View Slideshow for Carte-de-visite album of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment
On View
Slavery and Freedom Gallery
Exhibition
Slavery and Freedom
Created by
Ritchie, John, American, 1836 - 1919
Photograph by
Unidentified
Owned by
Garrison, George Thompson, American, 1836 - 1904
Subject of
54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, American, 1863 - 1865
Carney, William Harvey, American, 1840 - 1908
Date
ca.1864
Medium
leather, paper (fiber product), metal, albumen and silver on photographic paper on card mount
Dimensions
H x W x D (Closed): 6 5/8 × 6 × 2 7/8 in. (16.8 × 15.2 × 7.3 cm)
H x W x D (Open): 6 3/4 × 13 1/2 × 2 11/16 in. (17.1 × 34.3 × 6.8 cm)
Description
An album of cartes-de-visite featuring men of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Volunteers, assembled by John Ritchie, the regimental quartermaster. The book has a tooled black leather cover with gold painted details. There is a floral decoration on the front cover and filigree on the spine. There are a pair of metal bands fixed to the front and back of the book, which are connected to clasps for holding the book closed. The lower clasp is missing. The interior of the book is composed of 25 stiff sleeves of paper which are open on the top for photo cards to be inserted. Each page is white and has a curved printed gold frame around an arched opening in the page. The book has 49 cartes-de-visite inserted into these sleeves which feature soldiers, officers, musicians, and other people or scenes related to the 54th Regiment. A number of the images have the name of the individual written beneath the photo on the sleeve in blue ink, which seem to be later additions. The backs of many of the cartes-de-visite have photographer information and handwritten notes identifying the sitter or year.
Place depicted
Morris Island, Charleston County, South Carolina, United States, North and Central America
Fort Sumter, Charleston, South Carolina, United States, North and Central America
Massachusetts, United States, North and Central America
Classification
Slavery and Freedom Objects
Media Arts-Photography
Movement
Abolitionist movement
Type
cartes-de-visite
albumen prints
photograph albums
Topic
Antislavery
Military
Photography
U.S. History, Civil War, 1861-1865
United States Colored Troops
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Garrison Family in memory of George Thompson Garrison
Object number
2014.115.8
Restrictions & Rights
Public Domain
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5de23d131-5de6-4b86-a1ee-767d158c8406

Cataloging is an ongoing process and we may update this record as we conduct additional research and review. If you have more information about this object, please contact us at NMAAHCDigiTeam@si.edu

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