USS CONSTITUTION RELATED MATERIAL, EX-LATTIMER COLLECTION.

Dr. John K. Lattimer was a devoted student of the early U.S. Navy and the USS Constitution in particular. This file from his collection includes artifacts, manuscript and printed material related to the ship. Included is an original iron hammock hook from the ship, as well as four of the commemorative coins minted from her copperwork during restorations and used for fund raising, and two black-lettered long silk ribbons, one white reading “Ship Constitution” and one reddish orange reading “Surgeon.” The paperwork includes an Oliver Wendell Holmes’ autograph copy of the last stanza of his “Old Ironsides,” with cover letter; a loan note signed by Nathaniel Cushing Jr., who made anchors for the Constitution, framed with a bank note from the Washington Bank of Westerly at bottom; as well as a blank form for extension of service bonus on the Constitution; about 20 engravings of early U.S. “battles and heroes” including naval figures like Bainbridge and battles such as the United States versus the Macedonian, etc.; roughly 22 period newspapers dating 1797 to 1839 with interesting and valuable contemporary reports about the ship from its launching through its engagements with the Guerriere and Java, and some later service. Included in the lot are two interesting pieces related to wars on the Barbary Coast: an 1828 copy, signed and sealed by US Consul at Leghorn, of an 1822 accounting of tribute goods shipped to Mr. Anderson, the US Consul at Tripoli, including some expensive English guns and a set of cased pistols, as well as “one gold musical watch;” and, an undated but early 1790s document likely in the hand of Col. David Humphries: “Invoice of the Articles provided in Lisbon as a present to the Dey of Algiers in return for the sword & sash which he presented to Col. Humphreys . . .” Humphreys served as a line officer and aide to Washington. In 1791 he was consul to Portugal and negotiated for release of American prisoners taken by Algerian pirates. This certainly refers to exchanges of gifts customary in such negotiations. CONDITION: Overall good, with some expected age wear, small tears, etc. Paperwork: JSA LOA, JSA ALOA