Search Results: 19th Century Ephemera from Katz Fine Manuscripts Inc.

Pas DE Calais, France. Very Good with no dust jacket. 1800. Ephemera. On offer is an interesting personal loan note drafted in Revolutionary France. The document is dated the 19th Prairial of Year IX which corresponds to June 7th, 1800. The document was drafted in the Department of Pas de Calais, in northern France and bears a stamp duty seal from that regional government. The parties to it are two individuals – Antoine Marechal and one Monsieur Enlart. Our informal research has not been able to find any additional information about either of these two men. An excerpt of the document follows: Je soussigne [] Antoine Marechal, cultivateur demeurant a [] receverais qu'apres avoir compte avec le citoyen Enlart [] des amenages de fermage que je luis doit compris la dernier term de mon exploitation echu le cinq messidor dernier... [Translation: I, the undersigned [] Antoine Marechal, farmer living at [] will receive after having taken into account with the citizen Enlart [] of the… Read More

France. Good with no dust jacket. 1800. Ephemera. On offer is an extract from the Bulletin Des Lois (Legislative Bulletin) dated 12 Floreal An IX in the republican calendar for May 1st, 1800.This document is an extract, possible from a large ledger. The document is titled Regie De L’Enregistrement Et Du Domaine National – National Registry and subtitled Fixation et Distribution de la Remise Generale de l'an IX - Determination and Distribution of the Year IX General Rebate. The French Revolution completely upended the French taxation system. The French revolutionary government took control of the right to impose taxes and established an entire new system. That system included taxation levels and an entire system of rebates. This piece documents the rebates that will be paid out to various ‘classes’ or groups of citizens. For a finance or accounting professional, this would make a truly beautiful piece to hand on an office wall. The single ‘page’ is… Read More

France. Fair with no dust jacket. Ephemera. On offer is an outstanding example of a military certificate issued by Napoleon’s invasion army between 1803 and 1805. The certificate is a Conge Absolut or Absolute Leave. It was issued to a woman named Jeanne Barrere on letterhead of the 5th Brigade of Light Infantry, Army of the Ocean Coasts. Of particular importance are the approximately 12 signatures on the reverse of the certificate. The original two red wax seals are intact. Our informal research has not been able to find any additional information about Barrere. The document was issued by the French Army of the Ocean Coasts (L’Armee des Cotes de l’Ocean) , the army Napoleon assembled to invade Great Britain in 1803. This 200,000 - strong army was quartered in harbours along the French side of the English Channel. In order to accomplish the invasion though, Napoleon had to gain control of the English Channel from the British Royal Navy. Despite grandiose naval naval… Read More

France. Good with no dust jacket. Ephemera. On offer are three interesting statements and receipts from a small merchant farmer in eastern France in the early to mid-19th century. The first document is a letter, written by a private banker on behalf of his client, which carries letterhead and a hand written description of the account activities and a commercial bill of lading. This statement is accompanied by two small receipts made out to the aforementioned client for amounts that include municipal tax. The first document was sent from one Jules Chanut. Chanut, from his letterhead and from public records, operated a private banking business that included the negotiating of bills of lading on behalf of clients. The client in this case was a Monsieur Cordelier. The invoiced company was Bordereau. Our informal research was not able to find additional information Bordereau. There is a reference in archives to a Francois Cordelier in the Chalons sur Saone area who is a merchant farmer. This… Read More

France. Good with no dust jacket. 1850. Ephemera. On offer is an outstanding example of the Catholic Church’s teachings at a grass-roots level in 19th century France. This beautiful handwritten sermon is titled Sermon de III Dimanche de Careme (Sermon for the 3rd Sunday of Lent) and notes that it is given by Monsieur le Cure (the Parish Priest). The handwriting is small and clear and an excellent example of the penmanship of the time. The source of the sermon is unknown. There is no specific reference to a parish, community or author. We do know from its title that it was written to be given at a mass on the 3rd Sunday of Lent. The ‘Easter Season’ of Lent and Easter Sunday is the most important in the Catholic church, more so than Christmas. An excerpt from the sermon: Les miracles que Dieu fait en notre faveire sont toujours des marques de la bonte et de la misericordie et les infirmites que JC aurit sont la figures des differentes maladies de notre ame ...[Translation: The… Read More

