Pins

• Place of origin:
• Gloucestershire, England (possibly, made) 
• London, England (possibly, made)
• Date: 1620-1800 (made)
• Artist/Maker: Unknown (production)
• Materials and Techniques: Silvered brass
• 
  
• Object Type 
• Pins were a necessity for the fastening of clothing and the arrangement of dress accessories in the 16th and 17th centuries. Their importance for women as a personal requirement and expense is reflected in the term pin-money, the sum originally allocated to meet this essential cost.
• 
  
• Places 
• Before the mid-16th century the finest pins were imported from France, but their manufacture in England was encouraged under Henry VIII, and an Act for the True Making of Pynnes was passed in 1543, controlling their quality and price. Gloucestershire and London became the main centres of the pin-making industry.
• 
  
• Materials & Making 
• As the industry developed in the 16th century the major advance in the manufacture of pins came with the use of a steel draw-plate with a graduated series of holes. Wire, which was usually brass, could be drawn through this to any gauge, permitting standardisation of the size of the pins. The heads were made from fine coils of wire that were soldered in place.
• 
  
• Enormous quantities of pins were used for the fastening of clothing. Elizabeth I was supplied with 24,000 'pynnes of diverse sorts' just for her coronation. Pins secured the petticoat in a ruffle above the farthingale (hoops that supported a skirt), and held the curves of the ruff in place around the neck. Several dozen might be used for one ensemble. Such a quantity required large pincushions, like the canvas work one here. These pins were found in written documents that were dated between 1620 and 1635.

Copy and photo from the Victoria and Albert Collection.

Gentleman's Embroidered Formal Coat, Late 18th Century

Dark brown wool broadcloth, high stand collar, front cuffs and lower back w/ dense floral embroidery in white, yellow-gold, green and blue, deep side pockets w/ flaps, embroidered round flat buttons at CF, pocket flaps, cuffs, and CB slits, wool backed with buckran, ivory silk twill and wool twill linings, CH 46", 4 38", L 41" (2 small patches at top of each sleeve and shoulders, 1 elbow with patches and 1 with moth holes, .25' hold at back shoulder seam, and some embrodery floss worn, small hem tear) good.

Price Realized: $ 2,400.00

Photos and copy from Augusta Auctions.

Gentleman's Peach Silk Suit, 1760's

Moire faille, long jacket, turn-back 4.5" cuffs, 2 deep flap-over pockets, deep CB vent, round disc buttons, a few w/ original silver foil & spangled embroidery (4 missing), homespun linen & blue silk linings; short breeches, narrow fall front w/ deep pockets, woven silver trim at knees, jacket: CH 42", L 41", breeches; W 36", Inseam 16", (surface fading, soiling, pit stains, missing buttons) fair-very good. Brooklyn Museum

Price Realized: $ 3000.00

Copy and photos from Augusta Auctions.

Ladies Hooded Silk Cloak, 1790s

Brown tabby silk, channel quilted stand collar, 2 blue silk piped front arm slits w/ 3 blue silk covered buttons, oversized drawstring hood w/ blue silk lining & outer bow, blue silk cloak lining, L 48", (lining torn at neck, shoulders & hood, reveals cotton batting, several places blue silk covering missing over cotton cord piping, cord detached on collar & hood, 1" unstitched at front where hood attaches to cape) very good. Brooklyn Museum

Price Realized: $ 3600.00

Copy and photos from Augusta Auctions.

Leather Coat

18th Century Clothing: Men

gent's striped velvet coat & breeches, c. 1760

Horizontally striped maroon silk velvet with cut, uncut and voided areas, narrow standing band collar, fitted sleeves with 4" cuff, deep, shaped pocket flaps, front cut with curve over chest, twenty five self fabric covered buttons on jacket and fifteenon breeches, breeches with homespun facings, (velvet knap worn, fading, stains and repairs, coat's satin lining replaced and one missing button, many rips in breeches, waistcoat missing) fair.

Price Realized: $ 7475.00

gent's printed cream velvet suit, england, 1770s

Two piece suit of horizontally ribbed silk velvet with pink and green dots: collarless coat with self covered button trim, 5.5" deep cuffs, shaped pocket flaps, cream silk lining; narrow fall-front breeches with cut steel buckles at knees, napped cotton-linen lining, (stains and repairs underarms, extensive damage and repairs to breeches) coat good, breeches fair.

Price Realized: $ 6325.00

gents 3 piece striped silk suit, 1760-1780

Narrow striped silk satin in golden brown, light blue and black, each trimmed with covered self fabric buttons and two bifurcated linen pockets: coat with narrow standing collar, curves over chest, sleeves end in 5.5" cuff, shaped pocket flaps; 33" long sleeveless waistcoat, narrow stand collar, back lacing, one pocket lined in pigskin, coat and waistcoat with cream silk linings; breeches with narrow four button fall front, knee bands with buckles, napped flannel lining, W 30", Inseam 16", breeches fair

Price Realized: $ 6325.00

Copy and photos from Augusta Auctions.

