American Historical Ephemera & Photography, Featuring Property from the James Milgram, M.D., Collection of Broadsides, Ephemeral Americana & Historical Documents

7 1/4 x 7 1/4 x 4 1/2 in. patent model of a heavy gun on swivel mounting (heavy wear, portions no longer attached, some pieces appear to be missing). 3.8 lbs. Undated, but likely 1870s or later.

[With:] A group of 4 images of the Hayden gun mount taken from various angles: a loose tintype (clipped corners, flaking to emulsion);  CDV with back mark of "A.J. Pierce, Photographer, Rockland, ME" and later handwritten pencil inscription on verso "Grandpa Hayden gun mount" (scattered spotting and toning); CDV without backmark (scattered spotting); and a sixth plate tintype housed in leather case under mat and glass (flaking to emulsion). -- Small sketchbook, 3 x 4 5/8 in., ca 1870s, identified on one interior cover as "C M Hayden's Book of Sketches" and on the other as "Memorandum Book of Charles M. Hayden." Includes multiple sketches including a "Screw Steering Apparatus to be applied to Steamers" and another unnamed sketch appearing to show a gun mount similar to the patent model. -- Two patents issued to Charles M. Hayden, one dated 5 July 1870 for "Improvement in Steering Apparatus" and another dated 7 October 1890 for improvement in "Rigging of Vessels."

[Also with:] A group of approx. 23 documents spanning the 1830s-early 1900s, including early personal correspondence written by Charles Hayden's parents, William Hayden and Abigail Coombs Dow Hayden, miscellaneous receipts, and other ephemera. -- A group of 4 additional images, including 2 Civil War-era images: CDV of unidentified navy ensign wearing correct insignia under the 1864 regulations with backmark of E. Crockett, Rockland, ME (top and bottom roughly trimmed); a cased tintype portrait of an unidentified young soldier wearing a regulation federal nine-button frock coat piped with lighter colored infantry branch of service color around the bottom of the collar and V shaped cuffs (half case, some cracking); CDV of an older gentleman identified on verso as "Capt. James Dow - brother of Abigail C. Dow Hayden"; and a reproduction of a CDV image identified on verso as "Greenleaf Scilley / Rockland / September 15th / 76." 

[Also with:] GAR patriotic horseshoe. -- Pewter mug engraved "R. Norden / Bell & ANchor / Victoria Docks / Plaistow." Both items were acquired with the other portions of the archive.

Charles M. Hayden was born in South Thomaston, Knox County, Maine, and spent the majority of his life there. Though US Federal Census records continuously identify Hayden as a farmer, he clearly had a penchant for engineering and invention. The earliest patent located for Hayden is the 1870 patent accompanying the archive, with other patents on record including one for a "Solo Pressing Machine" (1873) and a "Jig-Saw" (1874). It unclear when or if the gun mount here was patented. 

See also Lot 336, the letter archive of Nathan W. Curial, Co. A, 8th Minnesota Regiment. Curial's correspondence is primarily directed to his sister Rachel Curial Banton (1824-1897) and her husband William H. Banton of Maine. The Bantons were the parents of Jessie Banton Hayden (1857-1919), the wife of Charles M. Hayden.