Description:

19th C. Photography
n.p., ca. 1850s
Daguerreotype Of Officer With Sword, Possibly 1850s West Point Cadet? Forest H. Sweet & Other Experts Provide Provenance
Photograph

A cased daguerreotype depicting a young American military officer with sword. N.d. but ca. 1850s. N.p. The unidentified subject of the photograph has a small mustache, and is wearing a soft slouch hat along with a single-breasted tunic with shoulder epaulets and a tasseled belt. The hinged black gutta percha case molded with ornate foliate and geometric designs features a fancy purple velvet cushion at left, and a pale lavender paper sheet at right printed: "Genuine / Union Case, / Improved / Fine Gilt and Burnished Hinge / Scovill Mfg. Co." at the center. The cover glass, decorative mat, and brass trim are intact. Expected wear to the daguerreotype surface including haloing around the edges, else a clear and well-defined photographic image. The case binding has split and the two halves are detached. Isolated loss to the trim and corners of the case halves, and some damage to the velvet inner case lining. The actual size of the daguerreotype is 4.125" x 3" which does not correspond with any of typical plate sizes of the period. The overall size of the case (reassembled) is approximately 3.875" x 4.875" x 1.125." Accompanied by extensive provenance information to be elaborated below.

This lot revolves around renowned Midwestern autograph dealer Forest H. Sweet's quest to determine the identity of the photograph subject, whom he believed had previously been identified as a Black Hawk War veteran. The extensive provenance paperwork accompanying the lot, ca. 1947-1957, was exchanged between Sweet and various library and industry experts whom he quizzed about the possible identity of the photograph sitter, his uniform, his rank, and his possible military affiliation. The last proffered opinion was that the uniform likely dated from the early 1850s, and since the man is in an officer's uniform, he was perhaps a West Point cadet. If this is so, then it is not unlikely that the officer may have served during the Civil War, less than a decade away. Union or Confederate? More research is definitely needed!

The maker of this attractive thermoplastic case, the Scovill Manufacturing Company (Waterbury, Connecticut) produced small metallic objects such as thimbles, hinges, buttons, and casters before exploiting the incredible popularity of photography after the 1830s. Scovill produced silver-plated copper sheets for use in daguerreotypes like this one.

Provenance

1. 1p typed letter signed by J. Monaghan, Illinois State Historian, dated October 15, 1946, on "Illinois State Historical Library / Springfield" stationery, addressed to Forest H. Sweet of Battle Creek, Michigan, in part: "We have all looked at the ambrotype [sic] of an unknown soldier. We pronounce it to be someone other than Reynolds or Atkinson or Robert Anderson or Winfield Scott or Albert Sidney Johnston. Indeed he is an unknown soldier to all of us."

2. 1p typed letter signed by Margaret A. Flint, Reference Librarian at the Illinois State Historical Library, dated May 3, 1947, on library stationery, addressed to Forest H. Sweet. The content of the letter is Sweet's hunch that the photograph may have depicted a Black Hawk War veteran.

3. 1p autograph letter signed by Forest H. Sweet, dated July 25, 1957, on watermarked "Forest H. Sweet" stationery, addressed to one "Mr. Craighead," explaining how he had obtained "a picture of one of the officers in the Black Hawk War" from dealer C.F. Gunther in 1916. Sweet also mentions that Gunther had had a definite identification of the subject of the photograph.

4. A 2pp autograph letter signed by A.M. Craighead, dated July 29, 1957, on watermarked "Mead Papers, Inc." stationery, addressed to Sweet, in which Craighead opines that the officer's uniform probably dates from the early 1850s, not from the Black Hawk War era.

We are proud to include items consigned by the Manuscript Society in this auction. These items come from the estate of well-known manuscript dealers Forest G. & Forest H. Sweet and Julia Sweet Newman. Forest G. Sweet was an early leader of the Manuscript Society as well as a rare book scholar. The proceeds from your purchase of these items will benefit the work of the Manuscript Society. You can learn more about them, and become a member of the Manuscript Society, at www.manuscript.org.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: case: 3.875" x 4.875" x 1.125"
  • Medium: Photograph

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November 19, 2025 10:00 AM EST
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