Box, Document

Object Name:

Box, Document

Object ID:

1994.049.01

Date:

circa 1862

Description:

Box, document. Fabric-covered, wooden, document box used by Charles W. Pickering, U.S. Navy, during Civil War. Brass tacks on edges. Hinged cover (two leather hinges broken, one remaining on inside) with leather handle (piece missing) 0.9" wide. Handle extends underneath textile surface and fastened at ends by brass upholstery tacks, three tacks at each end. Some flat steel tacks driven into leather handle, but may be for previous repair attempts. Evidence of some type of textile apron applied around bottom edge of lid surfaces on sides and front. Remnants held in place by slightly irregular series of brass upholstery tacks. Iron lock plate on front surface of base section, 2.5" wide by 1.9" high. Held in place by brass upholstery tacks. Keyhole with iron stud in top opening bottom center of plate. Keyhole flares slightly on sides with protuberance on bottom. Round brass disc with round iron pin in center above keyhole. Disc with broken edge, probably part of a swiveling keyhole cover. In upper left portion, vertically oriented rectangular lock. Fastened to lid, hinged hasp hanging down and aligns with lock opening. Hasp fastened with three brass upholstery tacks. Hasp has short concave sides near hinge. Sides become straight and parallel. Clipped corners bottom edge of hasp and small, straight finger tab at very bottom. Iron loop mounted on hasp. Loop studs show on front surface. Surface appears painted black. Front surface of box delineated with brass upholstery tacks on side and bottom edges. Top surface of lid delineated around edges by a series of brass upholstery tacks. Side edges delineated by brass upholstery tacks on back surface. At back, leather strap, 1.3" wide and ~2" long on inside. Held in place by three brass upholstery tacks. Hole for fourth tack. Strap to keep lid from opening too far. Sides of box made with wood 0.5" thick. Lining inside box of light-colored paper with blue pattern. Pattern consists of a repeating, fanciful leaf or blossom cluster. Narrow bands of blue edges and blue dots between edges behind it. Plain spaces between bands. Appears to be seven dotted bands constituting pattern. Repeat longitudinally with bands, 2". Repeat perpendicular to bands 3.3". Fanciful floral design is shifted up half a repeat between bands. Bottom of box, six brass upholstery tacks with eight brass upholstery tacks that act as feet for box. All quite worn. One in each corner and one in middle of each side. Textile wrapped slightly around bottom edge and tacked with iron tacks and may also be glued. Blue floral lining paper covers bottom and hides edges of textile. Script 1.5" high with 0.5" descender on top surface. USN letters 0.8" high.
Painted lettering: "C[apt. or has.] Pickering. / U.S.N." Fabric painted red on sides and black on top. Lined with blue floral-pattern wallpaper; same paper on bottom exterior. With lock but no key.

Material:

Wood
Textile
Brass
Leather
Paper
Steel
Iron

Dimensions:

H-6.4 W-14.2 D-9.3 inches Weight-55.05 oz

Provenance:

Came with a large collection of Pickering family papers.

Credit Line:

Gift of Susan Stewart Sulloway

People:

Pickering, Charles W. (1832-1895)

Subjects:

Boxes, Documents