3596

HISTORIC WALKING STICK MADE FROM WOOD OF THE "OLD

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:1,000.00 USD Estimated At:2,000.00 - 3,000.00 USD
HISTORIC WALKING STICK MADE FROM WOOD OF THE  OLD
NORTH BRIDGE” CONCORD FIGHT APRIL 19, 1775. This 34" mid 19th century walking stick has contemporary script inscription on its silvered band: “A piece of the / Old North Bridge / Scene of the Concord fight / April 19, 1775 / presented by John S Keyes”. Walking stick is in the fashion seen early to mid 19th century w/ German silver eyelet near its ivory knob for lanyard. By the time of the Civil War lanyard eyelets are rarely seen as fashions changed. John Sheppard Keyes (1827-1908) was from an influential Concord family highly involved in preservation of the Concord battlefield. Keyes owned the Jones house on Monument Avenue now known as the “Bullet Hole House”, preserved; it is now part of the Minute Man National Historic Site. Reading his papers concerning his preserving the actual timbers in the house, there is little doubt that if anyone w/ access to original wood from the old North Bridge which was actually torn down & relocated before 1800, he did. The Keyes family papers including those of his father John Keyes (1787-1844) are housed in the Concord public library. CONDITION: very good overall, walking stick has seen use as the original tacked on tip is missing & several cracks at that tip have old remnants of a wrapped string repair along w/ a couple tacks holding an old cracked sliver in place. About 80% of the original painted surface is intact w/ craquelure & numerous old chips. The bulbous antique ivory knob appears carved from whale’s tooth w/ several sm. age cracks. PROVENANCE: From the Collection of John "Tim" Breth Jr. (02-13835/JS). $2,000-3,000.