1850s 1/6 Ambrotype Louisa Dunbar ID Note DAR Rev War John Dunbar Hotchkiss Case For Sale

Museum-Quality 1850s 1/6 Plate Ambrotype of Louisa Dunbar – A Poignant Victorian Memorial with Elite DAR, Hotchkiss, & Scottish Covenanter Provenance ✨An extraordinary, deeply moving capsule of mid-19th-century American family history. This authentic pre-Civil War Sixth-Plate Ambrotype features a beautifully preserved, crystal-clear portrait of a young girl.What elevates this piece into an elite tier for historical collectors is the original handwritten ink memorial note tucked safely behind the plate, revealing a tragic Victorian story of love and loss .🖤 The Tragic Inscription & VictorianMemorial ContextThe pristine cursive text on the slip of paper reads:

• Subject: Louisa Dunbar
• The Tragedy: "(died when 21 Yrs (Typhoid fever)"
• The Writer: Signed inside a bracket by her grieving sibling: "(My Sister) Mary D. Hotchkiss"
• Final Resting Place: “buried in Medina Ohio”.In the 1850s, Typhoid fever ruthlessly swept through midwestern pioneer communities. Because a portrait was a rare, expensive luxury, a surviving family member would often permanently seal an identification note inside the case to ensure the memory of a lost sibling would survive the generations.Extraordinary Genealogical Provenance1. The Revolutionary War Connection (DAR Patriot Lineage)
  Subject Louisa Dunbar and note-writer Mary Dunbar Hotchkiss are verified direct descendants of Sgt. John Dunbar III (1724–1786), an officially recognized Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Patriot. Sgt. John III served as a commissioner in Waterbury, Connecticut, tasked with the vital wartime duty of securing and furnishing essential supplies directly to the Continental Army. 2.The 1650 Scottish Covenanter PatriarchTraced further back, the lineage connects directly to the original immigrant patriarch, Robert Dunbar (1634–1693). Born in Scotland, Robert was a Covenanter soldier captured by Oliver Cromwell's forces at the Battle of Dunbar in 1650 and shipped across the Atlantic to the Massachusetts Bay Colony as an indentured servant. Remarkably, he worked at the historic Saugus Iron Works—unbelievably tying this photo's heritage to the exact same 1650s industrial roots as the first piece in this collection!3. The Hotchkiss Family Merger & Later Drama
  The note-writer, Mary I. Dunbar (1859–1947), was an infant when her older sister Louisa passed away, making this heirloom her only physical connection to her. On October 25, 1883, in Medina, Ohio, Mary married Ira Catlin Hotchkiss (1861–1932), a direct descendant of Samuel Hotchkiss "The Immigrant" (circa 1622–1655), who helped establish the 1640s New Haven, Connecticut Colony. This heirloom traveled through the Hotchkiss line for decades, safely surviving the family drama of Mary and Ira's legal separation late in life around 1930.Photograph Details & Premium Presentation
  • Format: Authentic Ambrotype (non-mirrored, sharp positive image captured on a glass pane backed by dark lacquer) [2.1].
  • Size: Standard 1/6 Plate. The inner brass mat measures approximately 3" × 3.5", housed inside a 4" × 3.25" wood-core case .
  • Premium Housing: The interior left side features a breathtaking, vibrant, deeply embossed magenta/purple silk-velvet pad with a central geometric scroll medallion that shows zero fading . The image is framed by a heavily stippled, dome-topped brass mat and a stampedouter brass preserver frame.Detailed Condition Report
    • Image & Plate: Outstanding antique clarity, high contrast, and excellent detail [2.1]. The glass plate remains fully intact [2.1].
    • Handwritten Note: Pristine legibility, completely untouched and cleanly preserved [2.1].
    • The Case: Authentic 19th-century embossed leather over wood-core . The exterior leather spine has split completely lengthwise due to age, which is expected for a 170-year-old piece . However, the front working brass hook-and-eye clasp is fully intact and holds the two halves tightly and securely together.Shipping & Protective HandlingThis priceless historical artifact will be wrapped in multiple layers of heavy padding, housed within a sturdy cardboard box, and sent securely via USPS Ground Advantage with a commercial trackable discount.

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