Saturday Morning, October 18, 2025
Two consignors, both alike in dignity,
In fair Buckingham where we lay our scene,
From ancient papers speak a different view,
Tucked amid life's damps and dew.
To which if you with eyes attend,
Now read of these tidbits just ahead.
To Have and To Hold, 1922 silent film posters, Paramount Pictures, George Fitzmaurice Production, starring Betty Compson & Bert Lytell, novel by Mary Johnston, 11" X 14"
Far from the Madding Crowd
He slid his finger along the smooth Vellum surface, following the script. The words spoke to him, their sacred pledge transcending time. A Bucks County Quaker marriage certificate, witnessed by the undersigned and sealed in the eyes of God. Solemn. Stable. Secure. All underscored by a sense of community. Both built to last. Bucks County.
1768 Bucks County parchment Indenture. Between Daniel Bratt and his wife Elizabeth of Middleton of the first part and William Yardley of Lower Makefield of the other part.
Witnessed by Thomas Logan.
Retaining red wax seal.
Stephen Twining and Letitia Warner...proposed marriage with each other before a Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends held Falls...1866. He read, noting names signed along the bottom half. Paxson. Smith. Taylor. A Who's Who of Quaker lineage.
Japanese World War II banner, honoring soldiers departing for battle, 16" x 58"
From Here to Thee
First of two consignors. He held several boxes balanced on his arms. I have something you will really like. His bounty he laid across the table. Eighteenth and nineteenth century Bucks County ephemera. Deeds, letters, homestead photographs, even a Taylor Family Tree compiled in Virginia.
Geneological Tree of the Taylor Family, Compiled by Yardley Taylor, 1851, in period frame, 27" x 23"
Yardley Taylor, Goose Creek, Virginia, was a Quaker and active abolitionist. Such was his activity, neither the Confederate or Union soldiers trusted him. A Quaker badge of honor. He produced this family tree tracing the Taylor family's expansion from Colonial to Victorian America.
Ephemera leaves footprints. In this case, deep marks of the Upper Makefield, Yardley, and Washington Crossing regions. This world was smaller then. Farms and forests backdropped the blue stone farmhouses. Tidbits remaining, jigsaw puzzle pieces, each adding to our rich tapestry.
Of all the highlighted items consigned, one was barely mentioned. Not of Quaker origin, but strangely related. Inside one box, we lifted out a World War II Japanese banner. These were symbolic honors bestowed upon soldiers departing for battle. An unusual inclusion, yet, Quakers are fighters though they prefer peace. A balance, one defining the other.
Legal binder scrapbook detailing the history of Bristol, Bucks County's Farmer's National Bank. Information includes the changing landscape of Bucks County and the explosion Levittown left on Lower Buck's financial landscape. Illustrated pamphlet is dated 1868.
More Beyond
The second consignor crossed our threshold with rolled maps and one box of paper goods. He resembled Doctor Brown in Back to the Future heading to his garage with Marty McFly in hot pursuit. I want to show you one item, he said.
Fonthill Castle, home to Henry Mercer, Bucks County, 8 ½" x 11". Founder of our historical meal. The accompanying typed manuscript details the Columbus Room. One feature listed is Henry's pet dog Rollo's footprints fixed for eternity on the uncured concrete steps leading to the top tower.
Stealing a breath, he set the pile onto a table. Wait til you see this! He pulled back the box flaps and dug in. A moment later a legal length binder packed with business letters and photographs appeared. Look at this! Before us lay a lifetime of work, an assemblage historical scrapbook covering the Farmer's National Bank of Bucks County, Bristol, Pennsylvania. Inside, he pointed out an original 1868 By-Law pamphlet. Interesting as this is, after he left, we dug deeper into the box. There we discovered ephemera pertaining to Henry Mercer's Fonthill. The personal photos of Frank and Laura Swain, Henry's caretakers, breathe life into a bygone era.
Mercer photographs hint the original source as Frank and Laura Swain, caretakers to Fonthill. This cyanotype tells us little. Dated on front - July 17th, 1884, 6 P.M. Inscribed on reverse - No 1 with new camera...from bottom of yard.
Noseeum Nostalgia
In both consignments, we uncovered the most interesting items, perhaps better sellers than articles presented. Here, in the gallery, not an unusual occurrence. The moment is worth highlighting.
Labeled on reverse - From: Old Buildings of Bucks County, by Aaron Siskind and Charlotte Stryker. Additional information in script - "Airlie" Doylestown Annex, from Miss Stryker. 4-11-1942, 7 ¼" x 10".
This stone home is a major part of Doylestown history. The Annex refers to borough expansion in the 1930's when Doylestown spread north to Swamp Road. Built by Jonathan Worthington in 1768, the structure has survived, today tucked behind a board fence. Artist and photographer Charles Sheeler rented the home from 1910-26. His interior artwork defined his legacy. In the photo's background, one can see the Moravian Tile Works.
Our market is a strange animal. The gallery turns straw into gold. The item no one is noting becomes the crème de la crème. Our adage to those involved in estate settlement is repetitive. Do Not Throw Anything Away! But, in this week's auction, there is another theme, a subtle undercurrent, tying both consignments together. It is etched into our sense of place, reinforced by our shared heritage. The Quakers sealed their moment in time in blue stone. Henry Mercer did so in concrete. And Rollo? Oh...he will always be with us. All built to last. Foot and paw prints.
Doors open at 8 AM. Auction starts at 9 AM PA AU 1265L [bb]