Framed PVT William C Hammersley Portrait

Description

This striking "biographical memorial" serves as a poignant tribute to Private William Hammersley of Company L, 3rd Wisconsin Cavalry. The significance of this solar enlargement; the hand-colored charcoal and pastel work over the photographic base was a premium commemorative format reserved for families honoring their fallen. Hammersley is handsomely depicted in his cavalry shell jacket with brass shoulder scales and the regulated "Hardee" hat, clutching a Model 1860 Light Cavalry Saber. The reverse is equally compelling, featuring secured National Archives reproductions that detail his journey from a Janesville farmer to his ultimate sacrifice due to acute dysentery at Little Rock General Hospital in 1864. The inclusion of the "Inventory of Effects" documenting the $5.65 auction of his worldly possessions is a rare, sobering touch. The piece remains in well-preserved condition, with the portrait showing vibrant color and minimal fading, while the frame exhibits light age-appropriate wear and the documents are now protected in an archival sleeve. H 22.5", W 18.5", D 1.5". Please see photos for condition.

Buyer's Premium

23%

Framed PVT William C Hammersley Portrait

Lot 2249

Estimate $450-$10,000Jun 19, 2026, 10:00 AM EDT

Starting Price

Secure

$225

Good Bid

Strong Bid

Competitive Bid

Or select a higher max bid amount

2 bidders are watching this item

Get approved to bid.

LiveAuctioneers Purchase Protection

Vetted auction houses

Secure, online bidding

Returns guaranteed for misrepresented listings

Dedicated support when you need it

Relics of the American West

Jun 19, 2026 10:00 AM EDT

Union, IL, United States

Sam Oldham Gold Rush Hickory Chair: This is a phenomenal piece of American history—a little hickory chair that purportedly traveled overland by covered wagon from California to Kentucky/Arkansas with Gold Rush '49er Sam Oldham.

Jun 19, 2026Sam Oldham Gold Rush Hickory Chair

Native American Beaded Stone War Club: This striking Plains-style war club features a bi-pointed, hand-ground stone head securely lashed to a wooden handle with a traditional hide wrap. The craftsmanship is highlighted by the intricate

Jun 19, 2026Native American Beaded Stone War Club

Native American Style Bow, Quiver & Arrows: This is a compelling traditional archery set, featuring a handcrafted wooden longbow with a deep reddish-brown finish, accompanied by a fringed buckskin quiver and seven distinct arrows. The arrows

Jun 19, 2026Native American Style Bow, Quiver & Arrows

1/2 Scale .32 Caliber Gatling Gun: Extremely rare and hard to find 1/2 Scale reproduction of Gatling Gun chambered in .32 caliber using sleeves and gravity feed. This Gatling Gun was made by the late Jim Bucci, a gunsmith/Machinist

Jun 19, 20261/2 Scale .32 Caliber Gatling Gun

Native American Wabash Indiana Artifact Collection: This versatile collection from the Wabash, Indiana, area serves as a fascinating lithic record of regional history, featuring twelve projectile points and bifacial scrapers, a small fossil, and an

Jun 19, 2026Native American Wabash Indiana Artifact Collection

Iron Cowboy Western Chandelier: 64533C1600800/1500/3000Due to the size/weight/fragility of this item, it will require a pick up or customer-arranged 3rd-party shipping. We will connect you with reputable transport companies after

Jun 19, 2026Iron Cowboy Western Chandelier

Antique Mini Oak Keg with Stand: This is a charming late 19th to early 20th century miniature wooden keg on a steel stand. The rich, dark-stained wood staves are held by shiny brass-plated metal bands, giving it a distinguished

Jun 19, 2026Antique Mini Oak Keg with Stand

Framed Civil War "Iron Brigade" Solar Portrait: This hand-enhanced solar enlargement features a Union soldier identified via a verso inscription as a member of the "Iron Brigade." The artwork utilizes the "crayon portrait" technique, where a photog

Jun 19, 2026Framed Civil War "Iron Brigade" Solar Portrait

Indigenous Projectile Point Collection (34): A comprehensive assemblage of thirty-four Native American projectile points, primarily from the Archaic to Woodland periods, presented in four red-lined Riker mounts. This collection showcases a

Jun 19, 2026Indigenous Projectile Point Collection (34)

