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
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.