Amazing new lot from RR Auction

 Given the fact that RR Auction latest live event for the Gangsters, Outlaws and Lawmen auction was a complete success, the Boston based auction house seems to be on a roll since they have already started a new event on June 26. Collectors should know that the auction will conclude on July 12 and that it features Revolutionary War amputation kits that belonged to Dr. John Warren. 

These remarkable and unique items are surely going to spike the interest to collectors worldwide, especially taking into account their provenance and rich history. For those who are not familiar to the name of Dr. John Warren, it should be mentioned that he is one of the founders of Harvard Medical School. Additionally, he was a Continental Army surgeon in the Revolutionary War, where he actually used the two amputation kits that are up for grabs at the moment.

Out of the two amputation kits, one of them is covered in either shark or ray skin and contains various tools, from tissue forceps, bullet forceps with scissor handles, a Petit style tourniquet, a grooved director, and an extra blade for a large amputation saw on top of a bow-framed metacarpal saw. The kit measures 19.5 X 7.75 X 3 inches and is in good condition. One remarkable thing about this amputation kit is the fact that it comes with various documents that prove its provenance. One of these documents is a 19^th century hand written card that is attached to the inside of the amputation kit’s top cover. The card reads: “Revolutionary Instruments given by Joseph Warren to John Warren to John C. Warren to Henry J. Bigelow. Copy of letter describing them in possession of J. Collins Warren.”

The second, mahogany amputation kit measures 18.75 X 7 X 2 inches and it was an exhibit during a 1906 exhibition that featured surgical instruments. That particular event was put together by Dr. J. Collins Warren (or John Collins Warren, Jr.), John Collins Warren’s son and John Warren’s grandson. This second amputation kit also includes various instruments, such as curved amputation knife, tissue forceps and a capital amputation saw alongside another wooden handled instrument that was used for adjusting the blade. The interesting part about this kit is the fact that the interior is fitted for these exact instruments and a missing scalpel. This second amputation kit also comes with various documents that can attest its provenance, including a handwritten 19th century identification label which, although it is faint can still be read: “Used during the Revolutionary War by Dr. John Warren.”

The items can be viewed in RR Auction’s online catalogue or on their website. Additional details can also be found on the auction house’s social media, especially on Facebook and Twitter.