staff / N.Y.S.M / 4th July 1848.

Followed by a series of larger sketches, mostly in pencil, drawn on two pages. Many of these have presentation notes, either in a box in the upper left corner of the pair of pages, occasionally with additional quotes or battles penned in the upper right; a few include the inscriptions on the scabbard or a plaque at neck of the sword, such as:

Presented to Charles Baxter / by the Independent Tompkins / Blues as a Testimonial of their/ regard November 1846

Presented / By the noncom Officers & Privates / of Co. A New York Legion to / Lieut C. Benjamin Young / New York Octo: 1846

Citizens of Rochester / Presented / To / Major Lowd 2nd Regiment Artillery / U.S.A. as a testimony of their admiration / of his gallant conduct at the defence of / Fort Brown May 1846

Presented to Lieut Charles P. Morris of the 8th Regt / Infantry by the 1st & 2nd Regt U.S.V & other citizens of the / city of New York interested in his welfare as a testimony / of regard & their admiration of his gallant conduct on the fields / of Palo Alto & Rasaca de la Palma August 13 1846

Presented / By the citizens of the Town of Fishkill / To Captain Stewart Van Vleet 3d Regt U.S. Artillery / as a token of their estimation of his services in the / Battles of his country May 1847

Presented to / Lieut M.C. Marin U.S.N. by the Citizens / of Brooklyn LI as a token of their appreciation / of his gallant conduct at the capture of / Alvarado & Flacotalpam Sept 1847

“Andentes fortuna jurat” and Presented to Lieut. Charles G. Hunter / U.S. Navy by his fellow citizens of New York for / his gallantry in the capture of Alvarado & Flacotalpam / while in command of the U.S. Steamer Scourge on the thirty first day of March 1847

Presented / By the State of Louisiana / to General Z Taylor in / testimony of the high opinion / held by the people of this state / of the skill, conduct & judgmt. / shown by him during his / military life but particularly / during the Battle of Palo Alto / on the 8th & Resaca de la / Palma on the 9th May / 1846

Tucked into the back of the album are 45 pages, loose, between approx. 5 x 8 in. and 6 x 9 in., all with Sept. 1851 in the lower left corner. They include pen-&-ink drawings of swords, similar to those described in the first section, but not colored. The drawings are titled but include very basic descriptions. However, according to some of the materials with the catalog, particularly one letter written by Norm Flayderman, in this group are some swords they did not know existed, especially, some Marine swords: Marine Musician and Marine Music Boy (like the first, but smaller), Marine Sergeant and Marine Officer.

Accompanied by a document with docketing on verso: Description of Swords WHH&S Nov/52. The two pages have listings of swords from 401 to 446, divided by leather scabbards and metal scabbards, some with old style numbers on them. This appears to tie this catalog to the Horstmann company.

A rare and wonderful piece of historic militaria.

Provenance: Property of N. Flayderman & Co.

Condition

Book separated, boards rough. Pages chipping.
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