An multi-item commemorative lot of Gettysburg battlefield souvenirs and veteran ephemera, ca. 1888–1913, comprising two original bronze veteran medals, an illustrated battlefield guidebook with an integrated folding map, and two early historical postcards.
This commemorative grouping captures the vibrant material culture of early battlefield tourism and veteran reunions during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The assembly centers on two premium, highly collectible bronze badges issued specifically to New York veterans who returned to the field to dedicate monuments or celebrate the golden anniversary of the historic July 1863 clash. Paired with a scarce guidebook written by an original resident guide and period pictorial postcards, this lot forms a comprehensive archive mapping the transformation of America’s greatest battlefield into a sacred space of national remembrance. The lot includes:
1. 1888 New York Day Veterans Medal: An original two-piece bronze hanger medal. The top pin-back bar is embossed JULY 1, 2, 3 / 1863 / GETTYSBURG VETERAN. Suspended by its original, v-notched red, white, and blue silk ribbon is a heavy bronze medallion. The obverse features the New York State Seal under the headline DEDICATION OF STATE MONUMENTS AT GETTYSBURG, JUNE 1, 2, 3, 1888 / NEW YORK DAY, while the reverse exhibits a raised laurel wreath.
2. 1913 New York Fiftieth Anniversary Medal: An original, un-ribboned two-piece bronze souvenir badge issued for the legendary 1913 Great Reunion. The top pin-back bar depicts two soldiers clasping hands across a stone wall under the dates 1863–1913 and the scroll title NEW YORK—GETTYSBURG. Suspended below is a Greek cross medal featuring a central medallion with the dual-profile busts of Major General George G. Meade and General Robert E. Lee.
3. Gettysburg: What They Did Here Guidebook (1912 Edition): A scarce, complete historical guidebook by famed battlefield guide L.W. Minnigh, published by Blocher's of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The vibrant, illustrated paper cover features the portraits of Meade and Lee flanked by Union and Confederate flags. The interior is profusely illustrated and retains its original, crisp folding tactical map titled The Battlefield of Gettysburg, July 1st, 2nd, and 3rd 1863, featuring red and black troop movement lines.
4. 1904 Rotograph Co. Color Postcard: A beautifully preserved, undivided-back color postcard showing a general view of the Soldiers' National Cemetery at sunset, featuring the towering Soldiers' National Monument surrounded by uniform rows of white granite veteran headstones. The reverse features an un-posted, crisp coral-colored typography layout printed in Germany.
5. John Frederick Rothermel "Battle of Gettysburg" Panoramic Postcard: A modern-style continental panoramic postcard featuring a full-color reproduction of Rothermel's monumental 1870 oil painting capturing the chaos and desperation of Pickett's Charge. The reverse includes a printed historical synopsis tracking the painting's exhibition history at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.
The items in this lot are in good to very good condition overall. The 1888 medal ribbon shows some fraying and splits along the delicate silk edges, but remains entirely stable with its original pin attachment intact. The guidebook cover exhibits bright coloration with only minor perimeter handling wear, and the internal folding map remains complete and free from major splits. Both postcards are un-posted, crisp, and clean.
