Antique General George Washington Ad

It's a recruitment poster. Many copies were made throughout the years to be sold in museum shops or to history buffs and re-enactors. You would need to determine if it is a copy or the real thing. What state are you in?

I live in Michigan. Its lots of old pictures up there.

You need someone who is an expert in either ephemera from the time period or the Revolutionary War in general. Sadly, I know of none in Michigan. You can contact The Ephemera Society http://www.ephemerasociety.org/index.html
and ask if they have someone who knows about Revolutionary War documents in your state. With things like this the expert usually has to see the document in person. You might also contact a major auction house and see what they would charge for an appraisal. If you have many items you feel are valuable you can probably get a discount on a group appraisal.

thanks.

Hold it up to the light and try to see whether there is any evidence of fibers running criss cross in the paper itself. If you can see criss cross patterns, that would mean it printed on "LAyered paper" or laid paper in the trade. Laid paper is a sign of greater age and would have been used during the early Revolution period. If the poster is real, it could be worth many thousands of dollars. If its a repro, its worth whatever the run was priced at since repros of documents dont hold value at all.
I do picking of antiques and see repros of historical documenst all the time. However, every so often, someone finds a real one and the sky could be the limit. About 12 years ago, at a place in Adamstown Pa, a junk dealer sold a print to a picker who took the time to remove the print from the frame and mat. Behind the mat was a secondary copy of the Declaration of Independence , a number of which were printed in Philadelphia about July 5 to 8th 1776 for delivery to the colonial capitals for public display. Only a few of these copies remain and the picker who found the second printing of the Declaration of Independence sold it for 2 million dollars. The same document has sold several time since and latest price transaction was about 12 million dollars.

So, be careful before you trash it. The recruitment poster wont be worth 2 million but it could be worth from 10 to 20K$ ( provenance and condition are everything)

Go to a place like Winterthur Museum of American Art and Antiques rather than a private dealer. A dealer will be tempted to undervalue it and , if you get a good appraiser that has no personal attachment to its outcome, is way better.

do you have any better pictures of this? I'd be interested in seeing them. Did you ever find out anymore about this?

I also have one of these call to arms documents which I am sure is original which I am interested in getting appraised. I found where one was sold on ebay back in 2008, but the website that showed it (Worthington, I think) would not give the selling price unless I joined them for 9.99, and I do not want to do that. With your permission, I will use some of the answers given to you in this discussion. Thank you.

do you have pictures of yours? I'd like to see it

I was given a copy of the "Call to Arms" from a cousin. Her father had it analyzed back in the 70's according to the inscription on the back of the frame. It says this poster was found in the attic of an old house in Nashville TN, in 1958. Analysis was done on the paper in 1973 to test the fibers. Said to be an original second printing from the 1930's. Perhaps my Uncle meant it was a copy of the second printing. I doubt the Continental Army was still trying to recruit Able Body Men in the 1930's. From the examples of this poster I've seen online, I must say that mine is in far worse condition. My copy is missing the top right edge and definately looks like an old poster. None the less it's a very cool piece of history and I'm happy to have it..

Hi I live in San Diego, CA and I too have an old flyer but it has not printing on it somit is very dificult to find out if it is a copy. I held it up to the light and it has markings and sections that canbe seen. Also if you turn it upside down you can see a huge cursive watermark in the light that say Hamilton and under it what could be Killbury. but no typed letters or marking on front or back to say when it was printed other than what is on the flyer it is in black and white

I have one as well. Did you ever find out if it was real?

Hello
6 years late to the topic. But wondering I also just acquired a document nailed onto a very old piece of wood. It's very unique.
I was wondering if you are still on this sight please.

Farmerman is still here, thank goodness, favorite poster of mine - he'll show up on his own (but busy, so have patience) and if he doesn't see your post right away, likely later on.

we are leaving for PEI by sea today. We will be back home to pa probably by the 14th or there about.


What sort of a document do you own? Does it have some historical interest? Is it dated or signed.? HAve you determined that it is old?
Any idea why its nailed to a board? IS the board old?

How did you determine age on the paper or board?

Youve got homework to do and Im afraid that I cant help you because sombody who better knows what theyre doing (not a poster on the internet like me) NEEDS to inspect whatever it is you may have.

Having said that,

Finding someone who is capable and totally honest is often difficult. Many people want to buy whatever it is you have , for a bottom price so they can sell it at a hefty profit .(That is , if what you have is even worth it)

Id find an ephemera curator at a museum like the WInterthur Museum (which is a world famous art conservation and research lab and museum run by the University of Delaware through several Dupont Family Foundations.)
There are other museums with research fcilities all over the world, of course, but Winterthur is the one with which Im most comfortable.
They have many experts in many disciplines of ephemera (paper, cloth, wood, etc etc) on their staffs and they can help you with the authentication, valuation nd even marketing. (They, will, of course, probably charge a fee for service but Itll be honest, and in -depth).
Winterhur runs classes on connoisseurship and conservation and they specialize in exposing "fakes and counterfeit " art and all kinds of antiques.
Good Luck. ill be here till about 11 AM today when we cast off and will be sort of out of touch for a few days till we dock and trade papers with the Canadian Govt. and the boats owner( or in whatever order they specify)