Opening Day Auction Closing May 9th
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/10/2015
This lot contains a rare autographed item of one of the most significant figures in American history, preserved for approximately 150 years.
Robert E. Lee secured his fame as the commander of the Confederate Army of Virginia during the Civil War. Despite his preference that the country remain united and actually being offered a senior command in the Union forces, Lee opted to remain loyal to his home state of Virginia. While doing battle against Union armies superior in number, Lee actually won the majority of his battles, though his cause was ultimately to end with his surrender in 1865.
As he was a proponent of reuniting and reintegrating the nation after the divisive war, in addition to serving the US in a military capacity for over three decades, Lee was generally a very popular figure and his efforts remain iconic to many in the south to this day.
Long before the era of modern photography, images of such admired figures were captured on items known as carte-de-visites, or visiting cards. These cards measured roughly 4x2.25” and generally consisted of an albumen print, a thin paper photograph mounted on a thicker paper card. Initially traded among friends and visitors, CDVs expanded in popularity and, much like modern day trading cards, these were then collected, traded and stored in albums as keepsakes.
Items autographed by General Lee, particularly CDVs, are rare and extremely sought-after collectibles. He was a known proponent of this form, which had become popular during the Civil War period and this version depicts the one-time Superintendant of the US Military Academy as photographed in a historic image by John Davies in 1864. The verso bears the backmark of the “Southern Publishing Co., 155 West Baltimore Street, BALTIMORE, MD,” Some rounding of the corners is evident and there is slight tearing of the paper at each of the bottom corners of the card, Signature authenticated by PSA.