historic

Rare 1790 Census Up For Auction

Filed under: Auctions

This year's census was a massive undertaking but things were a little simpler at the time of the first census back in 1790. A rare copy of the 1790 census conducted under the direction of Thomas Jefferson will highlight the bi-coastal Bonhams Fine Books and Manuscripts Auction on October 4. Simulcast to New York, the Los Angeles based sale is comprised of fine and rare first-edition books, maps, manuscripts, and ephemera.

The census being sold is one of the rare copies signed by Jefferson on the final page. It has been handed down through the family of Gideon Granger, Postmaster General during Jefferson's administration, and is believed to be his copy. It is annotated with all sorts of calculations. This rare piece of American history is estimated to sell for $80,000 to $120,000.

The sale also includes historical photographs and maps and atlases including John Melish's Map of the United States with the Contiguous British and Spanish Possessions (1816) which is estimated at $50,000 to $70,000. Other items include a signed 1922, first edition, first printing of F. Scott Fitzgerald's second novel, The Beautiful and Damned; an original 4-panel daily strip of Charles Schulz's Peanuts and a single page printed and typed report detailing a blood test taken from Mohandas Gandhi ten days before his assassination, indicating that, although he is generally healthy, his white blood cell count is high. A New York preview is scheduled for September 23-25 and the Los Angeles preview will be held October 1-3.

Tags: bonhams, census, documents, historic, historic documents, historical, history, thomas jefferson

Rare Lincoln Memorabilia Up For Auction

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

A variety of rare Lincoln memorabilia is set to go up for auction on Friday June 11 in Cincinnati. Cowan's Auctions is selling 24 lots that include a Mathew Brady photograph of the president, pocket watches, Lincoln White House china and some of Mrs. Lincoln's famous jewels. Mrs. Lincoln was an early proponent of retail therapy and shopped lavishly both before and after her husband's death.

As the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports, auction also has a darker side, documents showing the course of Mary Todd Lincoln's arrest and commitment to a private sanitarium are up for sale for an estimated $8,000 to $10,000. Mrs. Lincoln's son believed that his mother was mentally ill and committed her against her will, creating a family rift that never healed. The photograph shown at right , signed by President Lincoln, is estimated at $10,000 to $20,000 but could go higher.

The sale will feature other historical artifacts related to the Civil War and the history of the American West. There are several images of Annie Oakley posing with her gun as well as many images of soldiers from both sides of the war.

UPDATE: The Lincoln picture sold for $33,000 while the three documents showing Mrs. Lincoln's arrest and commitment to a sanitarium sold for $32,000.

Tags: abraham lincoln, historic, historical, Mary Todd Lincoln, memorabilia, president lincoln

J. Peterman English Pub Signs

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Art

Whether you're looking for the perfect final touch for your home bar or simply love antiques and English history, these pub signs available from J. Peterman are truly unique specimens. Each authentic and hand-painted and many still in their original wood or metal frames, the collection includes subject matter going back to the time of Queen Victoria. Some signs represent subject matter commonly used by pubs over the years (such as the swan in this sign) while others are more unique, like the Wilton Arms sign shown here that honors the coat of arms belonging to the local lord. Prices vary from $495-$1895.

Gallery: J. Peterman English Pub Signs

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Tags: antique, antiques, england, english, english pub, english pub signs, EnglishPub, EnglishPubSigns, historic, history, j peterman, JPeterman, pub, pubs, sign, signs

Olema Inn for Sale

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Luxury Travel & Hotels

One of the most beautiful and historic places in Northern California, the Olema Inn, is up for sale. Based out of one of the only large buildings in the area that survived since the 1906 earthquake, the Inn was completely restored just a few years ago by the current owners and features period pine flooring and a 19th century bar. It houses six guest rooms and one of the finest restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The Inn was first opened in 1876 "as a gathering place for loggers, ranchers and farmers who frequented the Olema Valley," although it is now far more common to see weddings taking place there. The Inn sits on 35 acres of picturesque wooded land just off Highway 1 and has an asking price of $3.3 million.

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Tags: california, estate, historic, inn, olema, restaurant, san francisco

Dinosaur Nest Sets Auction Record

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

For some buyers, "antique" just isn't old enough. A Bonhams and Butterfields auction set a new record for a 65 million-year-old dinosaur nest that was sold yesterday. The raptoid nest was in excellent condition and contained 22 unhatched eggs - most of which were incredibly well preserved. The final price was nearly $420,000. As usual, the buyer will remain anonymous, but there must be more than a few museum curators hoping to get it donated to their collections.

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Tags: auction, dinoaur, dinosaur nest, eggs, fossils, historic, old

Revolutionary Cognac and the Lanesborough

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

The Lanesborough Hotel in London recently began serving a revolutionary drink. Actually, the cognac it is offering is from the time of the French revolution, bottled in 1790. It is being served in small one and one-half ounce servings that cost £1,700 each. Unlike the $3,000 Bombay Sapphire martini, the drink doesn’t need to come with a pair of custom-made diamond and sapphire earrings to justify its price tag.

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Tags: 1,700, bar, bottle, Cognac, france, French, historic, hotel, lanesborough, London, oldest, revolution, spirits

Avalon Bay Asylum Project

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

The site of the Danvers State Hospital for the mentally ill in Massachusetts is being renovated by Avalon Bay Communities, Inc. into a complex of luxury condos. Avalon is planning on putting in 497 units in total. They intend to create a "'campus-like environment' with a swimming pool, WiFi cafe and fitness center. Rents will start around $1,400 for a one-bedroom, and about half-a-million dollars for a condo." The 40 or so buildings on the 75-acre property are being demolished, though the central portion of the original 313,000-square foot Kirkbridge building, pictured, is being preserved as an historical monument.

The hospital was built in the 1870's and has been called one of the "world's scariest buildings." Some people believe that it is even haunted. The architecture is Gothic and the majority of the rooms were built in the style of a dormitory, as the facility was meant to house around 600 patients. During the 1950s, allegations of various shock therapies and lobotomies being used to control the overcrowded facility that held more than 2,000 residents were common and continued until the Hospital was completely closed in 1992. Avalon Bay bought the facility for $18 million.

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Tags: apartments, asylum, building, condos, danvers, danvers state hospital, estate, gothic, haunted, historic, hospital, lunatic, massachusetts, mental hospital, patients, rennovation, world's scariest building