Impressive European salt print of a large crew posed in front of a massive hot air balloon. We wish we knew the identity of this stunning machine and if anyone can add some insight it would be appreciated. We count twenty one men with the four men in the center appearing to be the flight crew. They’re wearing outfits that resemble sailors and they certainly have that daredevil appearance about them! We assume the rest are either owners/investors and the ground crew. There is a small mascot posed in the front and while we assume it is a dog we aren’t quite sure. The balloon is not visible but the sheer size of the heating element, basket and the massive construction behind this flying vessel suggests it was spectacular. The photo measures approximately 6” x 8 ¼” with the thin mount being 10 ½” x 14”. It is in very good condition with nice tones and contrast. The top has lifted from the mount but this could easily be corrected if desired. This would be fabulous matted and framed on your wall!

Divine, large, mounted, warm-toned photograph identified as the “Painting Rooms in the National School of Decorative Arts, Nice, France, 1905.” This exciting scene has nine young women developing their watercolor skills with a male artist doing a demonstration or illustrating proper technique in the back row. Two of the women are working on floral studies while two more are painting vessels. The stylish room is filled with ceramics, pottery, cut crystal and paintings, including a nude. This is one of our favorite photographs purchased this year.  With the mount it measures 10 3/8” x 12.” It is in excellent condition with extremely beautiful tones and contrast. The mount does have some spots as seen.

Fabulous grouping of three mounted albumen photographs from Ohio. First and foremost is a dynamic image of a massive coal train loaded to the maximum. We see the engine billowing smoke with multiple cars on both sides. The cars have an identification for the C&MV railroad with one showing a 512. According to Wikipedia, “The Cleveland and Mahoning Valley Railroad (C&MV) was a shortline railroad operating in the state of Ohio in the United States. Originally known as the Cleveland and Mahoning Railroad (C&M), it was chartered in 1848. Construction of the line began in 1853 and was completed in 1857. After an 1872 merger with two small railroads, the corporate name was changed to "Cleveland and Mahoning Valley Railroad." The railroad leased itself to the Atlantic and Great Western Railway in 1863. The C&MV suffered financial instability, and in 1880 its stock was sold to a company based in London…. A series of leases and ownership changes left the C&MV in the hands of the Erie Railroad in 1896. The CM&V's corporate identity ended in 1942 after the Erie Railroad completed purchasing the railroad's outstanding stock from the British investors.” We see six men some posed by the engine, others in the cars with one off to the side. There is a small house in the background with another smaller building on the far left background. There is still quite a bit of snow visible beyond the fenced off fields in the far landscape. There is a period handwritten description that reads, “View of Coal Train at Tones’s Bank, McLnney, Ohio.” We aren’t sure about the city name or the bank. If anyone has an idea on the name of the city please let us know.
The next photo is a family in front of their beautiful new farm house with a cool windmill off to the left. The dad stands on a small wood structure possibly a future well while the three sons and his wife and daughter are posed in front of the house.
The third albumen is of an extremely large group of people posed outside of a large brick house. It is titled “Farm Residence of Mr. Jacob Rose, Morgan Co., Ohio.” Jacob Rose was born February 15, 1821 and died April 15, 1894. He was married to Elizabeth Hitchcock Rose and it appears they only had one child. It seems he was a farmer his entire life. This photograph is posted on his “Find a Grave” page.
All three measure 10’’x 12’ with the mount. There is spotting on each as seen with obvious wear/loss to the mounts.

Fabulous, mounted, purple-toned, montage photograph of the officer’s corps of the “7 Brandenburg Inf. Regts. No. 60, 1864.” This, of course, would have been during the Prusso-Danish War known also as the Second Schleswig War. This historical image shows 67 CDV portraits of officers with their names and ranks below. There is one mount, number 68, which is blank. The banners running throughout the perimeter seems to represent battles such as the storming of the Düppeler Schanze on April 18, 1864, which was a Danish fortification near Düppel in southern Jutland. This impressive military piece measures 9 ¾” x 12 ½” with the mount and the photograph being 6 ¼” x 8 ¼”.  On the bottom right corner we see this is a later print by Rickter, Weissenburg, 1907. The image is in very good plus condition with slightly darker tones. The portraits while small are extremely strong in detail.