Framed Native American Arrowheads 2 Display Cases: These two framed collections represent a broad cross-section of North American lithic technology, primarily from the Archaic to Woodland periods. The vertical rustic wood frame holds 30 "Side

Jun 19, 2026Framed Native American Arrowheads 2 Display Cases

Primitive Folk Art & Sleigh Bell Lot: This distinctive primitive folk art pairing includes a full-length antique leather sleigh bell strap alongside a vibrant hand-carved wooden totem baton. The 87-inch body strap features twenty-four

Jun 19, 2026Primitive Folk Art & Sleigh Bell Lot

Vintage Native American Pipestone Pipe: This Native American peace pipe features a hand-carved wooden stem with a twisted spiral motif paired with a T-shaped black pipestone bowl, likely crafted from steatite or darkened catlinite. Dating

Jun 19, 2026Vintage Native American Pipestone Pipe

Native American Beaded Rattle & Club: This pair of items consists of a traditional Native American stone-head war club and a hide-wrapped ceremonial rattle, likely originating from the Plains region in the late 19th or early 20th

Jun 19, 2026Native American Beaded Rattle & Club

Native American Style Red Wool Shirt: This Plains-style Native American inspired shirt features a vibrant red wool body accented by a V-shaped buckskin yoke on the front, adorned with a beaded bison/buffalo head motif and framed by blue,

Jun 19, 2026Native American Style Red Wool Shirt

Two Native American Style Weaving Textiles: Two Native American style hand-woven wool textiles featuring traditional geometric patterns in a striking palette of cream, deep burgundy red, brown, and grey. The larger textile exhibits a classic

Jun 19, 2026Two Native American Style Weaving Textiles

Two Native American Style Stone Effigy Pipes: This lot features two Native American style stone effigy pipes carved from dark, dense stone. The first is a sleek zoomorphic pipe featuring a stylized bird or animal head carving at the bowl end,

Jun 19, 2026Two Native American Style Stone Effigy Pipes

Indigenous Stone Tool & Lithic Collection: This fascinating assemblage features an array of prehistoric and early indigenous utilitarian objects, highlighted by a substantial stone mortar (metate) paired with a hand-held grinding stone

Jun 19, 2026Indigenous Stone Tool & Lithic Collection

19th C. Ephemera & Theatre, 1876 Pres. Ballot: This fascinating six-piece collection of 19th-century paper ephemera features a "Grand Concert" program for Mademoiselle Jenny Lind, a 1885 Dr. O. Phelps Brown's Shakespearian Almanac (printed for

Jun 19, 202619th C. Ephemera & Theatre, 1876 Pres. Ballot

Hudson Thurber Civil War Service Lot 16th Wisco: This premier historical archive belongs to Hudson "Hud" Thurber (1842–1928), a dedicated veteran of the 16th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, sourced directly from his descendants. The centerpiece

Jun 19, 2026Hudson Thurber Civil War Service Lot 16th Wisco

Battle of the Little Bighorn Dug Relics Display: This home-museum quality shadowbox commemorates the 1876 "Campaign Climax" at the Little Bighorn, featuring an 1872 pattern leather cartridge box with an internal canvas-loop Hagner-style insert,

Jun 19, 2026Battle of the Little Bighorn Dug Relics Display

Related Items

PORTRAIT OF BRIGADIER GEN SYLVESTER CHURCHILL, USA INSPECTOR GEN MEXICAN WAR: PORTRAIT OF BRIGADIER GEN SYLVESTER CHURCHILL, USA INSPECTOR GEN MEXICAN WAR Historic Watercolor Portrait of Brig. General Sylvester Churchill (1783-1862), US Army Inspector General, Hero of the Battl

Jun 26, 2026PORTRAIT OF BRIGADIER GEN SYLVESTER CHURCHILL, USA INSPECTOR GEN MEXICAN WAR

Archive of Civil War Material: Identified to Civil War Lieutenant Stephen J. Wentworth, mid-19th century Comprising his Model 1850 sword with pierced and engraved hilt and wire-wrapped chagreen handle and engraved scabbard, his lea

24 hrs LeftArchive of Civil War Material

19th C. Ivorytype: Portrait of a Gentleman: A 19th C. ivorytype oval portrait of a gentleman, created by coating a glass plate with collodion and then photographed, resulting in a glass plate negative that is then placed on sensitized natural m

