CIVIL WAR ERA CDV PHOTO ALBUM IDENTIFIED PATTON FAMILY GRANT’S CABIN INDEPENDENCE HALL WILDEY HALL PHILADELPHIA CAMDEN

Item #1648

CIVIL WAR ERA CDV PHOTO ALBUM IDENTIFIED PATTON FAMILY GRANT’S CABIN INDEPENDENCE HALL WILDEY HALL PHILADELPHIA CAMDEN NJ B.F. REIMER

Mid-19th-century leather-bound carte de visite photograph album containing a well-identified group of portraits and views, with strong Philadelphia and southern New Jersey associations.

The album is bound in dark brown leather, elaborately embossed in gilt with a recessed central panel and ornate corner decoration. It retains its original brass clasps and thick card leaves with gilt-ruled oval apertures, many of which remain filled.

A particularly desirable feature is the original manuscript “Index to Portraits,” identifying numerous sitters. The majority belong to the Patton family, with additional surnames including Rees, Trainer, Brownard, and others. Locations noted include Indiana, Pennsylvania; Philadelphia; and Camden, New Jersey, providing clear regional and genealogical context.

The album contains 34 images in total, while 29 sitters/views are listed in the index, indicating that several photographs are either later additions or were never formally recorded.

Contents include a mix of albumen photographs and period lithographic portrait inserts. Subjects include:

One portrait of a man in military uniform (Civil War era)
Additional portraits of men and women, including a child, some of which are lithographic reproductions rather than photographs
A view identified as “Independence Hall, Philada”
A view of “Grant’s Cabin, Philadelphia”, shown as a rustic structure with figures posed outside
A view of Wildey Hall, Camden, New Jersey
A commercial streetscape with signage reading “Ice Cream … Oysters”
Additional architectural and portrait subjects

One mount is credited on the verso to B. F. Reimer, No. 624 Arch Street, Philadelphia, placing part of the album’s production firmly in Philadelphia during the carte de visite era.

Condition is consistent with age and use: is loose and the front cover is badlly taped on. The binding is also tight, making it hard to turn the pages. Toned pages with scattered to heavy foxing (at times pronounced), and general handling wear. Photographs and prints show expected light fading and wear. The album remains intact and functional.

A well-documented and regionally grounded 19th-century family album, combining identified portraiture with period views including Independence Hall, Grant’s Cabin, and Wildey Hall, with strong Philadelphia and Camden connections.

Price: $750.00