Vimoutiers, Normandy. Good with no dust jacket. 1825. Ephemera. On offer is a superb example of a promissory note and accompanying letter written within a few years of the fall of Napoleon. The letter was drafted in Vimoutiers, a town in Normandy. (Vimoutiers is the birthplace of Camenbert cheese). The author of the letter is a man names Delislelys. It is addressed to his nephew. Our informal research has not been able to find any additional biographical information. An excerpt from the letter is as follows: J'aurais reponder un peut plutot a la lettre que vous m'aver fait l'amitie de a ecrire si le depart de nos me freres n'eut pas ete si prochaines. Je vous restere toute la part qui je prends a la perte que vous vener on pour [] que nous venon de faire[Translation: I would have replied a little more to the letter that you advised me as a friend to write if the departure of our brothers had not been so soon. I shall leave to you all the part that I take in the loss that… Read More

France. Good with no dust jacket. Ephemera. On offer is a fine example of a letter written to a very senior member of the French nobility and an important pioneer in public health in the Paris of the early 19th century. The letter was written to François Alexandre Frédéric de La Rochefoucauld-Liancourt. François Alexandre Frédéric de La Rochefoucauld-Liancourt. Was a very prominent member of the French aristocracy. He was also a significant social reformer of the time. He was very active in the administration and operations of medical facilities. He was one of the first promoters of vaccinations in France. He had established a dispensary in Paris and he was an active member of the central boards of administration for hospitals. It was in these circumstances that he received a letter from Charles Dormas requesting an appointment to the Hospital of St. Pierre to fill an administrative position, as indicated in this excerpt: On m'a dit Monsieur le… Read More

England. Fair. 1850. On offer is a remarkable, extensive 19th Century manuscript archive of handwritten music collected, written and compiled by British composer John Lang renowned for his composition "Joy and Peace". Some later items in the group were likely added by his son James and daughter Emily. There are hundreds [the pile is about 3 inches thick] of handwritten and printed pages of classical music with most of the pages are arrangments done by Lang of classical pieces by Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven among others. There are many pages of Beethoven's Egmont and a handwritten arrangement of Don Juan. There are a few original compositions of John Lang and I noticed a short signed piece by Arthur David Freedman a composer from Minnesota, which is from 1921 [much newer than the rest]. The majority of this work was done in the early 1800s; there are a couple from the 1870s and the 1921 work of Freedman. The condition varies, there is foxing, chipping and some staining and… Read More

La Rochelle, France. Good. 1801. Ephemera. On offer is an excellent example of a commercial contract dating to the earliest years in France following the Revolutionary War. The document is a commercial agreement involving several parties and dealing with a consignment of white wine. The agreement was struck in La Rochelle in 1801. La Rochelle was France’s major Atlantic seaport. Founded in the 10th century, it became a significant commercial and fishing port. It played a large role in the French slave trade. Home to Huguenots, the city figure in the French Wars of Religion of the 17th century. As the slave trade dwindled and the Revolution overtook the country, the city lost its prominence in trans-Atlantic trade. However, it nonetheless remained as an important trading port. A quote from the document: Presentemens payer pour Trois [] de vin blanc qui dois a la suivion du feu sieur Belin...[Translation: Present to pay for Three [] of white wine which must to the following of the late… Read More

PHILADELPHIA PENNSYLVANIA PA, 1801. On offer is an interesting handwritten manuscript letter dated May 1st, 1801 wherein French Emigré in Philadelphia J. DREUX MONCRE writes a two page letter describes the details of his ship travel and payment of debts. . Manuscript. Good. 32mo - over 4" - 5" tall. French.

