Letter box with slant front, hinged-lid, and multi-compartment interior. Exterior is done in silver, ebony, ivory, and mahogany inlay in a cube and flower design. Interior is wood with circular inlay design with ivory, silver, jade, and red material. Key included.
Brought from Siam in the 1860s by Admiral William Reynolds, brother of General John Fulton Reynolds.
Dispatch case of Major John Hubley; walnut construction.
On top, inlay shell in an oval with green background, all within an 2 fine-line band border. Metal outlined key on front center. 2 movable metal handles, one on each end. Entire wood panel in lid folds out to reveal a mirror secured by a swivel tab. A metal ring for pulling panel down/ Circular inlay designs on green background in center of closed lid portion. Intricate spiral adorn edges of all 8 sections and green felt-lined tray. 2 narrow divisions hold slide-in tops with metal pull rings fit into compartment. Portion that holds 2 small drawers can be lifted out to reveal .5" storage area. The entire lower portion can be lifted out. Bottom covered with black felt.
Foldable eyeglasses with D-shaped blue-tinted lenses and similar side panel lenses. Worn by Amos Ellmaker (1787-1851) and are seen in portrait.
Provenance
Amos Ellmaker (1787-1851) wore these glasses, including during his sitting for accomplished Lancaster portrait painter Jacob Eichholtz. Amso graduated from Princeton before embarking on a long and successful career as both an officer in the army and a lawyer; rising to positions such as State Representative and Attorney General of the Commonwealth. Amos almost became a state senator as well, but lost to the future president, James Buchanan.
Coarse linen US flag with 34 stars and 7 red stripes and 6 white stripes.
January 1861, Flag of John Roberts, who served in the Revenue Cutter Service which was the forerunner of the Coast Guard. Probably from Virginia or Maryland.
Hand-stitched. Blue panel (27.5" x 25") is made of 3 pieces. White stars are stitched on both sides. On ends, left is bound with white machine-stitching (cahin stitching). Right end (stripes) doubled over and attached with running stitch. Stripes attached with French seams so no raw edges. Top and bottom red edges are selvedges. Top blue edge turned and attached with running stitch.
Green leather-covered box with profile of Samuel Hahnemann in gold on cover. Inside the top cover is a list of 86 medicines contained in the case. Numbered cork tops and corresponding labels on glass vials with medicines (small white balls) are in the case. Nos. 1, 7, 9, 35, 78. are vacant. 79 through 86 are "Tinctures For External Use." Interior paper label reads, "Prepared and sold at the Homeopathic Pharmacy of /William Radde, No. 635 Arch Street, Philadelphia"
Typed card: "Medicine chest/ property of Dr. William/ Shelly of Lititz PA./ through Dr. John Atlee 1938."
There is a key to the case.
Provenance
Dr. William Addison Shelly was born May 15, 1818 and died Jan. 15, 1863.
Corn knife used by one of the Black resistors in the Christiana Riot on September 11, 1851. Wrought iron long curved blade of 19.5" is fitted into oak or ash turned handle rounded terminal end. Tang of blade extends through length of handle and protrudes at terminal where it is clinched.
The Christiana Resistance resulted from the efforts of a Maryland slave holder to claim fugitives hiding in the home of Willam Parker, a free black man living in Chritiana, PA. This corn knife was used by one of the black resistors during this confict. The bloody confrontation, occurring in September of 1851, resulted in the death of Edward Gorsuch, the slaveholder, and the escape of William Parker and the fugitive slaves to freedom in Canada.
Large iron box lock from Conestoga Cotton Mill #3 gate. Very long rectangular box has four screw holes for securing to gate and two very small butt hinges attached with screws to back edge. A projecting hollow key escutcheon is riveted to front of box about 5" from one end. Key would be inserted into lock through escutcheon.
In addition, there is an iron latch plate with L-shaped projection mounted onto face of plate, for receiving a lift latch bar. It has five screw holes for mounting on gate.
Depth or thickness is box lock only. Overall thickness including projecting handle holder is 3".
Condition
Fair
Condition Date
2014-10-07
Condition Notes
Expected strong weathering, resulting in surface pitting, rust, white paint residue and 3 significant cracks branching out from one screw hole near latch holder. Latch plate is extremely worn with apparent missing sections. L-shaped projection has lost its original surface due to grinding. Interior of box lock also ground away in sections.
