An individual landscape view albumen CDV, ca 1860s. Presented on a classic double-gold-ruled line border mount featuring a comprehensive, custom-printed advertisement and informational backmark layout on the verso.

A magnificent and rare industrial landscape CDV documenting the sprawling complex of the Poole & Hunt Union Works in Baltimore, Maryland. The outdoor panoramic view captures the heart of mid-19th-century American industrial might. In the left foreground, a prominent brick structure showcases an arched sign reading Poole & Hunt Union Works. Extending into the distance are multiple multi-story brick foundries, active manufacturing shops, and towering industrial smokestacks billowing smoke into the Maryland sky. Paralleling the complex is a series of active railroad tracks, complete with a freight car stationed near a horse-drawn cart, illustrating the vital rail infrastructure that connected this manufacturing giant to the rest of the nation.

Established in 1851 by Robert Poole and German H. Hunt in the Woodberry neighborhood of Baltimore, the Union Works quickly grew into one of the premier engineering and iron foundry firms in the United States. Impressive typography on the reverse of the card provides a complete manufacturing catalog of their output, explicitly listing: Steam Engines and Boilers, Steam Fire Engines, Railway Cars, Chilled Car Wheels & Engine Tires, Gas Works, Chilled Bank Vaults, Mill Gearing, Blowing and Mining Machinery, Hydraulic Presses, Shafting Pulleys and Hangers, &c. During the Civil War, the Poole & Hunt foundry became an indispensable asset to the federal government, pivoting its massive machinery to produce vital wartime ordnance, including heavy iron castings, naval machinery, and gunpowder-mill parts. Perhaps most fascinating is the vertical notation printed along the left edge of the backmark: Photographed at their own Establishment. This indicates that the image was not captured by a commercial traveling gallery, but was commission-styled or captured internally by the firm to be distributed as a photographic trade card. Early photographs documenting heavy industry with such extensive detail and integrated advertising text are nearly non-existent on the open market.

The CDV is in very good to fine condition. Both the print and the verso exhibit only minor, expected wear for an 165+ year-old object.