“HEROIC PORTRAIT IN A BOLD NEW FORM”: SCARCE CIVIL WAR ALBUM OF 20 VINTAGE CARTES DE VISITE, WITH BRADY’S FAMED PORTRAIT OF LINCOLN AND A STRIKING PRINT OF ASSASSIN JOHN WILKES BOOTH

(LINCOLN, Abraham) BRADY, Mathew, et al. Photographs. Album of 20 Vintage Cartes de Visite Portraits of President Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth and Civil War Leaders. Philadelphia: Wm. Flint, circa 1865. Oblong quarto, contemporary full blindstamped brown morocco rebacked with original spine laid down, raised bands, ornamental brass plates and catches, watered silk endpapers, all edges gilt. Housed in a custom clamshell box.

Original Civil War Photograph Album, circa 1865, with 20 vintage mounted albumen cartes de visite, many printed from Mathew Brady’s famed studio portraits, including his iconic image of Lincoln seen on the five-dollar bill, also featuring a striking portrait of assassin John Wilkes Booth, together with portraits of legendary Union and Confederate leaders—including General Grant and Confederate Vice-President Alexander Stephens, handsomely bound.

This original Civil War carte de visite album of 20 vintage albumen prints clearly affirms that “photographs in carte de visite formats represent one of the few remaining, untapped sources of Civil War information” (Darrah, 87). Signaling the power of “heroic portrait in a bold new form” (Panzer, 77), this photographic record begins with Mathew Brady’s iconic image of Lincoln and displays, as well, a portrait of assassin John Wilkes Booth. The Lincoln portrait, Brady‘s most famous, is the basis for that seen on the five-dollar bill. Other vintage prints, many from Brady’s studio, include portraits of Andrew Johnson (1), General Grant and Union Generals Meade (2), and Sheridan and Sherman (3). The album also features portraits of Confederate leaders such as General Albert Johnston (4), General Fitzhugh Lee, nephew of Robert E. Lee (5), Confederate Secretary of State Judah Benjamin and Alexander Stephens, the Confederate Vice President (6), and Confederate Generals Roger Pryor and Earl Van Dorn (7). The portrait of John Wilkes Booth herein (8) is the very same image that blazed across headlines after the assassination—this print showing a contemporary inked notation of Booth’s name above his image and “The Assassin” written below. Each mounted albumen print measures 2-1/2 by 4 inches and is displayed in gilt paper frames: two framed prints per gilt-edged leaf of heavy card stock. Three prints with federal tax stamps on the verso (pp. 1, 5, 7). Such stamps were levied on photographs from August 1, 1864-August 1, 1866 and “the presence of a revenue stamp places the card within the period of the tax” (Darrah, 87). Imprints of photographic studios on most print versos, including those of New York’s famous E. & H. T. Anthony studio. Additional prints include Brady’s portrait of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (9) and two contemporary scenes (10). See Waking Dream, 154; Mellon, 163, Panzer, 97. Several print versos with light marginalia. Two print rectos with contemporary inked marginalia not affecting image.

Cartes de visite generally fresh with light scattered foxing to mounts minimally affecting several prints, minor expert repair, faint traces of tape residue to a few sleeve edges not affecting prints, expert restoration to gutter edges of pastedowns. A highly desirable Civil War album in extremely good condition.