Three stereo views published by the War Photograph & Exhibition Company (Hartford, Connecticut), n.d. but ca. 1890. The double-sided photographs printed from original Civil War-era negatives are mounted on pale orange cardboard. Numbered, captioned, and with a more detailed description verso, complete with a "Photographic History" blurb explaining the photographic reprinting process. The sturdy, highly collectible stereo views show expected wear, such as scattered scuffs. Minor damage to the upper left corner of the photograph of "A Block House," while the caption for "Fort Sumner" is slightly smeared. A former collector's inscriptions can be found verso. Else near fine. 7" x 4."

The stereo views include, in numerical order:

1. "2348. Professor Lowe in His Balloon" showing Thaddeus S.C. Lowe (1832-1913), Chief Aeronaut of the Union Army Balloon Corps, suspended in a hydrogen gas generator-powered balloon, surveying Confederate troop movements at the Battle of Seven Pines (or Fair Oaks). Professor Lowe had been appointed Chief Aeronaut in July 1861 after conducting aerial reconnaissance at the First Battle of Bull Run. Lowe resigned his civilian contract position in May 1863 and the unit was disbanded in August of that year.

2. "2510. Fort Sumner, near Fair Oaks, Va., 1862" depicting Union forces "at the guns ready to receive the attack [while] the infantry are hurrying into line on the right and left of the battery." The Battle of Seven Pines took place between May 31-June 1, 1862 and was neither a Union nor Confederate victory.

3. "6669. A Block House" showing fortifications built to safeguard the Knoxville & Chattanooga Railroad.

The "Photographic History" explanation describes the photographs' origins on the reverse of each card. In part: "This series of pictures are original photographs taken during the war of the Rebellion. More than a quarter of a century has passed away since…and the 'negatives' (made by the old 'wet plate' process) have undergone chemical changes which renders it slow and difficult work to get 'prints' from them. Of course, no more 'negatives' can be made…the great value of these pictures is apparent…"

The War Photograph & Exhibition Company was founded by John C. Taylor, a Civil War veteran and collector, and his partner William Huntington around 1890; the pair published Civil War photographs under two imprints, The War Photograph & Exhibition Company, and Taylor & Huntington. Taylor and Huntington had acquired the negatives of their collection, including many originals by Alexander Gardner, around 1879 from Colonel Arnold Rand and General Albert Ordway. Rand and Ordway had in turn obtained these negatives from E. & H.T. Anthony & Company, which had been given many original negatives from Mathew Brady during the latter's significant financial reversals. The War Photograph & Exhibition Company was thus directly tied to the work of two of the most preeminent Civil War photographers of the era: Mathew Brady and Alexander Gardner.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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