[James F. Gibson (b. 1828), photographer]. Albumen CDV. circa 1862. Uncredited. Red 2-cent revenue stamp affixed to mount verso.

Rare ( carte-de-visite) CDV photograph showing the crew relaxing on the deck of the U.S.S. Monitor in the James River, Virginia. The ship’s distinctive revolving turret is visible in this candid outdoor view of the crew. The U.S.S. Monitor was the first ironclad warship commissioned for the United States Navy and its effectiveness was duplicated and established the monitor and class of warship for several decades.

We have seen stereoview versions of this candid outdoor view, published by both the War Photograph & Exhibition Company (Library of Congress, LOT 14110-17, no. 2 [P&P]) and Taylor & Huntington (Getty, 84.XC.1158.11), however, this is the only CDV version that we have encountered. The stereoviews are titled Crew of the Original “Monitor” on her Deck and feature the following description to the mount versos: “This view shows the crew of the original “Monitor” on the deck of that world famous little “cheese box on a raft,” as the Rebels contemptuously called her, until she showed them how easy she could lick their famous “Merrimac.” The honest jack tars here seen can always congratulate themselves that they took part in the famous fight which revolutionized The navies of all the world.”

[Civil War, Union, Confederate, Navy, Naval History, Early Photography, CDV, Carte de Visite, Albumen Photography]


[Daguerreotype, Ambrotype, Tintype, CDV, Albumen, carte-de-visite, Salt print, Cabinet Card] [Civil War, Union, Confederate]