Collection of three studio portrait albumen CDVs. Unidentified photographer, [ca. 1863-4]. Research notations to mount versos indicate these images originated from an album containing members of the 1st Michigan Sharpshooters and the 24th Michigan Infantry.

The 1st Michigan Sharpshooters remains one of the most unique and storied regiments in the Union Army. Recruited with a specialized focus on marksmanship, the regiment included a company of Indigenous soldiers from the Odawa, Ojibwe and Potawatomi nations, known as Company K. The regiment saw its most intense service during the Overland Campaign of 1864, distinguishing itself in the desperate fighting at the Battle of the Wilderness and the Siege of Petersburg. These images were highly regarded by Rick Carlile and other Michigan specialists as rare visual representations of this elite unit.

The lot includes the following three CDVs:

1. Officer with Sash and Saber: A full-length study of an officer in a frock coat, prominently featuring a crimson silk officer's sash and a light cavalry saber. He wears gauntlets and rests his hand on a marbleized pedestal. His slouch hat with a distinct cord sits on the pedestal beside him.

2. Bearded Officer with Slouch Hat: A full-length study of a heavily bearded officer in a frock coat and gauntlets. He leans against the same marbleized pedestal, with his saber tucked under his left arm. The repetition of the studio prop across these images confirms they were taken during the same sitting or at the same local Michigan gallery.

3. Young Enlisted Man: A full-length study of a youthful soldier in a four-button fatigue blouse and forage cap. He stands beside the familiar marbleized pedestal, offering a striking contrast to the more seasoned officers in the grouping.

A compelling feature of this lot is the consistency of the studio setting, which suggests a shared experience among these soldiers before their departure for the Eastern Theater. 

For a specialist in Michigan militaria, these unidentified but contextually grounded images represent the foundational "boots on the ground" of the state's sharpshooter service.

[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 generally good condition, featuring consistent tonal quality and sharp subject detail. The mounts exhibit typical age-related toning and minor surface wear. The albumen surfaces are well-preserved.