Lot 38

Two Enfield Shaker Diary Notes and a Small Document Box

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Two Enfield Shaker Diary Notes and a Small Document Box

Estimate: $500 - $750

Starting Bid: $100

(0 Bids)

by New England Auctions
July 8, 2026 10:00 AM EDT
Live Auction
14 Business Park Drive - Unit 5
Branford, CT, US 06405

Trustee document box with dovtail construction. Together with two Shaker Diary Notes, One Penned on the Centennial Fourth, together with a small dovetailed Enfield document box. Ink on paper, framed. Both inscribed Enfield lower left, signed C.S., Enfield, New Hampshire, July 3 and the Centennial Fourth of July, 1876. Written on consecutive days by the same unidentified hand, these two brief notes capture the quiet daily life at Enfield. The first, dated July 3, 1876, records a short workday and G.W.'s wagon trip to town delivering four chairs, eggs, milk, and bread. The second, written on the Centennial Fourth of July itself, notes the community at work on overalls, vests, and jackets, the nation's holiday of no apparent consequence, before the belfry bell rang at the wrong hour, sending all in early for spiritual [revelries?], prompting the writer's dry aside, "Maybe the boys did not want to work." The entry closes on a tenderer note, with Elder T.C. suffering from a falling sickness and the writer reading to him from the words of Mother Ann. Inscription to cardboard frame backing reads, "Possibly Brother Calvin Stebbins 1800–1893."
Collection of John Raye.
Diary Entry Frames: H 6-1/2 in. W 8 in. Small Box: H 4-3/4 in. W 9-1/2 in. D 4-3/4 in.
 

  • Condition: Overall excellent condition to both, with yellowing commensurate with age. Examined by manuscript specialist. Box with surface imperfections commensurate with age and use; Lock partially missing. Copy and Paste this Dropbox link into your internet browser to see high-resolution images: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/w0pc2w144eown4zgaqfrx/AD5p6u-Oy3sZDzxw9W2_0wY?rlkey=obxhurgoy1nbbmmzitoai5q98&st=303q4iql&dl=0

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $199 $25
$200 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $200
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,000
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $299,999 $10,000
$300,000 $499,999 $25,000
$500,000 + $50,000