23 hrs Left19th C. Ivorytype: Portrait of a Gentleman

Civil War Union Artillery Cpl. Portrait: This evocative Civil War-era portrait captures a Union Artillery Corporal, identified by the provenance tag as B. Kalitski of New York. This piece is a classic "solar enlargement," a period

Jun 19, 2026Civil War Union Artillery Cpl. Portrait

[CIVIL WAR] Rick's Favorite Sergeant: Elbridge Williams, the Mystery US Regular: Full-length standing studio portrait albumen CDV. Photographer unidentified, [ca. 1861-5]. Period ink inscription to mount recto reads: "Sgt. Elbridge Williams / U.S. Cavalry." Modern ink in

Jun 20, 2026[CIVIL WAR] Rick's Favorite Sergeant: Elbridge Williams, the Mystery US Regular

[GETTYSBURG] Gettysburg Brigade Commander: Autographed Mathew Brady CDV of General William S.: Full-length standing studio portrait albumen CDV. Washington, D.C.: Mathew Brady, [ca. 1862-3]. A magnificent, high-contrast study showing William S. Tilton standing resolutely in his double-breasted

Jun 20, 2026[GETTYSBURG] Gettysburg Brigade Commander: Autographed Mathew Brady CDV of General William S.

[CIVIL WAR] First Blood in Baltimore: Charles P. Trumbull, 6th Mass Militia, in Full Kit: Full-length studio portrait albumen CDV. Photographer uncredited, [circa 1861]. Period ink identification to mount verso reads: "Charles P. Trumbull. / Massachusetts Sixth Regt. / Passed through

Jun 20, 2026[CIVIL WAR] First Blood in Baltimore: Charles P. Trumbull, 6th Mass Militia, in Full Kit

[CIVIL WAR] Armed to the Teeth: Union Cavalryman w/ Spencer Carbine: Full-length standing studio portrait albumen CDV. Photographer unidentified, [circa 1864]. Canceled 2-cent US Internal Revenue stamp to mount verso. Period pencil inscription to mount verso features a

Jun 20, 2026[CIVIL WAR] Armed to the Teeth: Union Cavalryman w/ Spencer Carbine

[CIVIL WAR] The Flower of Rhode Island Youth: Pvt. Jesse Comstock, WIA/POW 1st Bull Run: Full-length standing studio portrait albumen CDV. Uncredited Washington, D.C. area artist, [ca. May 1861]. Period ink inscription to lower front mount reads: “Jesse Comstock / Camp Spr

Jun 20, 2026[CIVIL WAR] The Flower of Rhode Island Youth: Pvt. Jesse Comstock, WIA/POW 1st Bull Run

[GETTYSBURG] A Concord Hero in the Wheatfield: George Lincoln Prescott, WIA: Three-quarter length studio albumen CDV. Boston: Allen, 13 Winter St., [ca. 1863]. Photographer’s imprint to mount recto. Verso bears a pencil collector's inscription: "COL GEORGE LINCO

Jun 20, 2026[GETTYSBURG] A Concord Hero in the Wheatfield: George Lincoln Prescott, WIA

[GETTYSBURG] The Anchor of Culp's Hill: Rare Flag CDV of Major Milo Eldridge, 137th New York: An original albumen carte-de-visite portrait depicting a Union officer standing in a frock coat and belt, proudly presenting the tasseled regimental standard or national color of his unit. He wears a

Jun 20, 2026[GETTYSBURG] The Anchor of Culp's Hill: Rare Flag CDV of Major Milo Eldridge, 137th New York

Framed Civil War "Iron Brigade" Solar Portrait: This hand-enhanced solar enlargement features a Union soldier identified via a verso inscription as a member of the "Iron Brigade." The artwork utilizes the "crayon portrait" technique, where a photog

Jun 19, 2026Framed Civil War "Iron Brigade" Solar Portrait

Related Searches

Army Collectibles Army Memorabilia Civil War Memorabilia Memorabilia of War Militaria Collecting Military Collectibles Inc Military Items Rare World War 2 Artifacts World War 2 Memorabilia WW1 Memorabilia Price Results Auctions in Illinois

TOP