THE JOHN HANSON FAMILY ARCHIVE & COLLECTION

John Hanson

We are very pleased to announce that our September 17th Maryland Sale will feature several important documents and other material, which descended in the family of American founding father, John Hanson (1715-1783). Hanson, a Maryland native who was born in Charles County and spent most of his life in Frederick County, is best known as the first president of our nation's original government as laid out under the Articles of Confederation--called the "President of the United States in Congress Assembled." Among many political accomplishments, Hanson is also popularly known for promoting a national day of Thanksgiving. Included in this auction is a very important Thanksgiving Proclamation written and signed by Hanson on March 19, 1782.

Although Hanson died well before the end of the 18th century, his descendants would remain politically and socially influential through the early 20th century. Notable relatives of Hanson, and associates of his family, represented in this auction include:

John Hanson Thomas (1779 - 1815) - John Hanson's grandson; a highly-respected lawyer and member of the Maryland legislature; elected to the U.S. Senate, but died suddenly before taking office. Items in this auction related to John Hanson Thomas include an early 19th century oil-on-board portrait, attributed to Jacob Eichholtz (American, 1776-1842).

John Hanson's Proclamation of Thanksgiving.

Dr. John Hanson Thomas (1813-1881) - John Hanson's great-grandson; a noted bank president in Baltimore and member of the Maryland legislature from 1861-1865; was arrested for advocating seccession and imprisoned for six months in four Federal forts. Items in this auction related to Dr. Thomas include a large collection of Civil War prisoner-of-war letters sent from Thomas to his wife.

Douglas Hamilton Thomas (1847 - 1898) - John Hanson's great-great-grandson; served as the President of the Merchant's National Bank in Baltimore for thirty-five years; a well-connected socialite. Items in this auction related to Douglas Hamilton Thomas include a large selection of documents and labels concerning Madeira wine. Of particular interest is a letter and response from President Grover Cleveland regarding a Christmas gift of Thomas Jefferson madeira from Thomas to Cleveland.

The significant Thomas Contee Revolutionary War diary.

Thomas Contee (1729 - 1811) - John Hanson's brother-in-law; a wealthy tobacco merchant in Prince George's County, Maryland; member of the Maryland legislature as well as militia man. In October 1776, four men, including Contee and John Hanson, were elected commissioners by the Maryland Convention and sent to meet with the Continental Congress in Philadelphia and General George Washington at his camp near New York, both regarding the enlistment of Maryland soldiers. Included in this auction is Contee's personal Revolutionary War diary regarding his two-month journey. This important account contains personal details of encounters with General Washington and John Hancock as well as first-hand accounts of the British invasion and capture of Brunswick, New Jersey.

Dr. John Whitridge (1793 - 1878) - Father-in-law of Douglas Hamilton Thomas; graduate of Harvard Medical School in 1819; a well-respected medical doctor in Baltimore from 1820 to 1873. Items in this auction related to Whitridge include personal letters, documenting early medical practices in Baltimore as well as the purchase of slaves.

Martha Ann Atavis.

Martha Ann "Patty" Atavis (about 1816 - 1874) - African-American enslaved to the family of John Whitridge. Material in this auction related to Patty Atavis include a tintype with Whitridge child, a daguerreotype, and her bill of sale.

Captain John Hanson Thomas Jr. (1841 - 1905) - John Hanson's great-great-grandson; served all four years of the Civil War for the Confederate Army, one year in the 1st Maryland Regiment and the final three as captain under General Loring. Items in this auction related to Captain Thomas include Civil War letters written home from the battlefield.

Lieutenant Raleigh Colston Thomas (1844 - 1886) - John Hanson's great-great-grandson; served two years in the Confederate Army as an aide to General Lomax. Items related to Lieutenant Thomas in this auction include Civil War letters written home from the battlefield.

Newly-discovered early watercolor by William Robinson Leigh.

William Robinson Leigh (1866 - 1955) - First cousin of Dr. John Hanson Thomas; son of Mary White Colston. Leigh was born in Berkeley County, WV, and began his art training at the Maryland Institute in Baltimore in 1880. After studying at the Royal Academy in Munich and working as an illustrator in New York City, Leigh made his greatest artistic achievements painting the scenes and people of the American Southwest. Items in this auction related to Leigh include three newly-discovered early watercolor paintings by the artist. Painted circa 1886, two of these works depict Potomac River scenes.

With over one-hundred years of material represented, this detailed archive of one family's life in America is a virtual time capsule of our nation's history. Everything offered is fresh-to-the-market, essentially unknown to the greater collecting and academic community, having descended directly to John Hanson's great-great-great-great-great-grandson, who is recently deceased. Among the hundreds of pieces of Hanson family ephemera consigned, many significant items can be considered newly-discovered. It is our privilege to offer this unique and important collection as part of our inaugural Maryland Sale.

Photos and brief descriptions of selected items from this remarkable collection are now available for viewing along with other lots to be sold in our September 17 Maryland Sale:

THE HANSON COLLECTION (Begins at Lot 278 in our 9/17 Maryland Sale.)

We will continue to add photos of items from the Hanson Archive and other Maryland-related antiques throughout the coming months. Our complete catalog for the Maryland Sale (which will, as always, include detailed photographs, descriptions, and condition reports for the hundreds of lots in the auction) will be available sometime around the middle of August.

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