Posted 13 years ago
Remotehope
(1 item)
Any idea if these may be worth something, no idea how to tell if they are original or not? They are of S.A. Douglas and a Major General named Fremont from the civil war.
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John C. Fremont.
Born Savannah GA, 1813.
Was a professor of mathematics in the US Navy.
Commissioned 2nd Lut. in the Topographical Engineers in 1838.
Took a small part in the Mexican War.
After the Mexican War he settled in California and served in the State Senate there.
Ran unsucessfully for President in 1856.
Commanded the Mountain Dept. and Army in West Virginia in 1862. Also commanded all US troops in Missouri in 1861.
Resigned from the army in 1864 and moved back west. Got involved in railroads and served as Gov. of Arizona 1878-1882.
In 1890 he was re-appointed major-general retired with that rank.
Died July 1890.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_C._Frémont
I would say they are original but I would take them out of those frames. The first one looks damaged? These were massed produced in the day, not as personal as say a tintype.
They appear to be lithographs. They may be period or post Civil War. It is hard to tell based on the photographs.
If you remove them from the frames, you will probably find some engraver/ photographer information on them.
The condition looks very poor and will detract considerably from value.
Scott
Nice pieces I would definitely remove them from the frames. Restore the frames and get some new glass and then they will be good as new.
Thanks for sharing
Trenchartman
"S.A. Douglas" is Stephen A. Douglas, congressman from Illinois who engaged in a series of famous debates with Abe Lincoln (remember the Lincoln-Douglas Debates from history class?) that both established the lines of the pro/anti slavery positions and first brought Lincoln to national reknown.
My money is on both being rather common litho prints of the period, but with the consistently-high level of interest in all things Civil War, both should find eager buyers if they clean up nice and you don't get too greedy.