RZM Fine Arts and Antiques Inc Presents: Ask the Appraiser

We wanted to tell how much we really enjoy reading this column each week. Thank you for sharing your extensive knowledge. The item I have sent over for appraisal is this old photo of a relative of mine that fought in the Union army during the Civil War. Sadly, he did not survive the war. Believe it or not, this picture appears to be on glass. We recently were having a yard sale, and two men actually got into what I will call a heated argument over which one of them saw it first. Both men wanted to buy it. We were asking $20.00. Because of their rude behavior we decided not to sell it to either of them and to contact you. We should have contacted you first before putting it out in a yard sale. Now we are interested to know about it. I know you can help us.

Confused in Closter

You learned a valuable lesson. If you are not aware of the value of an item, do not put it out for sale. Contact an expert or someone who has knowledge about the item first. I am very happy that you did not sell this valuable item at your yard sale for twenty bucks. I was able to enlarge this photograph which is known as a daguerreotype. It pictures a standing portrait of a Union soldier in the rank of corporal assigned to the 59th New York Infantry Regiment. This regiment was a regiment in the Union army during the Civil War. As part of the Second Corps of the Army of the Potomac, it played a significant role in battles such as Antietam and Gettysburg. This information is one reason for the value of this item. Next, the photo itself has remained in excellent condition, a nice clear image. Another plus is that the photo appears to be mounted in its original period case. All good news in terms of value to a collector. But now I have some really great news and probably why I suspect these “gentlemen” were arguing over this item. If you look carefully on the inside of the case you can still read, with a magnifying glass, who actually took this photograph. It reads “BRADY’S  GALLERY.” Which indicates this daguerreotype photograph was taken by Mathew Brady (1822-1896). Brady was one of the earliest and most famous photographers in American history. Most notably known for his images of the Civil War. He was a student of Samuel Morse who pioneered daguerreotype photography in America. In 1861, Brady was given permission by Abraham Lincoln to travel with the army to photograph the various battles during the Civil War. In the course of photographing these battles he came under direct fire several times. While photographing the Battle of Bull Run, he was so close to the action that he barely avoided being captured by the Confederate army. In 1862 Brady featured an exhibit in his New York City studio of the photographs from the Battle of Antietam. Many of the images were quite graphic in nature. Something Americans saw for the first time. The reality of war. Brady also photographed President Lincoln on many occasions. It is his Lincoln photograph that has been used on the $5 dollar note and the Lincoln cent, as well as several postage stamps. I hope you’re starting to get the idea why your photograph is important. Alright, now for the big question. What is it worth monetarily? In this current red hot military collectibles market a conservative appraised value for this outstanding image is $1,000 USD. Good luck with your next yard sale!