Dublin Volunteers on College Green, Dublin by Francis Wheatley, 1779. (Alex Good/Wikimedia Commons)
Last Spring, Kenneth J. Olson, president and CEO of Period Americana, acquired an original manuscript being a first hand account of the Irish Rebellion of 1798. Written in 1856 by the esteemed Baltimore artist Francis Blackwell Mayer, the manuscript is an interview with Mayer's Aunt Flora Caldwell who lived through the uprising of the United Irishmen and ultimately was forced to flee Ireland forever along with her entire family,
October 12 marks the 220th anniversary of the end of the Rebellion. To coincide with this anniversary, The Journal of the American Revolution recently published an excerpt from the manuscript the entirety of which is due for publication in October.
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Period Americana was founded by Kenneth Olson. Since the early 1980s, he has placed some of America's finest historical artifacts into the collections of individuals, local historical societies, museums and institutions. Today, Period Americana and its team of relic hunters comb the barns and attics of America to rescue artifacts, relics, letters, diaries and photographs that document America's rich history.
We are members of the Ephemera Society of America and The Center for Civil War Photography.
Period Americana offers original documents, manuscripts, letters, diaries, photographs, artifacts and relics from the 1600s through the early 20th Century.
Reading a Civil War diary brings one right into the action. Raising a Revolutionary War sword that defended our liberty creates a sense of awe. Holding in your hands a letter once held in the hands of George Washington is humbling. Daguerreotypes offer a rare glimpse at those alive more than 150 years ago.
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Period Americana
139A Charles Street
Suite 305
Boston, MA 02114
By appointment only.
640 Broadway
Saugus, MA 01906
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From one item to a lifetime collection, we will work with you to bring your items to auction or broker a private sale.
We work with attorneys and tax advisers to properly evaluate collections subject to inheritance, divorce and estate planning.