American Historical Ephemera and Early Photography, including The Larry Ness Collection of Native American Photography

9 CDVs, including: Seated portrait of Si Smith in uniform, holding a fife in his lap. Boston: Black, n.d. Smith was a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Boston, a volunteer militia formed in 1638 and the oldest chartered military organization in the United States. Smith is mentioned in several newspaper articles referring to him as a fifer for the Company. In this image, Smith wears a double-breasted jacket with sleeves covered from wrist to shoulder in service stripes. -- Standing profile portrait of a bearded man identified only as "Mr. Pratt" in verso pencil inscription, wearing a long frock coat with a sword in his belt and a hat with cockade surrounding initials and date, "AHA / 1638," indicating membership in the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Boston. Boston: A. Sonrel, n.d. -- Standing portrait of a bearded gentleman wearing a Continental-style jacket and crossed chest straps with plumed tricorn hat, identified as "Elish Smith" in verso ink inscription. A wheel cap on the table next to him bears brass device "P. P." for Putnam Phalanx, a quasi-military unit organized as an honor guard in 1858. Uncredited, n.d. -- 2 standing portraits of men wearing uniforms identified to the National Lancers of Boston, a volunteer cavalry militia troop. Both wear tall plumed hats, double-breasted coats with fringed epaulettes and contrasting chest strap and belt, gloves, and tall boots. Both credited to Boston photographers (Hamilton and W. S. Warren) on versos. -- 4 standing portraits of men identified to the Union Continentals, a Buffalo, NY-based volunteer infantry company commanded first by Captain Millard Fillmore. Three of the men pictured wear similar uniforms, each with long frock coats and tricorn hats, and one man wears a formal tail coat. Two uncredited, two with Buffalo photographers' imprints including Upson & Simson and G. A. Douglass & Co. -- Together, 9 CDVs.