American Historical Ephemera & Photography

CDV, lithographic portrait of John Slidell. Boston, MA: L. Prang & Co. "Traitor" inked above Slidell's head. -- CDV, lithographic portrait of James Mason. Boston, MA: L. Prang & Co. "Traitor" inked on Mason's forehead. The 8 November 1861 seizure by the US Navy of Confederate envoys Mason and Slidell aboard the British steamer RMS Trent ignited a diplomatic crisis that nearly precipitated war with Great Britain. The Lincoln administration later relented and released the two envoys with a public disavowal but not an apology.

[With:] CDV, lithographic portrait identified as "Com. Maury / Confederate Navy." Baltimore, MD: Bendann Bros. Commodore Matthew Maury (1806-1873) was an esteemed intellectual in multiple nautical subjects and served the Confederacy as naval envoy in Great Britain and France during the war. -- Civilian view boldly inscribed in ink on verso as "John Battle / CSA." New Orleans, LA: J.A. Sheldon (mottled with soft clarity and rounded corners, good condition overall). Confederate "John Battle" is unknown, one of 18 so-named Confederate soldiers in HDS. 

[With:] Distinguished Officers of the Confederate Navy. New York, NY: E. & H.T. Anthony. CDV, period commercial copy image with seven oval portraits including "Lieut. Maury, Com. Hollins, Com. Semmes, Adm'l Buchanan, Lieut. Reed, Capt. Hartstein, and Capt. Maffit." -- Naval Heroes (of the US). CDV comprised of seven miniature oblong CDVs including "Foote, Worden, Porter, Farragut, Dahlgren, Dupont, and Stringham." Uncredited. -- Duplicate composite CDVs, one by John W. Pittcock, Pittsburg, PA, the other, with applied paper label of J. Gurney & Sons, New York, which has a larger oval portrait of "Com S.H. Stringham" surrounded by smaller oval portraits of "Com. S.F. Dupont, Lieut. Dan' L. Braine, Capt. W.H. Ward, Com. Hiram Paulding, Capt. C. Ringold, Com. T.A.M. Craven, Capt. A.M. Foote, and Com. Sam'l L. Breese." These two CDVs are identical except that the small captioned names in the carte by Pittock are nearly washed out, the result of generational loss. 

Together, 8 CDVs, 2 1/4 x 3 3/4 in., or smaller, on cardstock mounts. Condition generally good, with some toning, scattered soiling, and some corner and edge wear to mounts.