Civil war bayonet with broken blade and bronze handle. Stamped "M" in handle. Accompanying tag reads, "picked up from Gettysburg Battlefield on July 7th, 1863 by Isaac W. Leidigh of Paradise."
Leather fire bucket . Painted black banner with yellow letters: "Farmer's Bank." has foliate designs on both ends of banner. "No. 9" is painted below banner in black. Stitched leather construction. Metal D rings and leather loops attach 1in wide leather handle and bucket. Tag found inside bucket: "Water Bucket of C W Richenbach Property of Union No 1". Tag is for 1931 Union Fire Company annual dinner. Tag is now in object file.
Walnut chest of drawers. Two small drawers mounted side by side just below the top of the chest with three full-width drawers below; each drawer has two glass drawer pulls and a centered, brass escutcheon keyhole. The chest has recessed side panels with matching crotch-grain walnut veneer. The chest sits on four turnip feet for overall support.
Pieced quilt of silks, cotton batting, glazed cotton back, cut in 2 halves, made by Quaker Deborah Simmons Coates, wife of Lindley Coates (1794-1856). Has 19 horizontal bands of dress silks (many produced by Harmonist Community) in alternating triangles arranged in Birds in the Air or Flying Geese pattern using the template method. Large triangles of varying patterns alternate with large triangles with 3 smaller appliqued triangles of contrasting patterns. Colors are browns, tans, beiges, electric and royal blue, peach and green. Each quilt half has a green silk binding on the three outside edges, and tan silk on the inner vertical cut edge. Quilting patterns are clamshell, diamond, cross in a square and diagonals.
At quilt center is a cream-colored triangle with an abolitionist stamp depicting a kneeling enslaved Black male in chains over the words: "Deliver me from the oppression/ of man." This stamped triangle was cut in two when quilt was divided; image now hidden by modern binding. According to Cuesta Benberry research, this image of a kneeling enslaved person originated with the English ceramic firm of Wedgwood in the late 1700s. See items 08.242 and 42.76.11 in the collectiosn of Metropolitan Museum of Art for seals with a similar motif. The Wedgwood family were ardent abolitionists, decorating various ceramics with this image, resulting in its rapid adoption by American anti-slavery groups. Used in many forms and media over the years, it remains the logo of the still-existing Pennsylvania Abolition Society and appears on organization's official publications.
Lindley and Deborah Coates, of West Grove, Chester Co., married there on 12/16/1819 but lived near Christiana in Sadsbury Twp., Lancaster Co. They attended Sadsbury Friends Meeting House near Christiana. Ardent abolitionists, their home was what is now designated station #5 on the Underground Railway. Lindley became President of the American Anti-Slavery Society in 1840, before William Lloyd Garrison. Deborah Coates became a Hicksite Quaker minister according to historian Beverly Wilson Palmer. Hicksites were the more radical Quakers, named after leader Elias Hicks.
Provenance
Quilt passed to son Simmons (1821-1862) & wife Emeline Jackson. (Deborah Coates lived w/ widow Emeline on her Chester Co. farm (Evergreen Hall in West Grove) for many years following Simmon's 1862 death. See census records). Descent to their daughter Elizabeth Jackson Coates who married Marriott Brosius, U.S. congressman from Lancaster. The quilt was then divided between their two daughters, donor's maternal grandmother Graceanna Brosius Biddle and her sister Gertrude Coho Reinhartson. The two halves were then reunited when given to donor, Marjorie Ayars Laidman. Deborah S. Coates was donor's great great great grandmother.
Overall good condition. Two halves of quilt (with recent inside binding on cut edges) are "mounted" on cotton muslin, side-by-side. Silks show significant deterioration -- cracking, splitting and abrasion -- with some losses. Binding also has deterioration with some losses. (See 1985-86 condition report by conservator Linnea Davis.)
Documented in Quilt Harvest #448-B (records in Archives).
Object ID
G.86.05
Place of Origin
Sadsbury Twp.
Credit
Gift of Marjorie A. Laidman, Heritage Center Collection
Pennsylvania Long Rifle; percussion cap; curly maple stock; iron barrel stamped "H. GIBBS" on top of barrel. Brass fittings and patch box. Some rust on iron and brass parts. Approximately .40 caliber muzzle. 44" barrel with an overall length of 61 inches.
