American Historical Ephemera & Photography

Half plate daguerreotype. (Excellent clarity, abrasions to plate, likely from cleaning.) Housed in full gilt pressed paper case with floral motif (occasional minor scuffs). Germon's "702 Chest. St. Phila." mark stamped to brass mat. Provenance: Jackie Eubanks Collection. (Letter from Jackie Eubanks, indicating that she owned the image nearly 25 years).
 
A three-quarter length studio portrait of Cushman taken prior to the war. She stands with her arms crossed looking confidently into the camera. Wearing a dark dress with a white collar with her coiled, uncoiffed hair framing her face.

Cushman (1833-1897) was an aspiring teenage actress when she became involved in espionage on behalf of the Union. Caught with incriminating information, Cushman was sentenced to be executed as a spy and saved only by the timely arrival of Federal troops at her prison in Shelbyville, TN. Lincoln awarded Cushman an honorary major's commission and she engaged in cloak and dagger work until growing notoriety blew her cover. With the benefit of a populist biography, Cushman toured the country speaking about her wartime exploits and profiting from the sale of CDVs.

[With:] CHRISTEN, William J. Pauline Cushman: Spy of the Cumberland. Roseville, MN: Edinborough Press, 2006. 8vo. Illustrated. Original publisher's black cloth with illustrated dust jacket. FIRST EDITION.