John Henry Kurtz Auction

[LeatherHead]

AC readers will want to go to the Heritage Auction site HA.com to view the online auction catalog of the John Henry Kurtz Civil War collection. The live auction is in Gettysburg next Friday, November 21, 2008.

On the HA website, one can view every item, most with multiple photographs and authoritative descriptions. The pictures can be viewed in several sizes and pixel count, and are downloadable. When the "largest" picture is full screen, just a part of the item can be seen, with scrolling feature, to study it in incredible clarity and detail, often down to thread count. Downloading the image at this biggest enlargement captures it and it can then be viewed from your computer hard drive or CD with the same high quality. The comprehensiveness and convenience of this computer imagery on-line far exceeds anything possible in print format. You can make your own permanent Civil War soldiers' goods reference for the investment of your time and a few CDs.

Most of the listings (except firearms) went on eBay earlier this week.

I'm surprised this hadn't yet been brought to ACers' attention.

Have Fun!

Dean Nelson
1st MD Infantry, CSA, N-SSA

[Nighthawk]

Re: John Henry Kurtz Auction

Dean,

Thanks for the heads up! This is really quite a catalog, and the photos themselves are an education. See you on the firing line!

[LibertyHallVols]

Re: John Henry Kurtz Auction

I ordered the printed catalog from the website for $50. It arrived two days ago and is probably about the best $50 I've ever spent! Combined with the high resolution photos from the website, the catalog is a first-rate research guide and compendium of Federal material culture.

To put it simply:
WOW!!!!!!!!!!

[bizzilizzit]

Re: John Henry Kurtz Auction

AC readers will want to go to the Heritage Auction site HA.com to view the online auction catalog of the John Henry Kurtz Civil War collection. The live auction is in Gettysburg next Friday, November 21, 2008.

Dean Nelson
1st MD Infantry, CSA, N-SSA

Auction takes place the 20th and 21st - "Other" CW stuff on sale before John Henry's on the 20th - Lincoln collector's on sale, I believe, on the 22nd. Viewing in the 19th.
Elizabeth Topping

[August77]

Re: John Henry Kurtz Auction

This is an amazing collection and a pretty important auction to attend for folks like us. Plenty of stuff you don't get to see everyday. My catalog arrived a week or two ago and I got to say it ranks up there with some of the better reference books I own. You actually get both catalogs for the John Henry auction and the other CW items. Like John Wickett said, well worth the $50.

The auction is broken into 3 sessions as follows:

Session 1 - Thursday, November 20, 6:00 PM ET (Lots 57001-57283)
Session 2, The John Henry Kurtz Collection - Friday, November 21, 9:00 AM ET (Lots 57284-57619)
Session 3, The John Henry Kurtz Collection - Friday, November 21, 1:00 PM ET (Lots 57620-57956)

HA also advises that 'Lots are sold at an approximate rate of 100 lots per hour, but it is not uncommon to sell 80 lots or 125 lots in any given hour.'

Viewing begins on Wednesday, November 19 at 3:00 PM.

[DougCooper]

Re: John Henry Kurtz Auction

I guess it was too much to hope that the collection was to be donated. I am sure there are good reasons for the auction, but it is sad to see it broken up forever.

[coastaltrash]

Re: John Henry Kurtz Auction

I'll tell you what, some of the pictures in that collection are simply breathtaking. There is one of a set of federal infantrymen around a kettle. Wish I had an extra $2500.

[BobbyHughes]

Re: John Henry Kurtz Auction

I think that some of the artifacts belonging to famous people should certainly be donated, like Billy Mahone's field glasses and boots.

Looking at some of the images of Federals eating or preparing meals were fascinating! Anyone notice the REALLY big sergeant stripes on a few of em? Looked like field produced stripes to me. And speaking of stripes, I thought the 1st Sergeants stripes up for sale looked alot like some of the stuff sold by mainstream vendors, backings and all!!

Simply a wonderful collection of items!

[AZReenactor]

Pat, do you mean this one?

It is an awesome image.

At least it's possible to turn off the pan and zoom and copy the digital images in decent quality.

[coastaltrash]

Re: John Henry Kurtz Auction

Troy,
Yup, that's the one. There are several others like it in that sale, I sat here last week and flipped through justs aw struck. Looking at those NCO stripes, you have to wonder if they are from around the Atlanta time frame when guys were cutting up scrap to make the stripes and old sack coats to make trouser stripes.

http://historical.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=6015&Lot_No=57300

http://historical.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=6015&Lot_No=57301

http://historical.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=6015&Lot_No=57315

[DougCooper]

Re: John Henry Kurtz Auction

Wow - the CS Captain's jacket http://historical.ha.com/common/view...No=57182#Photo

and Rosser's camp desk http://historical.ha.com/common/view...No=57140#Photo are very cool.

The number of New York State jacket photos and other western state jacket photos are superb -

check the Ohio photo http://historical.ha.com/common/view...No=57624#Photo

and the 15th Iowa photo, complete with a 17th Corps badge. http://historical.ha.com/common/view...No=57663#Photo

[Yellowhammer Rebel]

Re: John Henry Kurtz Auction

I as well noticed the "mainstream" style 1st Sgt stripes and also the canteens. There were several canteens that had corks that were attached by chains. Several also had covers of different colors ranging from light blue all the way to dark blue wool covers as well as covers of the "norm" that we are used to.
I am just wondering about some of these things and was hoping that someone could answer my questions. I think that someone has addressed the sgt. stripes already but I was wondering about the canteens as well.

Thanks for your help,
Andrew Schultz

[August77]

Re: John Henry Kurtz Auction

I as well noticed the "mainstream" style 1st Sgt stripes and also the canteens. There were several canteens that had corks that were attached by chains. Several also had covers of different colors ranging from light blue all the way to dark blue wool covers as well as covers of the "norm" that we are used to.
I am just wondering about some of these things and was hoping that someone could answer my questions. I think that someone has addressed the sgt. stripes already but I was wondering about the canteens as well.

Thanks for your help,
Andrew Schultz

Arched type chevrons were not the only style chevrons that existed and yes there were blue canteen covers (and chains existed especially on NY Depot canteens). I think we should be careful on 'this side of the hobby' as we tend to latch on to certain things just like the majority of mainstream reenactors do with different pieces of equipment. Although arched chevrons, jean/satinette/blanket canteen covers, etc. are correct, we begin to follow only one line of thinking and ultimately over represent certain items. Just my opinion though.

[GreencoatCross]

Re: John Henry Kurtz Auction

All,

Totally agree with Mr. Lomas on this one. The items, ALL of the items, in the Kurtz collection are proof positive that "PEC" is a lot more varied and much more interesting than many think. In my opinion the mainstream ideals of "PEC" is "BALONEY." Really....how many original canteens are covered with Federal blankets anyway?

As I noticed a few months ago when this auction was first brought to my attention, there is a particular style of jacket made by a particular contractor that seems to turn previous conceptions about the garment upside-down. I will task Pat Landrum to find this garment!

Advocate of blue canteen covers,

[bizzilizzit]

Re: John Henry Kurtz Auction

I guess it was too much to hope that the collection was to be donated. I am sure there are good reasons for the auction, but it is sad to see it broken up forever.

Before he passed, John Henry was working on a deal with the US Army to buy his entire collection - he did want to keep it together! The Army ran out of money last year and may have purchased it this year, but the collection was passed to his brother when he died, who decided to auction it off.
Elizabeth