Extremely rare view taken in Baltimore
Commander of the famous Confederate Ironclad Virginia during her duel with the Union Ironclad Monitor
(1800-74) Entered the navy as a midshipman in 1815. He was George Bancroft's chief advisor in planning the Naval Academy and was its first Superintendent serving 1845-47. He fought in the Mexican War and commanded the flagship in Perry's expedition to China and Japan 1852-55. He was named to command the Washington Navy Yard in 1859, and resigned on April 22, 1861 to join the Confederacy. Commissioned captain in the Confederate Navy, Sept. 5, 1861, he was named Chief of Orders and Details and took command of the Chesapeake Bay Squadron early in 1862. He commanded the ironclad "Merrimack" (C.S.S. Virginia) in her famous duel at Hampton Roads, Va., March 9, 1862, with the Federal ironclad, the "Monitor," and was wounded during the battle. This was the very first battle between two ironclad warships. Appointed admiral on Aug. 21, 1862, he was defeated by Admiral David G. Farragut at Mobile Bay.
Wet plate, albumen carte de visite photograph, mounted to 2 3/8 x 4 card. Full standing view wearing an overcoat and holding his top hat, gloves and cane. Period ink ID on the front mount, Adm. Franklin Buchanan, C.S.N. Backmark: Stanton & Butler, Baltimore, with 2 cents U.S. Inter. Rev. Proprietary tax stamp. Period ink inscription on the reverse: Commander Of Merrimac In Battle With Monitor. This is the first time I've ever seen this view before. I believe it might be unpublished. I've checked my Confederate image exemplars and other reference sources including some of the top Confederate image collectors and museum sources in the country and could not find this view published anywhere. Extremely rare! |