Mid-19th century American artifacts elevate June 25 Cowan’s auction

Half plate daguerreotype of firefighter Walter Van Erven Dorens, estimated at $15,000-$25,000

CINCINNATI – 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. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

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.

Flag Philip Henry Sheridan used to lead the 2nd Michigan Cavalry during the Civil War, estimated at $20,000-$30,000

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. It is estimated at $20,000-$30,000. Also of interest is an Abraham Lincoln banner, possibly made for the 1864 presidential campaign, estimated at $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. It is estimated at $10,000-$15,000. A previously unknown quarter plate daguerreotype of Zachary Taylor, estimated at $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, estimated at $10,000-$15,000; an Alaskan Gold Rush collection of photographs, diaries, and personal items identified to William Steele West, estimated at $8,000-$12,000; and a group of 39 early 20th century illustrated church revival banners.

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