Civil War Carte-de-Visite Album.

Rare Civil War carte-de-visite album featuring Union generals and others including:  three of General Winfield Scott with one signed by him,  three of Major General William B. Franklin, one signed, Brigadier Gen George Archibald McCall,  another not identifiable. Octavo, original leather, ornate metal clasps, patterned endpapers, 34 carte-de-visites.

The front carte-de-visite is Lieut. General Winfield Scott (1786 - 1866), by Chas D. Fredericks taken at West Point, NY on June 10, 1862.  Scott has signed the album on the space beneath his photo with the date 1862.  Elsewhere in the album are two more cdvs of Scott, both in uniform, both taken by Gurney & Son 1865.

There are three carte-de-visite's of Major General William B. Franklin (1803 - 1903), one in uniform, undated, taken by Brady’s. Franklin has signed the album on the space beneath his photo “W. B. Franklin  Maj Gen US”  Elsewhere there are two younger photographs of Franklin, labeled, in an anonymous hand, on the page next to the photo. One is of him in civilian dress, the other just a head shot as a fully bearded younger man, labelled “Gen Franklin”.

Other photos of Union military are Brig. Gen George Archibald McCall (1802 - 1868) (photo published  by E. Anthony from Brady’s Gallery),  another general whom we could not identify (with the ticket of photographer Wm Shew, 433 Montgomery St, San Francisco on the verso)  and a photo of young (by Brady’s) in what appears to be a a young officer’s uniform .

Family photos with handwritten identification are Uncle Samuel Sewell, by Brady and Aunt Belle by Brady. Another photo of a  young boy’ is labelled Master Alden H. Alvord April 1866. There also is  a photo of a young woman identified as Mrs. Alden on the verso. There are no other clues about family ownership. One photo of a young girl is labelled Cousin Ann. Two of the family cdvs have cancelled stamps on verso.

The rest of the images are presumably relatives or family friends, with one exception - a genre scene of an old man and younger boy at the handplow published by W. Schaus.  There is one photo of a man who appears to be of mixed race, perhaps Negro, in a full suit of clothes (photo taken by F. Gutekunst, Philadelphia).

Besides Brady and the other photographers/ publishers of the cdvs referred to above,  the rest of the cdvs are by:  Whipple of Boston, Ansons (NY), Evans & Prince, Geo. Rockwood (NY), Taylor & Brown (Philadelphia), J. Loeffler’s (Staten Island), Faris & Gray (NY), Wenderoth, Taylor & Brown (Philadelphia),  Johnston & Howell (NY), Black & Case (Boston), C. L. Howe (Brattleboro VT), and S. Friedlander’s (NY).