6385. Wig-Wam Point Light-House , Gloucester, Mass. November 11, 1841.
Welcome to Kenrick A. Claflin & Son
Featured on our web site and in our monthly web catalogues are new and out-of-print books, documents, post cards, photographs, maps and charts, engravings, lithographs, uniforms and insignia, tools, lamps, lens apparatus, equipment and apparatus and much more relating to these heroic services.
We now issue most of our catalogues on line rather than by mail. This allows us to issue more catalogues and feature more items, with better photos and descriptions. Let us know your email address and we will email you monthly as our catalogues are posted.
Type in your search word. After hitting Enter you will automatically be brought back to this page. Scroll down to this spot to see the results of search. Pages containing your search word will be listed. You will be allowed to click on the pages found. When on each page, Windows Explorer will allow you to use Ctrl + F to bring up a search box for that page. Type in your search word again and hit “Enter”. You will be taken to that item.
6385. Wig-Wam Point Light-House , Gloucester, Mass. November 11, 1841.
6385. Rare letter regarding appointment of the Light Keeper: [document – letterpress copy. 8” x 11”. 1 page.]. “[to] Hon. L. Saltonstall, Salem, Mass. November 11, 1841. Sir: I have to acknowledge the receipt this day, of your letter of the 8th inst with enclosures of papers favorable to the appointment of Mr. Lane as Keeper of Wig – Wam Point Light House, Mass.; all of which shall receive my most respectful consideration when a change is deemed expedient. Very respectfully, Your Obt Servent, [signed] W [Walter J] Forward. Secy of the Trea.” $185.
Letterpress copy was a method in use fairly early in the neneteemth century for producing one file copy of a hand-written ink document; Thomas Jefferson made extensive use of it. The process involved dampening the surface of a freshly written original letter of document, placing over it a thin sheet of paper, and pressing this sandwich in a special press. Enough ink from the original would be absorbed by the thin paper for a copy of the letter to be made. It was possible to produce an excellent reference copy using this method. Signatures as well as the text are transferred in this method, producing one copy that is difficult to distinguish from the original. Since only one copy can be produced from an original using this method, one can be fairly certain that no other copies and possibly not even some of the originals exist today.