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 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
Open to qualified researchers by appointment only.
Use Restrictions
Permission to reproduce any Department of Prints, Photographs and Architectural Collections holdings through publication must be obtained from: Rights and Reproductions, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024. E-mail: rightsandrepro@nyhistory.org. Phone: (212) 873-3400 ext. 282.
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."
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.
Repository
View Inventory
United States. Fort Ticonderoga. American Troops, [1930-1945], inclusive
Scope and Contents
"American Troops at Fort Ticonderoga, 1775–1776–1777, by Colonel Harry C. Larter Jr., U.S.A."
• Major, 3rd New Jersey Regt., Field Officer of the Day (2)
• Color Sergeant, 2nd New Hampshire, Poor's (2)
• Captain of the Guard, 14th Conn. Regt., Burrell's (2)
• Drummer, 2nd Canadian Regt., Congress's Own (2)
• Sergeant of Marines, from 1st Penna. Bn. (2)
• Matross, New York Artillery Company, Lambs (2)
• Scout, 6th Continentals, Mass., Whitcomb's Rangers (2)
• Private, 3rd Yorkers, Ulster Regt. (2)
• Green Mountain Ranger, Warner's Regt. (2)
• Fifer, 1st New York Regt., McDougall's (2)
• Corporal, 6th Penna. Bn., Irvine's (2)
• Rifleman, 4th Penn. Bn., Wayne's (2)
United States. Fort Ticonderoga. British Regiments (2 folders), [1930-1945], inclusive
Scope and Contents
"British Regiments, Ticonderoga, 1758–1777, by Alex. R. Cattley / The Royal Regiment of Artillery, Ticonderoga, 1758, 1759 and 1777"
• Grenadier Company Soldier, 47th Regiment (2)
• Battalion Soldier, 34th Regiment (2)
• Battalion Soldier, 24th Regiment (2)
• Gunner, Royal Regiment of Artillery (1)
• Officer, 29th Regiment (2)
• Battalion Soldier, 33rd Regiment (2)
• Battalion Corporal, 53rd Regiment (2)
• Private, The Royal Highland Regiment, The 42nd (The Black Watch) (2)
• Battalion Soldier, 31st Regiment (2)
• Battalion Soldier, 62nd Regiment (2)
• Battalion Serjeant [sic], 24th Regiment (2)
• Officer, 20th Regiment (2)
• Private of the Light Company, 46th British Regiment (2)
• Private, 60th Foot (Royal Americans) (2)
• Soldier, 26th Regiment (2)
• Battalion Corporal, 9th Regiment (2)
• Battalion Soldier, 20th Regiment (2)
• Grenadier, 21st Regiment (Royal North British Fuziliers) (2)
• Private, British Infantry, at the End of the American Revolution, 1783 (2)
• Private, The Royal Highland Regiment, The 42nd (The Black Watch), at the End of the American Revolution, 1783 (2)
United States. Fort Ticonderoga. French Regiments, [1930-1945], inclusive
Scope and Contents
"French Regiments Stationed at Fort Carillon (Fort Ticonderoga), July 8th, 1758, by Col. Harry C. Larter Jr., U.S.A."
• 72nd Béarn Regiment (1)
• 34th La Sarre Regiment (1)
• French General Officer, 1758 (1)
• 47th Royal Corps of Artillery, 1758 (1)
• 37th Royal Roussillon Regiment (2)
• 44th Royal La Marine Regiment (1)
• 24th La Reine Regiment (2)
• 71st Berry Regiment (1)
• 53rd Languedoc Regiment (1)
• Officer of the Royal Engineers, 1758 (1)
• Canadian Militia (1)
• 68th Guyenne Regiment (1)
United States. Fort Ticonderoga. Hessian Regiments, [circa 1945], inclusive
Scope and Contents
[Hessian Regiments at Fort Ticonderoga by Colonel Harry C. Larter, U.S.A.]
• Brunswick Jaegers (von Barner), 1777 (1)
• Grenadier Noncommissioned Officers (Erbprinz, von Riedesel, Prinz Friedrich), 1776 (1)
• Brunswick Infantry Regiment (von Rhetz), 1776–77 (1)
• Hesse-Hanau Infantry (Erbprinz), 1776 (1)
• Brunswick Infantry (Prinz Friedrich), 1776 (2)
• Brunswick Infantry Regiment (von Specht), 1776–1777 (1)
• Grenadiers (von Rhetz, von Riedesel, von Specht), 1777 (1)
• Brunswick Infantry (von Riedesel), 1776 (1)
• Brunswick Light Infantry Battalion (von Barner), 1777 (1)
• Hesse-Hanau Artillery, 1777 (1)
• Winter Clothing Issued to the Brunswick & Hesse-Hanau Troops (Musketeer, Dragoon, Cannoneer) in Canada, 1776–77 (1)
• Brunswick Dragoons (Prinz Ludewig), 1777 (1)
United States. Fort Ticonderoga. General views, [1930-1945], inclusive
Scope and Contents
• Aerial view (1)
• Entrance to Place D'Armes, South Barracks (2)
• Ethan Allen Stairway, West Barracks (2)
• Sally Port and West Demilune (1)
• South Platform (2)
• South Platform in Winter (1)
• Monument to the British and Colonial Regiments (2)
• General Montcalm Congratulating his Victorious Troops, July 8, 1758 (3)
• West Demi-Lune (1)
• Portrait of George Washington (1)
United States. West Point, [1945-1960], inclusive
Scope and Contents
Cadets, flag, cannon, and a portrait of Thomas Jefferson (5 cards).
United States. Miscellaneous, [1930-1945], inclusive
Scope and Contents
Includes views of the first naval officer's training school, Boston; a U.S. Army musician, artillery, Civil War; the interior of Reynolds Tavern, 1737, as transformed into the Annapolis, Maryland public library; and the development of the American flag (8 cards).
Great Britain. England. King's Guard / Queen's Guard, [circa 1915, 1955], inclusive
Scope and Contents
At Buckingham Palace, Whitehall, Tower of London, etc.
Great Britain. England. Various regiments, [circa 1915, 1960], inclusive
Scope and Contents
• Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment) (2 versions)
• Worcestershire Regiment (1)
• Suffolk Regiment (1)
• Royal Sussex Regiment (1)
• South Wales Borderers (2 versions)
• Royal Irish Regiment (1)
• Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) (1)
• Border Regiment (1)
• Loyal North Lancashire Regiment (1)
• 1st King's Dragoon Guards at Dettingen, 1743 (1)
• British Artilleryman of 1757 (2)
Great Britain. Scotland (postcards issued by Elms Publishing Co.), [circa 1915], inclusive
Scope and Contents
• Scots Guards (2)
• Royal Scots Greys, 2nd Dragoons (3 types)
• 1st, Royal Scots (1)
• 21st, Royal Scots Fusiliers (1)
• 25th, King's Own Scottish Borderers (1)
• 26th, Cameronians (1)
• 42nd, Black Watch (2 types)
• 71st, Highland Light Infantry (2 types)
• 72nd, Seaforth Highlanders (2 types)
• 75th, Gordon Highlanders (2 types)
• 79th, Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders (2 types)
• 91st, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (3)
Great Britain. Scotland (postcards issued by Valentine & Son), [circa 1915], inclusive
Scope and Contents
• Gordon Highlanders (2)
• Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (2)
• Seaforth Highlanders (1)
• Black Watch Royal Highlanders (1)
• Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders (2)