Danvers, MA, USA, July 17, 2024 -- An extraordinary collection of 450 historic photographs, providing a rare glimpse into the 19th century through iconic and hard-to-find images, will come up for bid in an online-only auction titled Timeless Captures: The Frederick Mill Meserve Photography Auction slated for Tuesday, July 23rd, by JG.Limited. 30-minute extended bidding starts at 8 pm Eastern.
Folks can log on now to view the 450-lot catalog and place their bids at www.JG.Limited. Here's a direct link to the auction: https://bid.jg.limited/auctions/5-1B2AJF/timeless-captures-fh-meserve-photography-part-1. In addition to online bidding (not available on LiveAuctioneers, by the way), telephone bids will also be accepted. To place a phone bid you may call 978-536-0033.
“This event features some of the most historically significant photographs ever assembled,” said JG.Limited president and founder Jared Gendron. “From abolitionists and suffragettes to inventors, doctors, scientists and political leaders, this auction documents many of the iconic figures of the 19th century. It’s possibly the largest group of Meserve photos offered in decades.”
Alongside these historical icons, the auction also offers images of art and cultural figures, including the greatest poets, painters, and theatrical figures of the era. Many of these images are virtually impossible to find, featuring early printings made directly from the original glass plate negatives by the renowned photography collecting pioneer Frederick Hill Meserve (1865-1962).
The photographs are original period silver prints and platinum prints dating to 1913 or earlier. They are part of a full volume of photographs produced by Meserve. Each one is 2.125 inches by 3.25 inches and set into the original paper frame, with corners set into slits, so it is removable. Annotations are in the frame’s lower border, written in pencil by Meserve.
Frederick H. Meserve began collecting Civil War-era photographs in the 1890s to illustrate his father's war diary. His collection includes significant works from photographers such as Matthew Brady, Sarony, and Nadar. His collaboration with historian Carl Sandburg led to the publication of The Photographs of Abraham Lincoln in 1944. The collection has had a lasting impact, even featured in filmmaker Peter Kunhardt's work on Abraham Lincoln photographs and memorabilia.
Just some of the many luminaries featured in the Meserve collection include these examples:
- Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), the Irish poet and playwright, best known for his epigrams and plays, as well as his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray (est. $900-$1,000).
- Charles Darwin (1809-1882), the British naturalist whose theory of evolution by natural selection was laid out in his book On the Origin of Species (est. $900-$1,000).
- Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896), the influential American author and abolitionist known for her groundbreaking 1852 novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin (est. $200-$250).
- Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893), the renowned Russian composer whose repertoire included such works as Swan Lake and The Nutcracker (est. $650-$750).
- Orville and Wilbur Wright (two separate photographs), who co-invented and built the first successful powered airplane, flown near Kitty Hawk, N.C. (each est. $450-$500).
- Thomas Edison (1847-1931), the American inventor of devices in electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, motion pictures (est. $350-$400).
- Walt Whitman (1819-1892), the influential American poet, essayist and humorist, best known for his collection of poems titled Leaves of Grass from 1855 (est. $350-$450).
- Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910), the Russian novelist, philosopher and social reformer known for his epic novels War and Peace (1869) and Anna Karenina (1877) (est. $500-$600).
- Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849), the American writer, poet and literary critic known for The Raven, The Tell-Tale Heart and The Fall of the House of Usher (est. $800-$1,000)
- Karl Marx (1818-1883), the German philosopher, economist and revolutionary who co-wrote, with Engels, The Communist Manifesto and Das Kapital (est. $600-$750).
- Booker T. Washington (1856-1915), the leading African American educator and civil rights advocate, founded the Tuskegee Normal & Industrial Institute (est. $350-$400).
“This auction is a testament to Meserve's dedication to preserving and sharing these invaluable pieces of history with collectors, and we are excited to carry on that initiative through our auction to a global audience of collectors," Mr. Gendron said. He added that the Part 2 sale of Timeless Captures: The Frederick Mill Meserve Photography Auction will be held at a later date.
Bidders need to know that 30-minute extended bidding starts on July 23rd at 8 pm Eastern time. The clock will then reset for another 30 minutes each time a bid is placed. The 30-minute clock reset is unique for every lot; each has its own unique countdown during extended bidding.
To learn more about JG.Limited and the Timeless Captures: The Frederick Mill Meserve Photography Auction, online now and closing on Tuesday, July 23rd, with 30-minute bidding set to begin at 8 pm Eastern, or to register online to start bidding and buying, visit www.JG.Limited.
About JG.Limited:
While its business is rooted in the past, JG.Limited is focused on – and welcomes – the future. It harnesses modern technology through a custom developed and designed website. In addition, the company’s Android and Apple apps allow bidders to participate in regularly scheduled auctions; register, preview, watch, and bid from tablet or mobile devices – all with the press of a button. To learn more about JG.Limited, please visit www.JG.Limited. Updates are posted frequently.
