Auctions | June 15, 2021

Cowan’s to Present American Historical Ephemera & Photography

Courtesy of Cowan's

Half plate daguerreotype of firefighter Walter Van Erven Dorens, ca. 1854-1856. Estimate: $15,000-25,000

Cincinnati, OH – On June 25, Cowan’s, a Hindman company, will present its American Historical Ephemera and Photography auction, which will offer an impressive selection of 18th to early 20th century material. Important time periods including the Revolutionary War period, the Civil War, the Indian Wars, World Wars I and II, the Civil Rights Movement, the Women’s Suffrage Movement, and late 19th to early 20th century Christian movements, and remarkable figures such as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, James A. Garfield, John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Onassis Kennedy, and George Custer will be reflected throughout the sale.

The auction will feature outstanding collections such as the Civil War Collection of Dennis C. Schurr, which contains an array of war and post-war period photographs, manuscripts, uniforms, and accoutrements. Most notable from this collection are objects associated with the 9th New York Infantry Regiment, known as the Hawkins’ Zouaves. Notable collections also include the Richard B. Cohen Civil War Collection, which includes the third installment of Brown Water Navy photographs and a carefully curated selection of autographs and manuscripts from Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, Gideon Welles, D.G. Farragut, David Dixon Porter, U.S. Grant, and W.T. Sherman; additional offerings from the Eugene R. Groves Collection of 19th Century Photography; and Property from the Estate of Louis Hahn.

Courtesy of Cowan's

Standouts of the sale include Philip Henry Sheridan's personal headquarters flag used when he led the 2nd Michigan Cavalry during the spring and summer of 1862, which is made of merino wool and entirely hand-sewn in five lineal panels (lot 226; estimate: $20,000 - $30,000), and a rare Abraham Lincoln banner possibly made for the 1864 presidential campaign (lot 296; estimate: $10,000-15,000). Additional highlights include an archive of more than 200 letters related to Danvers, Massachusetts physician and statesman Dr. Samuel Holten, who was an officer during the Revolutionary War and a delegate to the Continental Congress (lot 10; estimate: $10,000 - $15,000). A previously unknown quarter plate daguerreotype of Zachary Taylor (lot 241 estimate: $8,000 - $10,000) is another rare object.

Other lots of note include an exceptional collection of 27 stereoviews from John Carbutt's series, "Excursion to the 100th Meridian," from October 1866 (lot 376; estimate: $10,000-15,000); an Alaskan Gold Rush collection of photographs, diaries, and personal items identified to William Steele West (lot 392; estimate: $8,000-12,000); and a group of 39 early 20th century illustrated church revival banners.

Bidding for the June 25 auction will begin at 10:00 am ET. Bidders will be able to participate via absentee bid, by phone, or live online on Cowan’s website. Previews for the auction will be available at Cowan’s facilities by appointment only. For more information about the auction, please view the auction page.