Box is in fairly good condition. The leather has dried some and has surface crazing throughout but is otherwise not too bad.

The outer flap is complete and shows slits where the “US” plate was once attached. The single straight-line stitching for the latch tab is present but the latch is gone.

Inner flap is present and has both ears. Flap is clearly marked “E. GAYLORD” over “CHICOPEE” over “MASS.” There are no tins present.

Implement pocket is complete and solid. Bottom of the box has only one of the two roller buckles and the one that is there is coming loose. Round shaped finial is also present.

Reverse of the box has both belt and sling loops. Belt loops are both riveted and sewn. Both are solid.

Item is from the Shield’s Museum that once stood along Route 30 on the 1st Day’s battlefield at Gettysburg very near where the statues of Generals John Buford and John F. Reynolds stand today.

Arthur “OTT” Shield’s opened a Civil War Museum west of Gettysburg along route 30 near the Reynold’s Monument in 1925. OTT would amass one of the largest and earliest collections of Gettysburg artifacts. His museum would rival the Danner Museum and his father-in-law’s museum, John Rosensteel’s “Round Top Museum/Inn.”

OTT and his wife Margaret (Rosensteel) the only child of John Rosensteel, would raise seven children at the museum which was also their homestead. After their father’s death in 1950, Ellen, their daughter, continued to operate the museum and concession stand. The museum was free of charge and was sustained financially on sales of extra artifacts, concessions and souvenirs.

The Shields family would operate the museum until the “NPS” acquired the property in 1985. The collection was sold by Redding Auctions in November 1985.  [AD] [ph:L]

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