The Archivist’s Desk

The State of the Hobby Promotional Post

State of the Historical Hobby: In a Shaky Marke...

As the stock market takes a downward turn, investors and collectors alike are looking for safe havens—places where value isn’t dictated by headlines, inflation reports, or social media trends. It...

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State of the Historical Hobby: In a Shaky Marke...

As the stock market takes a downward turn, investors and collectors alike are looking for safe havens—places where value isn’t dictated by headlines, inflation reports, or social media trends. It...

1 comment
The Crossroads of Justice: Ulysses S. Grant, the Ku Klux Klan Act, and a Rare Pardon from 1873

The Crossroads of Justice: Ulysses S. Grant, th...

This rare presidential pardon, signed by Ulysses S. Grant on March 7, 1873, just days into his second term, grants clemency to Henry Warlick, a South Carolinian convicted of Ku...

The Crossroads of Justice: Ulysses S. Grant, th...

This rare presidential pardon, signed by Ulysses S. Grant on March 7, 1873, just days into his second term, grants clemency to Henry Warlick, a South Carolinian convicted of Ku...

"The First Signature of a Five-Star General: MacArthur, Grant III, and 90 Future Leaders in the 1903 West Point Yearbook"

"The First Signature of a Five-Star General: Ma...

This rare 1903 West Point yearbook, originally owned by Cadet Scott Baker, features over 90 handwritten signatures from future U.S. Army leaders, including the earliest known signature of Douglas MacArthur...

"The First Signature of a Five-Star General: Ma...

This rare 1903 West Point yearbook, originally owned by Cadet Scott Baker, features over 90 handwritten signatures from future U.S. Army leaders, including the earliest known signature of Douglas MacArthur...

Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1932 Sailing Adventure: A First Day Cover Signed on Board the Myth II

Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1932 Sailing Adventure:...

Explore a unique, signed First Day Cover from Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1932 sailing trip on the Yawl Myth II, highlighting how it captured the early days of his presidential campaign...

Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1932 Sailing Adventure:...

Explore a unique, signed First Day Cover from Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1932 sailing trip on the Yawl Myth II, highlighting how it captured the early days of his presidential campaign...

Lincoln’s “Penny Pose” by Brady in Rare Oversize Format: A Rare Frederick H. Meserve Treasure

Lincoln’s “Penny Pose” by Brady in Rare Oversiz...

Explore the history and rarity of a newly surfaced oversized “penny pose” photograph of Abraham Lincoln—taken by Mathew Brady, signed by Frederick H. Meserve, consigned to an upcoming RR Auction,...

Lincoln’s “Penny Pose” by Brady in Rare Oversiz...

Explore the history and rarity of a newly surfaced oversized “penny pose” photograph of Abraham Lincoln—taken by Mathew Brady, signed by Frederick H. Meserve, consigned to an upcoming RR Auction,...

The Hanging of the Lincoln Conspirators A Newly Surfaced Museum-Quality Stereoview by Alexander Gardner

The Hanging of the Lincoln Conspirators A Newly...

This newly surfaced stereoview by Alexander Gardner captures the July 7, 1865 hanging of the Lincoln assassination conspirators—including Mary Surratt, the first woman executed by the federal government—making it one...

The Hanging of the Lincoln Conspirators A Newly...

This newly surfaced stereoview by Alexander Gardner captures the July 7, 1865 hanging of the Lincoln assassination conspirators—including Mary Surratt, the first woman executed by the federal government—making it one...