Cowan's Auction Items: Civil War Clothing

Sixth Plate Tintype of a Vermont Soldier or Fireman with American Flag, Bowie Knife, & Warner Pocket Percussion Revolver

Sixth plate tintype of a bearded gentleman wearing an elaborately embroidered shirt, possibly a Union soldier or fireman, holding a small American parade flag in one hand and displaying a Bowie knife in the other. A scarce, Charles Warner pocket percussion revolver is tucked in his belt. A penciled inscription behind the case, which is difficult to decipher, reads in part: Miron Buck (or Bush?), Esq./ Ste. Albans/ Vermont/ USA. Tintype is still sealed with disintegrating paper tape. Housed in full case.

No Vermont soldiers identified as "Miron Buck" or "Miron Bush" are listed in HDS. However, a "Myron Buck" of St. Albans, VT is referenced in an 1866 US IRS Tax Assessment list. 

Provenance:  

The Rick Mach Collection of Civil War & Western Photography 

Condition:  

Some surface wear to plate, especially near lower left corner and along left edge; tintype still sealed with disintegrating paper tape; housed in full case.

Est $1500 - $2500

Sixth Plate Tintype of Enlisted Man Wearing Nine-Button Frock Coat with Unusually Large Wagon Wheel Insignia, Displaying M1849 Colt Pistol

Sixth plate tintype of a seated, enlisted man holding an M1849 Colt pistol, wearing a nine-button frock coat with unusually large wagon wheel insignia. The wagon wheel is decidedly non-regulation for the Civil War period but later morphed into the insignia for the Quartermaster Dept. It may also indicate the functional role of its unidentified wearer as a wagon master. A rare example in either case. The inside of the case is inscribedJennison, and although the figure bears a resemblance to Charles "Doc" Jennison, an anti-slavery hero during the Bleeding Kansas affair and Union Colonel and leader of the 7th Kansas and 15th Kansas Cavalries, this identification cannot be confirmed. Housed in half case. 

Provenance:  

The Rick Mach Collection of Civil War & Western Photography 

Condition:  

Housed in half case. Tintype with semi-circular crease/indentation in top left corner, small pin-sized protrusion in plate, near subject's left hand, few small blemishes on surface of plate, corners of plate clipped.

Est $1200 - $2500

 

Sixth Plate Ambrotype of Confederate Infantry Officer, Possibly from the 11th Mississippi Infantry

Sixth plate ambrotype portrait of an unidentified Confederate infantry officer, possibly from the 11th Mississippi Infantry, as indicated by consignor, wearing civilian dress, buttons and belt highlighted in gold. The officer is shown holding an officer's sword and wears a hat pinned up on one side with what appears to be a metal star and adorned with a plume. The gilded hat insignia, which looks to be a star ornament was very common among early Mississippi troops and is documented in numerous early war photographs. The upturned hat brim is also a common feature noted in early Mississippi photography (See R. Field, The Confederate Army, p.37). Ron Field's book entitled Uniforms of the Civil War provides a description of the uniform worn by the Lamar Rifles, Co. G of the 11th Mississippi, including the hats, which were "pinned up one side only...and adorned with infantry bugle horn insignia, and, in some cases, a single black ostrich feather" (p.167). Although the subject wears a hat with insignia and feather similar to that worn by members of the 11th Mississippi, as described in Field's book, we cannot confirm that this unidentified officer was from the regiment. Ca 1861. Housed in a pressed paper case, separated at the spine.

Formed in Corinth, MS, on May 4, 1861, the 11th Mississippi participated in several major battles, including the First Battle of Bull Run, or First Manassas, near Manassas, VA, Battle at Seven Pines, near Richmond, VA, Gaines Mill, and the 2nd Battle of Manassas. In Sept. 1862, under John Bell Hood, the 11th MS met Federal Joseph Hooker's First Corps near Sharpsburg, suffering 117 casualties. In Nov., the 2nd, 11th, and 42nd MS formed a new brigade with the 55th North Carolina led by Joseph Robert Davis, Jefferson Davis' nephew. In July 1863, the 11th suffered its greatest losses, incurring 340 casualties. The 11th went on to participate in the battles of Wilderness, Talle's Mill, Spotsylvania Court House, and Bethesda Church. In April 1865 after defending the area around the city of Petersburg, the 11th MS was captured by Gen. Grant's forces.

Condition:  

Solarization at mat edges.  Series of thin vertical scratches on the right side of the subject's face and beard.  Flaking of backing lacquer.  Case brittle and missing three edges of one cover.

Est $1500 - $2500

Copy and photos from Cowan's Auction.

Augusta Auction Items: 18th Century Women's Clothing

Muslin wedding gown, 1795

Dress w/ matching petticoat, delicate painted border designs & scattered painted sprigs.

silk robe a l'anglaise, 1780s

Beige figured silk w/ floral sprig brocade, fly fringe trim.

There is a May 13 & 14, 2014 Auction at Augusta Auctions.

Copy and photos from Augusta Auctions.