A profoundly moving and highly important regimental grouping of original albumen cartes-de-visite capturing five identified officers and troopers of the legendary 1st Maine Volunteer Cavalry, almost all of whom made the ultimate sacrifice in the field. This group features seven total cards documenting five specific heroes: 

1. Cards 1 & 2 (Israel Adams Coombs - Two Sittings): A highly desirable pair of distinct sittings of the same trooper. The first is a full-length standing portrait showing Coombs in a magnificent cavalry cape thrown back to reveal a shell jacket and mounted trousers with a bold, light-colored stripe, resting his right hand on a chair against a scenic backdrop with columns and balustrades. Its reverse bears a printed studio backmark for Evans and Prince, York, Pa., and a crisp ink inscription reading "Compliments / of /  Israel Adams Coombs / Co. 'C.' 1st Maine Cav Vol / Bowdoinham / Maine / 20 years," and a clear date "June 28 1864." The second card is a vignette bust portrait of Coombs with distinct wavy hair. The front lower margin features a bold, original ink signature reading "Very respectfully / I. Adams Coombs / Co 'C.' 1st Me Cav." The reverse of the vignette card is blank.

2. Cards 3 & 4 (Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Boothby): An extraordinary and highly important grouping of two distinct photographic sittings tracking Boothby in his field officer uniform. The first image is a poignant vignette portrait focused on Boothby's head and shoulders, showing him in an officer frock coat with double-breasted button alignments and shoulder straps. The reverse carries a  backmark for Winfield Smith, Successor to C.S. Sanderson, Lewiston, ME., heavily augmented by collector pencil research reading "1st Maine Cavalry / Lt Col Stephen Boothby / DOW 6-6-64 / Tobie p. 693." The second is a matching portrait from a slightly wider perspective, showing him in the same officer coat and chin-beard configuration. The lower front mount margin features period pencil notations reading "Ideal / Sunday!" The reverse features collector pencil tracking reading "Lt Col Stephen Boothby / 1st Maine Cavalry / DOW 6-6-64" over a faint central residue patch.

3. Card 5 (Corporal Charles A. McIntyre): A magnificent full-length standing portrait of McIntyre proudly displaying corporal sleeve chevrons on his cavalry shell jacket and vest, leaning cross-legged against an ornate open-backed parlor chair while holding his plumed cavalry hat at his hip. The reverse bears a printed letterpress stamp for G.W. Tuttle, Photographer, Thomaston, Me., accompanied by a sequence of collector pencil tracking notes reading "Corp. Charles A. McIntyre / Co. B, 1st Me. Cav. / KIA Appomattox C.H. April 9, 1865 / ID Tom MacDonal / p. 488 of Tobie."

4. Card 6 (Pvt. Walter Snell): An exceptional full-length standing studio portrait of Snell clad in a dark shell jacket and light-colored mounted trousers, resting his left arm on a woven wicker parlor chair next to a faux-stone studio balustrade with his slouch hat resting on the rail. The reverse features a beautifully framed stamp for C.G. Carleton, Photographic Artist, Waterville, Maine, overlaid by an important early family pencil inscription reading "1st Maine Cav / Served at Gettysburg / KIA" and a detailed bottom inscription reading "Walter Snell / Killed at the battle / of Weldon Rail Road / Dec 21st 1864."

The 1st Maine Volunteer Cavalry holds an immortalized position in Civil War history, sustaining more battle deaths than any other federal cavalry regiment throughout the entire conflict. This highly specialized, poignant four-man archive functions as a direct material culture window into the ultimate cost borne by the regiment during the brutal 1864 Overland Campaign and the final, high-stakes maneuvers of the Petersburg and Appomattox operations.

[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, Stereographs] [Civil War, Union, Confederate]

Very good to fine overall. The albumen prints exhibit excellent clarity, contrast, and rich sepia tones, sharply preserving fine uniform details and facial expressions. The mounts remain structurally sound, square, and unclipped, showing only minor, age-appropriate light toning and nominal handling wear.