See notes for information on Gibbs.
Provenance
Purchased by donor (Walt Dunlap) at auction in Lancaster County in 1956.
Henry Gibb Sr. and his son Henry Gibb were Lancaster City gunsmiths active for most of the nineteenth century. The father from 1812 until 1843 and the son from 1843 until 1880.
Place of Origin
Lancaster
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Presentation sword and scabbard of Civil War officer and Lancaster native, Lieutenant Jacob Pontz (1838-1929). Sword has curving steel blade with ornate, pierced brass hilt. Sword blade is etched with scrolls and foliate decoration and silvered. Scabbard is brass with engraved inscription on one side: "Presented to First Leiut. (sic) JACOB PONTZ / Co. K. 77th Reg. PVVI / at Johnsonville Tenn. June 19, 1865". Scabbard fitted with two brass mounts with strap rings, a molded "cuff" at open end and sheath-like tip (a drag) at other end. Stamped at base of blade is "W CLAUBERG" and "SOLINGEN" with a standing knight.
Provenance
Passed from Jacob Pontz (1838-1929) through his daughter Nelle Audrey Pontz (1880 - 1975), who married Maylin Joseph Pickering (1880-1954), to their son Jack (John M. Pickering 1916-2014). Bequest of the John M. Pickering estate, as stipulated in his will.
Sword blade has areas of corrosion, some heavy. Blade has lost much of its silvering on etched decoration. Copper alloy finish on body of scabbard is heavily worn/lost. Some small dents. Cuff at scabbard's open end is loose with missing small nail or brad. Nail also missing on sheath at other end.
Both sword and scabbard were coated with oil (3-in-1), then wiped down with soft cloth.
Object ID
2015.031.1
Notes
See copies of Pontz records in file. Children of Jacob Pontz and Emma Palmer Pontz are:
1. Minnie Grace Pontz
2. Mary E. Pontz Byerly (1875-1950)
3. Nelle Audrey Pontz Pickering (1880-1975)
4. Ethel Maude Pontz McCown (1884-1947)
Swordmaker Wilhelm Clauberg began operations in 1854 in Solingen, Germany.
WRZ consulted with Steve Hench, long-time antiques dealer specializing in armaments, regarding condition. Since a treatment of the scabbard finish to restore original condition is not desired, he suggested minimal treatment by coating with a fine oil (3-in-1) on both sword and scabbard. Trying to remove blade corrosion would harm etched and silvered decoration. Performed 02/23/2016.
Place of Origin
Solingen, Germany
Credit
Gift of the Estate of John M. Pickering (1916-2014)
Studio tintype photo of Civil War soldier, full length, holding his rifle.
Sticker on back reads: "Zaloudek 10-28-72" (original date of donation). Handwriting on back in faint pencil is: "Benjamin McComsey 61 to 65."
Benjamin McComsey volunteered to serve in the Civil War. He was killed Nov. 7, 1862 in Berlin, MD. This item transferred to Objects collection from Archives. See Notes for typed biographical info.
This item transferred to Objects collection from Archives. Accompanying this tintype is a perforated paper bookmark with cross-stitched "A Present for Bennie." Typed biographical info is:
"This is the chief treasure of the McComsey family. Young son Benjamin volunteered to serve in the Civil War, and these letters (In Archives) tell the story of the remainder of his life.
Benjamin was the son of William McComsey, who was City Treasurer of Lanc. in the late 1880's. A descendant of Mathias McComsey, who was born in Manor Township in 1787. Benjamin's mother was Mary Dorwart, daughter of Henry, a tailor in Lancaster.
Benjamin died Nov. 7, 1862 in Berlin, Md. in the 18th year of his life. He is buried in the McComsey plot at Lancaster Cemetery."
Additional items given by this donor are 1972.026.1-.5. This includes a wedding hat, pair of lady's snow glasses and three shawls.
Leather multi-compartment Wallet. Some remnants of a red printed logo on interior flap. Contained the Civil War discharge papers of William Sweigart, Private, 195th Regiment.
