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Mike Thornton collection of military uniform postcards

Call Number

PR 408

Date

circa 1915-1960, inclusive

Creator

Thornton, Mike

Extent

.66 Linear feet (approximately 177 postcards in 1 box).

Language of Materials

English .

Abstract

Postcards showing uniforms worn by American, British, French, and Hessian regiments at Fort Ticonderoga during the Revolutionary War, and at the 1758 Battle of Ticonderoga. The collection includes views of 19th and 20th-century English and Scottish regimental uniforms, and the King's Guard / Queen's Guard at various London landmarks.

Biographical note

Mike Thornton is Associate Curator of Material Culture at the New-York Historical Society.

Arrangement

Postcards are sorted by topic, with American (colonial and Revolutionary-era) cards preceding those from Great Britain. The card sets showing various American, British, French, and Hessian regiments at Fort Ticonderoga bear sequential printing numbers, and so are sorted in order of publication. Captions have been transcribed as they appear on the cards.

Scope and Contents

The collection consists chiefly of linen era (circa 1930–1945) postcards depicting artistic renderings of uniforms worn by American, British, French, and Hessian regiments at Fort Ticonderoga during the Revolutionary War, and at the 1758 Battle of Ticonderoga. Artists include Harry C. Larter Jr. and Alex. R. Cattley. (So-called "linen" postcards were printed on inexpensive card stock with a finish that resembled linen fabric. They are easily recognizable by their texture and bright colors.) Beyond a handful of cards showing West Point cadets and a U.S. Army musician from the Civil War, the collection includes views of various 19th and 20th-century English and Scottish regimental uniforms, and of the King's Guard / Queen's Guard at Buckingham Palace, Whitehall, and the Tower of London.

Access Restrictions

Open to qualified researchers by appointment only.

Use Restrictions

Permission to reproduce any Department of Prints, Photographs and Architectural Collections holdings through publication must be obtained from: Rights and Reproductions, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024. E-mail: rightsandrepro@nyhistory.org. Phone: (212) 873-3400 ext. 282.

Preferred Citation

This item should be cited as the "Mike Thornton Collection of Military Uniform Postcards, PR-408, Department of Prints, Photographs, and Architectural Collections, The New-York Historical Society."

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Mike Thornton, 2017 (accession no. PPAC.2017.70).

Separated Materials

Two stereoscopic view cards that came with the collection, depicting buildings in London and Florence, have been transferred to the New-York Historical Society's Stereograph File, PR-065.

Related Materials

Duplicate copies of the sets "American Troops at Fort Ticonderoga, 1775–1776–1777, by Colonel Harry C. Larter Jr., U.S.A.", "British Regiments, Ticonderoga, 1758–1777, by Alex. R. Cattley / The Royal Regiment of Artillery, Ticonderoga, 1758, 1759 and 1777", and "French Regiments Stationed at Fort Carillon (Fort Ticonderoga), July 8th, 1758, by Col. Harry C. Larter Jr., U.S.A." may be found in the New-York Historical Society Postcard Collection, PR-054, Sub-series II.A, Box 96-B.

Collection processed by

Joseph Ditta

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-08-21 15:50:56 -0400.
Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language: English

Processing Information

Archivist Joseph Ditta arranged and described this collection in January 2020.

Repository

New-York Historical Society
New-York Historical Society
170 Central Park West
New York, NY 10024