Description:

A most unusual George Washington relic, an approx. 1" x 1" section of black linen ribbon used to secure General George Washington's hair in the fashionable "pony tail" of the era. The original 16" ribbon was partially tied to the beige calling card of "Mr. Frederick C. Withers" At top, the card bore ca. 1876 inscription, presumably in Withers' hand: "Gen. Washingtons Queue-Tie". In a different hand beneath is added: "Exhibited at the Philadelphia Centennial 1876" with "IV", possibly indicating this was one of a set of relics displayed there. Also present is an envelope, this also with period handwriting: "Gen Washington's Queue-tie". All items were tipped to a mat board when framed about twenty years ago. A copy of this provenance was taken when the original length of ribbon was sold in late 2016. Frederick C. Withers (1828-1901) was a successful English architect in America, especially renowned for his Gothic Revival church designs. During the Civil War, he served with the 1st N.Y. Vols. Post-war, he designed an altar at New York's Trinity Church, also the Jefferson Market and many buildings now historic landmarks. According to our consignor, a long-time customer and high-end estate purchaser who had the tie in his personal collection, this item was purchased by him from the descendants of Charles Lanman (1819-1895), librarian for the War Department, the House of Representatives, and the City of Washington Library. Lanman was also private secretary to Senator Daniel Webster; and a noted artist. A copy of our consignor's original letter of provenance is also included.

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July 31, 2019 10:00 AM EDT
Elkton, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $20
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 + $10,000