Mike Thornton collection of military uniform postcards
Call Number
Date
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
Postcards showing uniforms worn by American, British, French, and Hessian regiments at Fort Ticonderoga during the Revolutionary War, and at the 1758 Battle of Ticonderoga. The collection includes views of 19th and 20th-century English and Scottish regimental uniforms, and the King's Guard / Queen's Guard at various London landmarks.
Biographical note
Mike Thornton is a former Associate Curator of Material Culture at the New-York Historical Society.
Arrangement
Postcards are sorted by topic, with American (colonial and Revolutionary-era) cards preceding those from Great Britain. The card sets showing various American, British, French, and Hessian regiments at Fort Ticonderoga bear sequential printing numbers, and so are sorted in order of publication. Captions have been transcribed as they appear on the cards.
Scope and Contents
The collection consists chiefly of linen era (circa 1930–1945) postcards depicting artistic renderings of uniforms worn by American, British, French, and Hessian regiments at Fort Ticonderoga during the Revolutionary War, and at the 1758 Battle of Ticonderoga. Artists include Harry C. Larter Jr. and Alex. R. Cattley. (So-called "linen" postcards were printed on inexpensive card stock with a finish that resembled linen fabric. They are easily recognizable by their texture and bright colors.) Beyond a handful of cards showing West Point cadets and a U.S. Army musician from the Civil War, the collection includes views of various 19th and 20th-century English and Scottish regimental uniforms, and of the King's Guard / Queen's Guard at Buckingham Palace, Whitehall, and the Tower of London.
Subjects
Access Restrictions
This collection may be stored offsite. To arrange to consult it, please go to www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.
Use Restrictions
Application to use images from this collection for publication should be made in writing to: Department of Rights and Reproductions, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5194, rightsandrepro@nyhistory.org.
Preferred Citation
This item should be cited as the "Mike Thornton Collection of Military Uniform Postcards, PR-408, Department of Prints, Photographs, and Architectural Collections, The New-York Historical Society."
Location of Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Mike Thornton, 2017 (accession no. PPAC.2017.70).
Separated Materials
Two stereoscopic view cards that came with the collection, depicting buildings in London and Florence, have been transferred to the New-York Historical Society's Stereograph File, PR-065.
About this Guide
Processing Information
Archivist Joseph Ditta arranged and described this collection in January 2020.