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This lot contains three (3) different photographs of women from the Civil War era. The first image is a daguerreotype of a teenager or young woman. This is a sixth-plate size daguerreotype where the photograph measures 3.25" x 2.75". It is mounted in a case bearing the name of "S. L. Walker" was a New York based photographer. The daguerreotype is faint with the whole image having a mirror like quality. Still, when held and adjusted, one can see the image of the young woman who is seated on a chair, wearing what looks like long bows in her hair, earrings, a broach, bracelet, and a long necklace with a band that goes to her lap. Her sleeves end with lace. It is hard to take a photos of this dag because of the reflective nature but a couple are produced below. The case the dag comes in is broken on the spine so that it is now in two pieces. The other side still has the original hinges and hooks.
The other photographs for sale are cartes de visite of two women. Both are seated and wearing black dresses, with the woman with shinier fabric wearing a brooch and having a decorative braid in her hair. One of the CDVs has no photographer's stamp while the other comes from Decamp and Crane Photographers in Newark, NJ. The CDVs measure 4" x 2.5".
What is interesting about the CDVs is that they both bear a cancelled tax stamp on the back. During the Civil War, in an attempt to help recoup some of the money being lost to the war effort, the U.S. government enacted a tax on the sale of photographs. This tax went into effect on August 1, 1864. From that date onward, each photograph needed to be sold with an added tax. Stamps were placed on the images and the photographers would have to hand cancel the stamp when the photo was paid for. Photographers disliked this practice as it increased their costs and lobbied against it. The photography tax was only in affect for two years, being rescinded on August 1, 1866. Therefore, any photograph you find with a tax stamp was sold during the years of 1864 - 1866. On the CDV without a photographer's backmark the cancellation date of "Sept. 8, 1865" is clear. On the Decamp and Crane image, a faint and sloppily written "1866" appears to be written on the stamp. These dates, combined with the apparel of the women, lend to the idea that these two women are in mourning outfits - perhaps for the husbands or sons they lost in the Civil War. I do not know the identity of any of these ladies.
Please consult the images below in order to judge the condition on these photographs.
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