Collection of 2 studio portrait albumen CDVs. Washington, D.C.: Whitehurst Gallery and unidentified photographer, [1861]. Period ink and pencil identifications to mount rectos and versos read: "James S. Bailey, 8th Mass Inf"; "Benjamin N. Moore, 5th Mass"; and "Ed Gil... 12 N.Y.S.M., Apr 1861."

This evocative two-piece lot captures the raw, early-war aesthetic of the "Ninety-Day Volunteers" who rushed to the defense of Washington in the spring of 1861. Both images feature soldiers in heavy marching order, outfitted with the cumbersome equipment of the war's first months.

The lot includes:

1. James S. Bailey/Benjamin N. Moore: A full-length study of a Massachusetts volunteer (identified on the mount as Bailey or Moore) standing beside an ornate studio chair. He is equipped with a large, boxy knapsack, rolled blanket and rifled musket. His waist belt features a massive, early-war militia company buckle. The rough condition of the mount suggests this was a heavily handled memento of a soldier's initial service.

2. Ed Gil[more], 12th N.Y.S.M.: A full-length study by the famous Whitehurst Gallery in Washington, D.C. This soldier is a classic chasseur- or zouave-influenced volunteer, wearing a short jacket and baggy trousers tucked into gaiters. He carries a complete double-bag knapsack and a rolled blanket. The mount is boldly dated "Apr 1861," placing this sitting exactly when the 12th New York State Militia arrived to secure the capital.

The 5th and 8th Massachusetts, along with the 12th New York, were among the very first units to reach Washington following the attack on Fort Sumter. These men didn't just fight; they rebuilt the railroad lines destroyed by Maryland secessionists and occupied the high ground around the city. The images capture them in the "pure" state of the 1861 volunteer: clumsily packed but high in morale, wearing the mixed state-issue uniforms that would soon be replaced by standard federal blue.

Many of these early volunteers, including those of the 5th and 8th Massachusetts, fought at the First Battle of Bull Run just weeks after these portraits were taken. While their initial terms were short, many re-enlisted in three-year regiments, becoming the veteran backbone of the Army of the Potomac. These CDVs represent the moment of innocence before the sobering reality of the war’s first major field defeat.

[Civil War, Union, Confederate] [Photography, Early Photography, Historic Photography, Daguerreotypes, Ambrotypes, Tintypes, Cased Images, Union Cases, Albumen Photographs, CDVs, Carte de Visites, Cartes de Visite, Carte-de-visite, Cartes-de-visite, CDV, Cabinet Cards, Stereoviews, Stereocards]

The images are in fair to good condition, exhibiting significant period wear, including creasing, surface soiling and edge chips to the mounts.