Nantucket House Antiques and Interior Design Studios, Inc. Historical Memorabilia

Antique United States Navy 48 Star Union Jack, circa 1912, a scarce early, World War I era US Navy Jack with 48 embroidered stars on a cobalt field, flown on the bow of Navy, Coast G...

Antique Hand Colored Photograph of Nantucket Street Scene by Marshall Gardiner (1884-1942), circa 1910, a period hand tinted photograph entitled "Nantucket Shearing Cart and Quakers" showing classic grey shingled houses on a cobblestone paved street, with a couple in horse drawn cart riding away from the viewer, and four women on doorstep and sidewalk, all dressed in period Quaker attire. It is interesting to note that the couple in cart are seated on antique Nantucket Bow Back Windsor chairs. The photograph was titled and hand signed in pencil across the bottom of the old acid foxed mat; the photograph is now mounted in new archival acid free matting, and a photocopy of the original pencil inscription has been preserved on the reverse. The photograph itself remains in excellent condition. H. Marshall Gardiner (1884-1942) was born on September 18, 1884 in Windsor, Ontario, and immigrated to the United States circa 1890, where his father W.H. Gardiner opened two photographic studios, one in Detroit during the winter months and a second at Mackinac Island during the more tourist-oriented summer months. Recognizing the potential of Florida's rapidly growing tourist trade, around 1894-95 he moved with his family from Detroit to Daytona, Florida which proved much more accommodating to the family's photographic business during the colder winter months. Marshall learned many of his photographic techniques from his father prior to going out on his own at a relatively early age. Whereas his father generally used wet collodian negatives, technology had advanced to where he was able to use gelatin dry plates in his earlier years, and later the less expensive and much more convenient roll film. Another very important lesson learned from his father was strategy of setting up shop in a tourist resort. Early in his career he traveled to Bermuda where he shot a series of beautiful Bermuda scenes that he hand-colored and successfully sold over a number of years to the local tourist trade. Around 1910, at the age of around 24, he first traveled to the island of Nantucket. The year-round population of Nantucket was then just over 2500, not nearly enough to sustain a photographic business for the entire year, so he opened a joint Photography and Art Supplies Store. Working as Nantucket's exclusive agent for Eastman Kodak, his business expanded to include the island's only photo-finishing service. However, with such a small year-round population, even the addition of a Gift Shop to compliment the hand-painted photographs, general portrait...

A military grade forged metal shovel with a protective leather cover used by the Swiss Army mountaineers during World War II.

Very rare 19th century Mayhew Family tree from Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, lithograph on paper laid on linen, printed in 1855, in form of liter...

Antique Louis XIV Siege of Arras floor screen, 19th century, a four panel screen with paper lithograph laid down on wooden panels, depicting the schematic pla...

Original program for the Nantucket Stage Company Production of "Dracula", signed by Edward Gorey, 1973. The Nantucket Stage Company (which became the Stra...