Hannah Davis Bandbox Lid

Bandbox lid by Hannah Davis (1784-1863), of Jaffrey Center, New Hampshire, rigged to hang. Dates to 2nd quarter of 19th century. Lid has a central cartouche featuring a harbor scene, with a scrolled border and the interior is lined with newspaper from the "New Hampshire Baptist Register" dated March 31, 1842, bearing the "Hannah Davis" label. 2 1/2" high x 18 3/4" long x 13 3/4" wide. Comes with a reprint of an article from the Boston Evening Transcript, printed in 1925, chronicling the very eventful life of Davis, a spinster, who was left penniless in the wild woodlands of New Hampshire following the death of both parents in the early 18th century, and proceeded to forge a very profitable life making and selling bandboxes after inventing a machine run by foot power, used to cut strips from large spruce logs, bent when still wet for the sides of the box and nailed to pine boards comprising the box bottom and top of the lid, She then surfaced the entire outer surface of the piece, usually with wallpaper, as with this box lid, and lined the interior with newspaper, affixing her label on the underside of the lid. The boxes, ordinarily oval in shape, were not used for hats, but rather for storage or in lieu of suitcases for travel. She marketed the boxes herself in nearby mill-towns and later in larger towns such as Manchester and Lowell, using a horse and wagon or sleigh depending on the season, and became quite wealthy. Beloved by the townspeople of her hometown, she was known by all as "Aunt Hannah" at the time of her death.
 
We created a device to hang the lid, as shown, without using nails or glue to secure it to the underside. There are losses to the wallpaper on the edges, but the top is in very good condition and it displays beautifully when hung, as shown in the photos. (CM-9)
 
$465
 
(additional photos below)
 
Hannah Davis Bandbox Lid
 
Hannah Davis Bandbox Lid

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