France. Very Good with no dust jacket. 1801. Ephemera. On offer is an excellent edition of the French Republic Legal Bulletin from the early days of the Republic. The manuscript is entitled BULLETIN DES LOIS DE LA REPUBLIC (Legal Bulletin of the Republic) and was published, according to the new revolutionary calendar, on 22 Frimaire of Year 10 November 22, 1801. This manuscript details 19 separate laws that were passed by the government of France, a 5 member committee known as the Directory, in the bloody days following the French Revolution. They deal with matters such as the following: No (1087) Loi qui autorize un echange de batimens nationaux et communaux dans la ville de Blois [Law which authorizes an exchange of national and communal buildings in the city of Blois]No (1094) Arret portant qu'il se tiendra dans la commune de Curel, department de la Haute Marne, trois foires ... [Decree stating that there will be three fairs in the town of Curel, department of Haute Marne...]No (1101)… Read More

LUZERNE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA, WYOMING COUNTY, 1802. On offer is a significant, original manuscript relic of Pennsylvania state history dated City of Washington January 20 1802 a mere 27 or so years after the first and second Continental Congresses in 1774 and 1775 and 15 years after Statehood. Handwritten by John Jenkins to the renowned Colonel John Jenkins [b.1751], the author's father or brother most likely]. The letter reads in part "…letter from new York restating our position and had to attend on business….Eleventh day here…our petition are not yet presented to Congress… Judge Baron? from Starkbridge…I have given out a number of our coppays of our petition [likely regarding the Compromise Act of 1799] to the members of Congress so as to give them a fair understanding of the subject one of the members from Pennsylvania informed me in conversation that they (that is) the members from Pennsylvania, would oppose the petition as it would destroy the Scranton… Read More

Pennsylvania. Good+. 1803. On offer is a super, original early Pennsylvania land survey dated September/October 1803 "FIELD NOTES of tracts of Land situated the Waters of Tunk Hannack and Lackawanna Resurveyed in September and October 1803 for Samuel Morideth Esquire by Joseph Biles." The notes are neatly handwritten in brown ink, cursive and quite legible. "Level land soil good Timb Beech and Sugar maple mixed with some Hemlock…" He begins with lot 22. Some of the approximately 44 pages have outside page edges uneven-cut. Paper is faintly lined. Pages not bound with the exception of the last couple, bound with threads. Each page is about 6 1/4 x 4 inches. Pages are darkened with age, pale tan or lightly yellowed, stray marks, specks throughout but legible. Back page soiled with some math problems scribbles. Some dog ear corners, some notches or missing bits of paper. Overall G+.; Manuscript; 16mo - over 5¾" - 6¾" tall; KEYWORDS: HISTORY OF,… Read More

CINCINNATI OHIO, OH to TRENTON, NEW JERSEY NJ, 1805. On offer is a unique and gorgeously written letter from an lawyer, by the name of Isaac G. Barnet,who has recently relocated to Cincinnati, Ohio from England. He is writing to a friend, Garret D. Wall, in Trenton, New Jersey. Garret Wall was at the time just a practicing attorney in New Jersey, however, he would go on to serve a long illustrious life, first as a clerk for the New Jersey Supreme Court, then as the U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, then being elected a New Jersey Senator from 1835 to 1841, and finishing his life as a high court judge. In language that is often elegant and very obviously from an educated man, the Mr. Barnet’s writes of many topics, such as his recent departure from Trenton, New Jersey to Cincinnati, his new professional life in Cincinnati, his old practice in Westminster (in London, England) and the ease at which he finds that people can pass the Bar exam in his new home and the consequences this seems to have had. He… Read More

France. Good in Good dust jacket. 1806. Ephemera. On offer is a beautifully printed solvency declaration for a woman in Napoleon’s France. The document is a certificate from the local registry office confirming that there are no debts or mortgages registered against a particular woman. Excerpts from the document follow: Conservation Des HypothequesLa Conservateur des hypotheques soussigne certifie a tous qu'il appartiendra, qu'il n'existe, jusqu'a ce jour, sur ses registres et repertoire, aucune inscription de creances ey charges hypothecaires ni privilegies contre Marie Philippe Dorothee Dediesbaik, demeurant a …[Translation: Registry of Mortgages The undersigned Register of Mortgages certifies to all that it will be necessary, that there exists, until this day, on its registers and repertory, no registration of credits and hypothecary charges nor privileges against Marie [] Josephina Dorothee Dediesbaik, residing at…]a lui appartenant dans… Read More

