Today’s adventure started in Johnston County and ended in Harnett County. And it also takes us to Darlington County, South Carolina — not far from Richmond and Scotland Counties.
Tobacco Seed Tin
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Author Archives: Michael Helms
A Harnett County Photo Mystery
I love gutta percha. We tend to think of plastics as an invention of the 1930′s or 1940′s, but gutta percha has been used since the mid 19th century. I bought this photograph from an estate sale in Dunn (Harnett County) today because of the case, and I had no idea that it would teach me something and present a mystery.
A Tintype from a Harnett County Estate
What is taught me is that this case is not gutta percha, but rather a thermoplastic case. Shellac and wood fibers were combined and pressed in a large mold, and the result is the beautifully detailed case you see here. What struck me was that the hinges and clasp are all intact and working properly, which is sadly not the case for most of these cases that remain. These miniature cases were extremely popular during the civil war era, in no small part because of the nature of the small tintype images that were “direct positive” prints (meaning that there was no negative). They were the Civil War equivalent of the Polaroid “instant” photos, although the tintype process could hardly be called instant. Continue reading
A Bayonet for a Soldier
Civil Arms weaponry is studied and written about ad nauseum, and there’s not much I can say here about this bayonet that hasn’t already been written somewhere else. So instead of offering an exhaustive history of the M1816 bayonet, I’ll instead focus on how it might have come to rest in a northern Granville County homestead.
This Blanket Chest “Fitts”
Long before 1963 when the Roanoke River was dammed to form Lake Gaston, the Fitts families were living near present-day Vaughan, North Carolina. It was from a house that had long been in the Fitts family that this blanket chest emerged.
Ambrotypes
First of all, I have no way of knowing if the people in these photographs were actually from North Carolina. These two ambrotype photos came from an estate in Nash County, and there’s a good chance that they’ve spent the last 150 odd years not moving around much. But there’s no name on the photos, no photographer’s markings, and no family history to correlate these photos to.
That Ain’t Worth a Continental!
American currency has a long and checkered history. The currency issued before the first US central bank was chartered in 1791 was called “continental” currency (named thus because it was issued by the continental congress). They weren’t backed by precious metals, though, and their value eventually plummeted; hence, the old saying “that ain’t worth a continental!” Continue reading
John Vann
Sometimes I’ll take a chance on a photo. I found this particular photograph at an antique store in Durham, NC, but it is signed by Raleigh photographer J. W. Watson, of 131 Fayetteville St. According to this list of North Carolina photographers, Watson signed his photographs with this particular address from 1885 through 1886. The back of the photograph has the name “John Vann” penciled on it, so let’s see what we can find out about this fellow. Continue reading
A Grave Photo
Who doesn’t like panoramic photos? Especially ones with the caption “Asheboro Coffin & Casket Company”!
A Civil War Soldier Writes Home
Lieutenant Samuel Smith wasn’t from North Carolina. The civil war military campsite near Warrenton, North Carolina must have felt like a foreign country (partly because it was). It’s almost certain that the August heat would have been worse than anything he experienced in his hometown of Steuben, Maine.
But Samuel Smith wrote a letter to his parents that Friday August the 28th, 2863, and I was lucky to find this letter and its original stamped envelope. The text follows, with my thoughts below.
Continue reading
This Desk is No Child’s Play
You’re forgiven if you think this is a child’s desk, because I thought the same thing when I bought it. Measuring only 31″ tall by 24″ wide by 20″ deep, it looks every bit the part of a child’s desk, right down to the child’s crayon and pen marks inside the drawer. It wasn’t until I showed it to a knowledgeable friend of mine who works with antique furniture that its true origins emerged.