Civil War era (c.1860s) Victorian CDV portrait album with 40+ original photographs. Beautiful embossed leather binding with gilt pages and a working brass clasp. Multi-state studio imprints.

This beautifully preserved Victorian carte-de-visite photo album dates to the 1860s (Civil War era), based on several well-documented characteristics of early CDV photography and album construction.

Why this album is confidently dated to the 1860s:

This album displays all the hallmark features of early carte-de-visite portrait albums, including:

• CDV-specific design — Carte de visite portrait photography rose to national popularity beginning in 1859–1860, and albums built specifically for CDVs did not appear before this date.

• Early Victorian binding — The embossed leather boards, brass clasp, and gilt-edged page block match known examples from the early-to-mid 1860s.

• 1860s studio backmarks — Portraits in the album include backstamps from

 – Chas. W. Higgs, Brooklyn, NY

 – North & Oswald, Toledo, OH

 – Wm. J. Baker, Utica, NY

 – William Snell, Chester, PA

 – C. Flood, St. John, New Brunswick

These imprints use typography and layout styles typical of 1860–1869, prior to the more elaborate lithographed backs common in the 1870s.

• Fashion & hair styles — The sitters feature center-parted hair, structured bodices, children’s mid-Victorian dress, and male chinstrap beards — all strongly associated with 1860–1868 portraiture.

• Album architecture — The album uses the early single-oval matte opening per page and is sized exclusively for CDVs. The absence of cabinet-card slots (a format introduced in the 1870s) also places it firmly in the 1860s decade.

Album Features

• Ornate embossed leather covers

• Working brass clasp with leaf motif

• Gilt-edged pages with impressed floral designs

• Decorative Victorian endpapers

• Holds standard CDV portraits

• Structurally solid with no loose pages

• Includes 40+ original CDV photographs (multi-state collection)

• A few openings are empty, lending the album a quiet, atmospheric feel

Portrait Collection

This album includes sitters from a rare and appealing mix of regions, including New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Brunswick (Canada). Multi-state albums from this period often represent extended family networks and migration patterns during and immediately after the Civil War.

Condition

This is a genuine 150+-year-old keepsake. Expected age wear includes rubbing to leather, some page-edge reinforcement, and scattered empty slots. Overall, the album remains beautifully intact, with a strong binding and a functioning clasp.

❣️❣️❣️Shipping Note:

To ensure safe, secure delivery of this higher-value item, this package will be shipped with signature confirmation required.

Please view all photos for condition details. Sold as is.