Lille France. Good with no dust jacket. 1806. Ephemera. On offer is a superb mortgage document dating from the beginning of the 19th century in northern France. The document is a certificate confirming that one Louis Jean Baptiste Joseph Demarieres has no mortgages or other debts registered against him in the city of Lille in northern France. Le conservateur des hypotheques soussigne, certifie a tous qu'il appartiendra, qu'il n'existe, jusqu'a ce jour, sur ses registres et repertoire, aucune inscription de creances et charges hypothecaires ni privilegiees contre Louis Jean Baptiste Joseph Demarieres a lui appartenant dans l'arrondissement du Bureau des hypotheques etabli a Lille Department du Nord en foi de quoi il a delivre le present aux termes de la loi. A Lille ce trois de juin an 1806 de la Republic . [Translation: The custodian of the undersigned mortgages, certifies to all that will be concerned, that there exists, until this day, in his registers and directory,… Read More

St. Germain EN Raye, France. Good with no dust jacket. 1806. Ephemera. On offer is a fine piece of correspondence dating from the first years of 19th century France. The letter was written by a Monsieur Pallan and is addressed to Monsieur Dubreuil, a medical doctor living in “St. Germain en Raye / near Paris”. In the letter, Pallans asks Dr. Dubreuil to pay on his behalf for the use of a mineral bath house from the 1st to the 8th of the following month. An excerpt follows: J'ai compli sur vous pour payer pour moi de 1re au 8me du moi prochaine la somme de 1.76# et je vous prie parce que toutes fois que ...[Translation: I have relied on you to pay for me from the 1st to the 8th of next month the sum of 1.76#* and I beg you because every time…] (* this is most likely an quick abbreviation for French Franc) Further in the letter, he refers to a number of other financial transactions such as this one: ... Cette somme est destine a payer un hypotheque de 2,400# qui existait… Read More

CAMBRIDGE MASSACHUSETTS MASS MA, 1806. On offer is a superb, historically significant 1806 manuscript essay: "A Disquisition upon the Philosophy of the Ancients pronounced before the society of Phi Beta Kappa, at their anniversary meeting at Cambridge 28th August, 1806", presented as a speech, this being the final draft with corrections, handwritten by Thomas Boylston Adams (1772 - 1832) the third and youngest son of President John Adams and brother to future president John Quincy Adams. The 15 page essay was read before the society on August 28th, 1806 and later published in the Boston Atheneum was read on the 30th anniversary of the Phi Beta Kappa (F??) Society which drew the attention of many distinguished guests and many prestigious orators who delivered speeches in honor of the society. The author describes his philosophical bent and directly into the heart of his politics as he once detailed to Abigal Adams: "I must study politics and war, that our sons may have liberty to study… Read More

La Rochelle, France. Good in Good dust jacket. 1806. Ephemera. On offer is an interesting financial document from the days of Napoleon’s France. Measuring 6.25 inches by 8.0 inches, the document is a receipt for taxes. It was issued for the city of La Rochelle, a port city on the Atlantic coast of France. It is interesting to note that the original date, 1806, has been stroked out in favour of the new Republican/ Revolutionary date of Year 14. The receipt is for a payment of 72 francs, approximately the equivalent of US$ 900 today. The average labourer earned about 390 francs a year so this was a not insignificant amount, equalling about 47 days of wages. An excerpt follows: Contribution pour l'an 14 - 1805 Je soussignee Receveur des Contributions directer de la commune de la Rochelle reconnois avoir recu d' M Vanhougevert le somme de soixante-douze francs huit centimes conformement au bordereau ci-dessus. [Translation: Contribution for the year 4 - 1805 I, the undersigned… Read More

France: None, 1807. Stunning vignette on this near mint, rare as such, military edict printed in 1807 regarding the conscription of 1808.. Signed in Print. Manuscript. Very Fine. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.