Sixth plate hand-tinted ambrotype outdoor view. Anonymous artist. Knoxville, Tennessee, c. 1857. Leatherette case.

Two shadowy figures stand on a dirt road in the foreground before a pair of modest buildings. A whitewashed cottage on the far right appears to have a lit fireplace, as smoke can be seen drifting from its chimney. The mighty Tennessee River flows in the background, framed by lush rolling hills. A sign next to the cottage clearly reads “Knoxville”. This image may be railroad-related, as there appear to be tracks between the structures and the river. The entire plate was delicately tinted to emphasize the lush foliage.

A peaceful, verdant scene of early Tennessee life.






[Daguerreotype, Ambrotype, Tintype, Carte-de-visite, CDV, Albumen, Mexican War, Mexican American War, Civil War, Slavery, Abolitionist, Abraham Lincoln, Robert E. Lee, Early Photography]

Provenance: Herb Peck assembled one of the first and greatest collections of historic American photography before it was stolen in 1978 from his Nashville home. Once thought lost forever, authorities recently traced an unexpected clue and discovered many of Herb’s images unscathed after nearly 45 years in hiding. These daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, and tintypes comprise one of the most important collections of Civil War portrait photography ever curated. Herb Peck was a true pioneer who understood both the historic and artistic merit of portraits showing the common Civil War soldier at a time when they were often overlooked. These photographs are deeply important to our shared American history, and Fleischer's Auctions is proud to make them publicly available on behalf of the Peck family.

As represented. For a full condition report, please email us.