Untitled (p. 70)

By Richard H. Holloway · Originally published May-June 2024 · pp. 70–72

Herb Peck Jr. poses with a small portion of his Civil War photography collection. (Courtesy the Herb Peck Jr. family)

Herb Peck Jr.

and the Story of his Civil War Photography Collection

“

Yes, finally!” was the sentiment of Lawrence T. Jones III, as we discussed the breaking news a few years back. Jones, a long-time friend of Herb Peck Jr., was elated that his massive Civil War photograph collection was finally being recovered. Word was leaking out publicly that some of his friend’s stolen treasures had been found. Jones provided additional insight when he related, “Herb loved collecting antique American Civil War photography as much as anybody I ever knew. He got me started and was a mentor. When his Civil War collection was stolen, it broke his heart. He then began collecting images of the “Old West” and post-Civil War photography, but he would still buy a great Confederate or Union image if one came his way. He seldom got outsmarted in a business deal regarding images. He also could be pretty tough at times, but he was fair.” My call to the Ethridge (Tennessee) police department, which went public with the find, did not garner any additional information. The lieutenant on duty explained that some photographs were still unaccounted for and, therefore, it was still an open investigation. I held off a bit on pursuing this avenue to gather some additional background information. Other law enforcement agencies involved were the Nashville Police Department, Tennessee State Police, and several field offices of the FBI. At this point, I should explain my interest in this particular case from the beginning. I started my interest in the Civil War back when I was 10 years old. The family received an invitation (which I still have) in the mail asking us to attend the rededication of a headstone over the grave of a former Confederate captain. It even contained a printed copy of the soldier shown post-war. In the notice was a list of men in his company, one of whom was related to me. From that moment until now, the Civil War has become of great interest to me. Skip ahead three years, and I talked my parents into getting me a subscription to Civil War Times Illustrated magazine from a flyer to order a magazine at a discounted price. I would read every article and scan every page in an issue from beginning to end. On each back cover was a single photograph showing a Civil War soldier. Herb Peck Jr. owned most of these clear, detailed pictures. Unexpectedly, just a year later, one a CWTI issue showed a compilation of Peck’s photographs on a single page inside instead of the back. My initial reaction was that it was some sort of trivia test. I started going down the page, naming the pictures to test my recall. In the end, I stopped and started to read the text. I was completely shocked at what I read. The words knocked the wind out of me. The collection of photographs that I had come to know was now gone, taken from the owner’s home. Of course, I knew people committed crimes; but I was still in a part of my early life when I didn’t read the paper or watch the televised news. Someone had the audacity to break into the Peck household while they were away and steal his entire photo collection.

My shock gave way to a determination to assist in any way I could to help locate the stolen photographs. I studied them all for a long time to remember if I saw them again. It was something I never gave up on in all the decades since then. So for me, it has been a significant relief that they were finally found. I just wish Herb would have lived to get them back. Sadly, a friend noted that Herbert Jefferson Peck Jr. passed at age 68. So, who was Herb Peck Jr.? His long-time friend, Bruce Jackson, the Sgt. at Arms for the Tennessee State Senate, explained, Herb’s “day job was in the Vanderbilt University Fine Arts Department. He was the chief photographer. His interest in collectibles began during his teens. Collecting images from the war was an intersection of his profession and his deep interest in the War between the States. His interest was broad and included the period of the War with Mexico through the period of the Indian Wars and the Spanish American War. Western images became an area of concentration after the theft in 1978.” Herb had many acquaintances. One friend, Peggy Dillard, owner of the TennRebGirl artifact business, wrote an insightful and touching tribute to Peck. Dillard had strong feelings for the guilty party, exclaiming, “He was too dumb to sell them [the photos] for what they were worth.” Dillard even encountered the burglar personally. She recalled, “The thief tried to sell me some bogus Confederate badges at the Nashville flea market. I turned him down. He then said he knew a wealthy doctor in Florida who would buy it. I believe that is where he unloaded them.” When asked what happened to the charlatan, she said, “He’s dead.” He never served a day for robbing Peck. Dillard was happy with the FBI’s hard work, elaborating, “Yes, they will gather what they can. I don’t know what they will do with whatever they find. Herb was fully paid for the loss.” It took 45 years to find Peck’s missing photos and artifacts. By all accounts, the loss tore up Herb. One can only imagine what he would have thought to have it returned. And who told me a few years back about their recovery? None other than a member of the heroic Art Crimes Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. A couple of years before hearing about the Peck collection, a local member of that team walked into my office wanting assistance in locating the owner of a weapon they had recovered (story forthcoming). On a follow-up visit about the weapon, the FBI agent mentioned the Peck collection. I immediately started rattling off the descriptions of some missing photos, using my years of studying them. Just recently, 48 recovered Civil War period photographs from the Herb Peck Jr. Collection brought the family a record amount totaling $259,000. (excluding the buyer’s premium). The highest price for an individual photograph was a Confederate soldier armed with a Model 1855 Colt revolving rifle and sporting a white havelock on his head. The once-in-a-lifetime event opportunity to buy these treasures was realized on March 16, 2024, and was masterfully arranged and handled by Fleischer’s Auctions. In the 45 years between when the Peck images went missing and the present, I grew from a teen looking at Peck’s photographs on the back of CWTI magazine to a writer, and later, a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of America’s Civil War magazine to finally Senior Editor of both it and Civil War Times magazine. Now, I am contributing to this exciting Civil War News magazine. It’s going to be a great platform for our American Civil War. Richard H. Holloway, a Louisiana native, formerly a Senior Editor for America’s Civil War and Civil War Times magazines. In addition to numerous articles, he wrote biographies of Richard Taylor, Hamilton Bee, and William R. Boggs for Confederate Generals of the Trans-Mississippi (Univ. of Tennessee Press) as well as essays for Vicksburg Besieged and Forts Henry and Donelson (Univ. of Southern Illinois Press). Holloway is a member of the Western Theater Historians Association. He was previously an archivist for the Louisiana State Archives and a curator for the Louisiana National Guard. Holloway can be contacted by email at [email protected].

