CDV PORTRAIT OF BLACK SAILOR OF THE U.S.S. TICONDEROGA WITH OUTDOOR VIEW OF THE SHIP

An important group of two (2) CDVs related to the USS Ticonderoga. Items include:

1. Half-length studio portrait of Alex B. Bates. Albumen CDV. Livorno, Italy: Vittorio Emanuele, 1866-1869. Contemporary purple velvet case. Photographer's imprint to mount verso. Period pencil inscription to mount verso reads, "Alex B. Bates / No. 304" alongside ink inscription reading "JT."

A fine portrait of a Black sailor, identified as Alex B. Bates, wearing a dark jacket and sailor's cap with the word "TICONDEROGA" clearly visible on the hat band next to an anchor. During the Civil War, the Navy was racially integrated, with nearly 18,000 Black sailors serving aboard ships in a variety of roles. They continued to serve aboard U.S. Navy ships after the end of the War; however, as Southern States instituted "black codes," Jim Crow laws began to affect Black individuals in the Navy, with the number of Black petty officers dwindling by 1870. Shortly thereafter, full racial segregation was imposed within the Navy with only "messmen" roles available to Black men. 

This image, almost certainly taken during the Ticonderoga's European tour in the late 1860s, represents a portrait of a Black sailor at the end of an era of racial integration in the U.S. Navy, the likes of which would not be reach again until after World War II. 

2. Outdoor shot of USS Ticonderoga albumen CDV. Smyrna, Türkiye: Svoboda, 1866-1869. Photographer's imprint to mount verso. Period ink inscription to verso reads: "The U.S.S. Ticonderoga at Smyrna, Turkey in Asia" alongside pencil inscription reading: "Alex B. Bates / No. 42[?]".

The U.S.S. Ticonderoga was launched on 16 October 1862 and commissioned on 12 May 1863 as flagship of the West Indies Squadron. She patrolled the Caribbean waters. In the summer of 1864, she was tasked with hunting and destroying the Confederate raider CSS Florida. Travelling as far as Brazil, she was forced to return to Philadelphia when plagued by mechanical troubles. In the fall of 1864, she joined the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron and participated in the first, unsuccessful attempt to take Fort Fisher. She spent the rest of the war in the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron. 

Following the Civil War, the Ticonderoga was recommissioned for service with the European Squadron, visiting points throughout the Mediterranean and along the English and African coasts. These images almost certainly date from this early Reconstruction period. The outdoor view shows the vessel with a bowsprit and straight bow, consistent with her outfitting during this period. Another view is held by the Naval History and Heritage Command (NH 45374)

While the cased image sailor's name is inscribed on both photos, no record could be found of when he sailed on the Ticonderoga. The Italian backmark, however, is consistent with this time period as the ship visited several European ports, including Venice, in the late 1860s. 

[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] [Navy, Naval History, Brown Water Navy, David Glasgow Farragut, David Dixon Porter, Battle of Mobile Bay, Battle of New Orleans, Blockade, Confederate Blockade] 

Velvet has lost most of its pile