SCARCE PRINTED REGULATIONS AND PLATES FOR THE 1830 UNIFORMS OF THE U.S. NAVY.

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/10/2024

Extremely rare. No set of the 1830s regulations for the uniform of the United States Navy is listed in OCLC and the only set that I have found is a very worn one in the records of the Navy Department in the National Archives that is partially incomplete and its plates in fair condition from repeated use by researchers. When published by the Navy Department in 1830, the printed plates were only distributed to senior naval officers, usually those commanding stations, naval yards or squadrons. This near-mint set was found folded in its original wrappers, which are inscribed" No. 19 / N[aval] Depart. / M[aster] Com[mandant] Geo. W. Storer / Mediterranean." It contains the original printed regulations of four pages in 10 x 8 format, printed on a folio sheet with one fold and three large printed, untitled plates, as follow: 1) [embroidery diagrams for collars and cuffs] 16 x 10 inches; 2) [1830 sword and scabbard] 19 3/4 x 16 inches; and 3) [embroidery diagrams for midshipman's uniform] 15 7/8 x 10 1/8 inches. George W. Storer (1789-1864) served in the United States Navy for more than fifty years, starting as midshipman in 1809 and commissioned as lieutenant in 1813, he rose in rank to master-commandant in 1828, captain in 1837, and commander-in-chief of the Brazil Squadron in 1847, serving in that capacity until 1850. Following his service in the Brazil Squadron, Storer was on leave of absence from 1851 to 1854, and then, from 1855 to 1857, served as governor of the Philadelphia Naval Asylum and presided over the Naval Court of Inquiry #3, during which more than 200 naval officers were dismissed from duty. He retired in 1862 with the rank of Rear Admiral and died two years later. PROVENANCE: G. W. Storer and by descent in Decatur-Storer family; acquired in 2022. CONDITION: Plates and printed regulations, near fine, bright and clean; one mended tear on fold of sword plate, running in 3 1/2 inches from edge; the wraps with folds and surface soiling/toning.