W.F.P. Napier, C.B. Collectibles and Curiosities

12 Volumes. Lord Macaulay, History of England. Albany Edition. Limited to 250 copies of which this is 218. Bound in full red morocco with gilt tooling on the covers and raised band s...

Antique map titled 'Carte de l'Arabie, du Golfe Persique, et de la Mer Rouge (..)'. Original antique map of the Arabian Peninsula, including the horn...

A beautiful edition of naval historian William James's detailed and richly illustrated history of the Royal Navy. A 'New Edition' of naval historian William James's impressive work,...

Miller, Francis Trevelyan (editor). The Photographic History of the Civil War in Ten Volumes. New York: The Review of Reviews Co., 1912. Quarto, ten volume set, in original blue cloth gilt bindings. Illustrated with thousands of photographs, plus maps. This is an important 10-volume photographic history of the Civil War, edited by Francis Trevelyan Miller. The set was first published in 1911, the 50 year anniversary of the start of the Civil War. This 1912 edition contains “thousands of scenes photographed 1861-65, with text by many special authorities.” This mammoth work contains written contributions from over 39 academics, writers, veteran officers of both Union and Confederate forces, and President William H. Taft. A number of the photographs are from the collections of private individuals, as well as the extensive Eldridge Collection of Mathew Brady Civil War photographs...

An excellent set containing this profusely illustrated natural history of plants, translated from the German of Austrian botanist, Anton Kerner von Marilaun. A new edition of this w...

McKay, William, Daniel E. Hungerford, and Charles J. Murphy. Condensed History of the Mexican War and its Glorious Results...Also Reminiscences of the War. New York: John E. Cohen, 1...

A five volume leather bound set titled "Beacon Lights of History" by John Lord published in New York in 1884 by Fords, Howard and Hulbert profiling various historical luminaries from...

This map, titled "ITALIA, Sicilia, Sardinia, Corsica," represents the Italian Peninsula along with the islands of Sicily, Sardinia, and Corsica. Inset maps offer detailed views of "R...

Antique map titled 'Peninsula of Sinaï'. Lithographed map of the Sinai Peninsula, a peninsula in Egypt, and the only part of the country located in Asia. It is situated between the M...

PRESENTING a FANTASTIC and HISTORIC Early 19C American Hepplewhite Virginian Secretary Chest with OUTSTANDING Provenance. This Secretary Chest was made in Virginia in the Early 19th Century, circa 1810. It is made of cherry, walnut and maple and is most definitely in the Hepplewhite Style of the period, with it’s original Hepplewhite brass drawer pulls. IT IS A REALLY INTRIGUING AND HISTORIC PIECE, ESPECIALLY, WHEN VIEWED IN CONTEXT WITH IT”S AMAZING PROVENANCE! This piece was originally owned by Major William Alexander Obenchain who ‘hailed’ from the State of Virginia. He was an engineer and was in the Virginia Corps of Engineers during the Civil War and served on General Robert E. Lee’s staff. It was acquired by him before the Civil War and we believe that this piece was on campaign with him during the War. We know for a fact that he fought at the Richmond Campaign in 1864, as we have, in our Collection, his original Field Map for that Campaign which ended the War. It has remained in family ownership ever since. It has come directly from the Family Estate, together with other VERY IMPORTANT items belonging to Major Obenchain and other IMPORTANT items that belonged to his wife, Eliza Calvert Hall-Obenchain. ALL these items contained in the Collection, are listed/posted individually on our Website. The top drawer is on retractable curved side hinge supports and pulls outwards and drops to reveal a secretary and writing area. The Bureau/Secretary Gallery has 6 drawers and 6 cubbies, a central tabernacle door with another drawer and 2 cubbies and this is flanked by 2 secret pull out compartments. The central tabernacle door has it’s original key and working lock. Closed, it is almost ‘flush’ like the rest of the drawers, with some very minor bowing through age. The 3 drawers underneath are graduated in size and it ends with a serpentine shaped base and sits on four hand carved legs with original metal casters, marked ‘Universal 3’. It has it’s original brasses and hardware throughout, save the addition to 2 contemporary replacement brass hinges to the drop down desk front, as the original hinges were broken, could not be repaired and were not supporting the weight of the drop down leaf. Some minor repairs but not noticeable. Otherwise, the piece is in it’s entirely, ORIGINAL condition! What makes this piece even MORE INTRIGUING and APPEALING HISTORICALLY, are the 2 ‘historic’ circular holes on the piece:- (1) in the back of the piece as seen in the photos. This hole is not symmetrical or fully round and appears to serve no purpose to the piece whatsoever. Sometimes, pieces have holes for wiring for lighting, put in them over the years, but this one never had such lighting or, indeed, any such explanation for this hole, AND (2) the rear hole is replicated, in the corner portion of the bottom drawer and someone (a very long time ago) has used a tin can top, to cover the hole in the back of the drawer. The tin can top is period to the Civil War Era and is embossed “Minimum Volume 1 Pint”. Our conclusion, is that (whilst we are, by no means ballistic experts) that these holes were created by musket balls, fired during one of the Major’s campaigns in the Civil War. It is entirely conceivable that this piece, being strapped into a covered wagon for carriage, would have been on it’s side. We are of the opinion that both holes, were caused or created by a musket ball entered the chest trough the base and back. We also believe that ‘the Major’, used what he had at his disposal on the battlefield, namely, a tin can lid to repair the hole in the drawer. SO THIS PIECE IS A VERY SPECIAL PIECE OF US HISTORY, INDEED! NOT ONLY IS IT AN EARLY 19th CENTURY AMERICAN PIECE, WITH A CONNECTION TO THE STATE OF VIRGINIA, THE CIVIL WAR, HISTORIC & IMPORTANT FIGURES IN THAT WAR AND IMPECCABLE PROVENANCE AND HISTORY! IT IS TRULY UNIQUE! William Alexander Obenchain. Born April 27, 1841 at Buchanan, Botetourt Co., Virginia. Parents: Thomas Jefferson Obenchain and Elizabeth Ann Sweetland. Entered VMI on July 18, 1859 as a member of the VMI (Virginia Military Institute...

"Carte de l'Arabie, du Golfe Persique, et de la Mer Rouge, avec l'Egypte, la Nubie et l'Abissinie", Bonne, Rigobert Subject: Arabia Period: 1780 (circa) Publication: Atlas de Toutes...

Antique map titled 'Carte de l'Arabie, du Golfe Persique, et de la Mer Rouge (..)'. Original antique map of the Arabian Peninsula, including the horn...