I Miss My Friend, Herb Peck

You won’t know Herb Peck unless you are a Nashvillian, or one who deals in guns or photography. Herb worked in the Fine Arts Department at Vanderbilt University until his retirement. He enjoyed a too-short retirement, dying suddenly over a year ago. I first met Herb at the Nashville Flea Market. We kept bumping into each other looking for the same things. We had a very friendly rivalry and traded and sold to each other for years, talking on the phone at least once a week. Herb was an authentic character. He had an unflattering name for everyone, or in my case, a sound as well. Whenever he saw me approaching, he would start howling like a hound dog. He likened me to a hound dog who slept under the porch until I caught the scent of some prized item. Some people didn’t like Herb as he loved stirring up trouble between people and then stepping back and enjoying the ensuing human drama. The one thing everyone agreed on was that Herb knew everything about photography. He had two world-class photographic collections, one which was stolen by a local scoundrel over twenty years ago and another which has been dispersed throughout the Civil War collecting community among those who wanted something to remember “Ole Herb” by. He will forever be remembered by his friends and through all the books that reproduced Herb’s images. Herb used to warn me that it was not my job to educate others, but I learned everything about photography from Herb Peck, whom I still miss.

Peggy Dillard

Herb Peck Collection Achieves Record-Breaking Success at Auction Most Valuable Sale of Civil War Portrait Photography Ever Held 100% of Lots Sell, Exceeding Pre-Sale Estimate by nearly $200,000 COLUMBUS, Ohio—In a dramatic auction that unfolded in Columbus on March 16, 2024, Fleischer’s Auctions witnessed an unprecedented event: the sale of the Herb Peck Jr. Collection of Civil War Photography. The atmosphere crackled with anticipation as the bidding commenced, and what followed surpassed even the loftiest of expectations. Adam Fleischer, the President of Fleischer’s Auctions, expressed his elation at the overwhelming response to the sale. “We are absolutely thrilled with the overwhelming response to the sale,” he declared. “The exceptional results not only reflect Herb Peck’s eye for quality, but also underscore the passion and dedication the collecting community has to preserve Civil War era portraiture.” What made this auction all the more captivating was the history behind the collection itself. Once believed to have been lost forever, the Herb Peck Jr. Collection of Civil War Photography had a tale of resilience and redemption. In 1978, thieves had brazenly stolen Peck’s prized collection from his Nashville residence, leaving the collecting community reeling and the fate of his captivating images uncertain. However, recent breakthroughs in the case, coupled with the unwavering determination of the Peck family and law enforcement, led to the recovery and return of 50 of Herb’s original photographs. The decision of the Peck family to share these captivating images with the world, after decades of uncertainty, struck a chord with collectors and history enthusiasts alike. Among the highlights of this extraordinary auction was Lot 34, titled “Masterful Character Study,” which fetched an astounding $24,300, including the buyer’s premium. This poignant portrait depicted two identified 3rd Tennessee Infantry officers who had valiantly fought in the Civil War. One of these soldiers met a tragic end on the battlefield, with an eyewitness account describing him as reduced to nothing but a chin and a set of long whiskers after being struck by artillery shrapnel. Another notable highlight was Lot 10, “Young Soldier with Bowie Knife,” which realized an impressive $19,440 with the buyer’s premium. This striking portrait showcased a remarkably young soldier wielding an oversized Bowie knife, a poignant reminder of the harsh realities faced by soldiers thrust into the crucible of war. However, Lot 45, “Confederate with Colt Revolving Rifle,” stole the show, achieving the highest auction price at $32,200, including the buyer’s premium. Described as “iconic” in the lot’s description, this portrait depicted a Confederate soldier holding a Model 1855 Colt revolving rifle, encapsulating the spirit of the era in a single mesmerizing image. The success of Fleischer’s Auctions March 16th sale of the Herb Peck Jr. Collection of Civil War Photography not only reaffirmed the enduring fascination with this pivotal period in history but also served as a testament to the power of resilience and the enduring legacy of those who dared to capture it through the lens of a camera.

Lot 45 – [Ambrotype] Confederate w/ Colt Revolving Rifle. Hammer: $26,500. Price Realized:

$32,297.50