Three CDVs of Identified Navy Officers, Incl. Philip Johnson, Jr., USS Tennessee and Constitution

About Auction

Live

American Historical Ephemera and Photography

By Cowan's Auctions

Nov 19, 2020

Set Reminder 2020-11-19 10:00:00 2020-11-19 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : American Historical Ephemera and Photography https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/cowans/american-historical-ephemera-and-photography-5894
Cowan’s Auctions, a Hindman Company, is pleased to present the November 19 Fall Auction, featuring over 400 lots of historically significant photography, manuscript material, artwork, and other ephemera dating from the 18th through the early 20th century, including the Civil War. Cowan's Auctions dawnie@cowans.com

View Full Catalog (414)

• Lot Description
  Lot of 3 CDVs, two with Brown Water Navy imprints. Includes:
  
  CDV featuring a sailor appearing to rank as a second assistant engineer (based on the cap device and single stripe of thin cuff braid, 1852 regulations). H. Metzell: Louisville, KY, 1863. Identified in pencil on verso "Reuben G. [illegible] / October 7, 1863."
  
  CDV featuring a junior officer standing with sword. L. Horning's: Philadelphia, PA, n.d. Identified on verso, "Act. Master / Jno. Meyers / U.S.N." Navy List has one John Meyer(s) with Civil War service but he was an engineer in 1863, not "Acting Master."
  
  CDV of a sword-carrying officer with fore-and-aft cap and epaulets. E. Jacobs: New Orleans, LA, n.d. Identified in ink on verso," Philip C. Johnson, Jr. began his service career as a midshipman, and ascended all the way to the rank of commodore by the end of his career. During the Mexican War, Johnson was present at the battles of Veracruz and Tuxpan, and later served on the ship-of-the-line Ohio of the Pacific squadron. While aboard Ohio, he saved the life of a fellow sailor who had fallen overboard by quickly diving in and pulling him to the ship. For this selfless act, Johnson received a highly complementary report from his commander. He then advanced to the U.S. Naval Academy, and in 1850 served aboard the frigate Congress in the Brazil Squadron before returning to graduate from the Academy in 1852. He was subsequently assigned to the store-ship Fredonia, where he served two years before transferring to the Coast Survey. From 1859 to 1861, he was assigned to the steam sloop San Jacinto, in which he served off the coast of Africa. With the outbreak of war Johnson commanded the steamer USS Tennessee (formerly SS Republic) in the Western Gulf Blockading Squadron until 1863 and had been present at the battles of Fort Jackson and St. Philip, the decisive engagements resulting in the fall of New Orleans. Johnson briefly returned to the Naval Academy and then commanded the iconic USS Constitution from April 1864 to February 1866. He sailed the ship from Newport back to Annapolis after the conclusion of the war. Over the next twenty years until his untimely death in January 1887 Johnson alternated between the normal navy routine of sea command and shore billet.
  
  The Richard B. Cohen Civil War Collection 
  
  Lots 37, 69-98, 295 
  
  Cowan's enthusiastically presents the second installment of collector Richard B. Cohen's matchless archive of Civil War Brown Water Navy photography. Richard was known to many in the field - indeed some of these images may resonate from a bygone transaction or "show and tell' - but to those who knew him best he'll be remembered as a "disciplined collector who maintained a relatively narrow focus having built an important, perhaps unsurpassed collection in his area of specialization." This catalogued portion of the core collection is a seamless continuation of high quality photography highlighted by an array of Brown Water Navy warships in desirable carte-de-visite format. We counted no fewer than 22 different Mississippi River vessels, some battle-weary and familiar, others obscure, but all identified with many named in period ink. Research confirmed that several of these CDVs were signed by an officer who had served aboard the ship conveying the historic connection and spirit of "wooden ships and iron men." The last of the larger format albumen warships are also included - the USS Blackhawk, Eastport, and Louisville. A fine quartet of lots feature sought-after enlisted sailors. We proceed with eight additional lots of multiple identified officer cartes, the myriad of navy rank insignia during the Civil War both complex and instructive. We think it opportune to quote a comment from a previous buyer who emailed that, "...I draw inspiration from their BWN service when known, and when not offering (him) the opportunity to reconstruct an aspect of overlooked Civil War naval history." Now comes the time to further disperse Richard B. Cohen's collection and recycle the photography to the care of the next generation, and in so doing we salute a lifelong endeavor unlikely ever to be duplicated.
  
  Provenence: The Richard B. Cohen Civil War Collection

  Condition

  First CDV irregularly trimmed top and botton with uniform soiling, G.  Meyers carte trimmed irregularly along left border, bruised corners, G.  Johnson image with average clarity, dented corners, near VG.
• Shipping Info

  • Buyers are required to pay for all packing, shipping and insurance charges. Overseas duty charges are the responsibility of the successful Bidder. Be aware that for larger and/or valuable items, shipping charges can be substantial. - If there is no shipping amount on listed your invoice, you will need to make arrangements to pick up or ship your purchase through an alternative shipping company. Our shipping department can be contacted at 513.871.1670 (ext. 219) or email shipping@cowans.com. - Shipping charges include insurance for your order while in transit. If you have private insurance we will adjust your charge to include only packing and shipping. - Please allow 14 – 21 days after payment to package and ship your purchase as carefully as possible.

• Buyer's Premium

  • Hammer Price	Premium (%)
    $0	28.00
    $250,001	23.00
    $3,000,001	15.00