🔎 UNIDENTIFIED Charleston Hotel ink stamp.

[hikermike]

Found this brass advertising ink stamp a few years back in the low country. Can't find much info. on it other than it was bought by p.w. seyle who supposedly was a freed slave. That's all they could find when I spoke to the charleston historical society. Where would be the best place to find information on something like this?
Thanks.

 

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[Red-Coat]

Cool find but, as said above. unless you have mirrored the image in Photoshop, how would this work as an ink stamp since anything stamped with it would have the lettering back to front? Is there anything on the back which gives a clue to usage as something other than an ink stamp?

There’s a “P.W. Seyle” listed as “Clerk, Johnson’s Hotel” and resident at King Street in the 1849 Charleston City Directory and also in the 1851 directory. By 1854 he’s listed as the proprietor for the hotel, reopened after refurbishment:



I would assume that this is Philip Wesner Seyle, Senior, born on 14th September 1815 in Charleston, SC, the eighth child of Samuel Seyle and Mary Susannah Wesner Seyle. On 17th May 1848 he married Harriett Clayton Johnson in Charleston and then moved to Greenville SC in 1860. There’s a subsequent record of him being proprietor of the old Williamston Hotel in Williamston, SC and he died in Williamston on 28th July 1866 at the age of 50.

 

[Bramblefind]

Very neat item! From what I found I don't think P.W. Seyle was a freed slave. Philip Wesner Seyle (1815-1866) shows up as white on the census records. I think this piece would be circa 1850s b/c Johnson's Hotel burned in an 1857 Charleston fire. There is a directory listing from 1854 for the establishment.

Findagrave for P.W. Seyle

Philip Wesner Seyle Sr. (1815-1866) - Find a Grave...

Philip Wesner Seyle, Sr was born September 14, 1815 in Charleston, South Carolina. He was the 8th child born to Samuel Seyle and Mary Susannah Wesner Seyle. On May 17, 1848 he married Harriett Clayton Johnson in Charleston, South Carolina. The Philip Wesner Seyle, Sr family is confirmed...

www.findagrave.com

 

[villagenut]

Thankfully, we have treasurenet and its many valuable resourceful members

 

[Retired Sarge]

Thankfully, we have treasurenet and its many valuable resourceful members

Yeap, many of our members are walking, talking, encyclopedias of history. You can get more concise and factual information out of them, then you'll get out of a Google search.

 

[hikermike]

That's cool as heck....but I don't think it is an inkstamp, the writing would be backwards....unless you did a reverse image. I like it though

Yeah I reversed it before posting

 

[villagenut]

Wow

 

[villagenut]

That's cool as heck....but I don't think it is an inkstamp, the writing would be backwards....unless you did a reverse image. I like it though

 

[hikermike]

Cool find but, as said above. unless you have mirrored the image in Photoshop, how would this work as an ink stamp since anything stamped with it would have the lettering back to front? Is there anything on the back which gives a clue to usage as something other than an ink stamp?

There’s a “P.W. Seyle” listed as “Clerk, Johnson’s Hotel” and resident at King Street in the 1849 Charleston City Directory and also in the 1851 directory. By 1854 he’s listed as the proprietor for the hotel, reopened after refurbishment:

View attachment 2062252

I would assume that this is Philip Wesner Seyle, Senior, born on 14th September 1815 in Charleston, SC, the eighth child of Samuel Seyle and Mary Susannah Wesner Seyle. On 17th May 1848 he married Harriett Clayton Johnson in Charleston and then moved to Greenville SC in 1860. There’s a subsequent record of him being proprietor of the old Williamston Hotel in Williamston, SC and he died in Williamston on 28th July 1866 at the age of 50.

Thank you very much. I couldn't find anything on it and the Charleston historical society wasn't much help.

 

[hikermike]

Cool find but, as said above. unless you have mirrored the image in Photoshop, how would this work as an ink stamp since anything stamped with it would have the lettering back to front? Is there anything on the back which gives a clue to usage as something other than an ink stamp?

There’s a “P.W. Seyle” listed as “Clerk, Johnson’s Hotel” and resident at King Street in the 1849 Charleston City Directory and also in the 1851 directory. By 1854 he’s listed as the proprietor for the hotel, reopened after refurbishment:

View attachment 2062252

I would assume that this is Philip Wesner Seyle, Senior, born on 14th September 1815 in Charleston, SC, the eighth child of Samuel Seyle and Mary Susannah Wesner Seyle. On 17th May 1848 he married Harriett Clayton Johnson in Charleston and then moved to Greenville SC in 1860. There’s a subsequent record of him being proprietor of the old Williamston Hotel in Williamston, SC and he died in Williamston on 28th July 1866 at the age of 50.

Thanks. Yes I reversed it before posting it.

 

[villagenut]

Great minds think alike....

 

[villagenut]

Could you please post an image of the back of this object? One of us might see something that you have not caught and a clue to it's use.

If the front side is printed backwards as the OP says, then it is most likely an ink stamp or printing plate.....not a buckle.

 

[Red-Coat]

If the front side is printed backwards as the OP says, then it is most likely an ink stamp or printing plate.....not a buckle.

Completely correct... or possibly for embossing stationery. A small and obscure hotel's 'signage' would be a pretty odd choice for anyone to reproduce as a souvenir buckle... or any other kind of memorabilia. Especially as a mirrored image.

 

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[Red-Coat]

Sorry for the duplication. Bramblefind hit the reply button just before me.

 

[The Rebel]

Cool find! As a matter of coincidence, I have a Seyle in my family's history as we had family in Charleston during the Revolution. At a quick glance on the find a grave page I did not see my releative BUT more than likely they are somehow connected.

 

[GlowingArtist]

Could you please post an image of the back of this object? One of us might see something that you have not caught and a clue to it's use.

 

[Mackaydon]

There's also mention of the hotel here: (on page 351)

The Southern Business Directory and General Commercial Advertiser​

John P. Campbell - Electronic book - 1854 - 590 pages

The Southern Business Directory and General Commercial Advertiser

books.google.com

Don.......

 

[Gene Mean]

Found this brass advertising ink stamp a few years back in the low country. Can't find much info. on it other than it was bought by p.w. seyle who supposedly was a freed slave. That's all they could find when I spoke to the charleston historical society. Where would be the best place to find information on something like this?
Thanks.
View attachment 2062241

Nice piece! Great detail. What does the back look like?

 

[GlowingArtist]

Found this brass advertising ink stamp a few years back in the low country. Can't find much info. on it other than it was bought by p.w. seyle who supposedly was a freed slave. That's all they could find when I spoke to the charleston historical society. Where would be the best place to find information on something like this?
Thanks.
View attachment 2062241

Isn't this a decorative man's(souvenir?) large belt buckle? Circa 1950-89?

 

[hikermike]

Nice piece! Great detail. What does the back look like?

It's just flat and no markings at all.