Civil War Era Soldiers' Portraits

The Maine State Archives holds almost 2,500 identified images and 350 unidentified images of Civil War veterans. Additionally, many photographs in our collection remain unclassified. These cartes de visite (CDV) photographs were typically albumen prints mounted on cards measuring about 2 ½ inches wide by 4 inches high. First patented in 1854, these affordable photographs gained widespread popularity during the Civil War. During this conflict, Maine Adjutant General John Hodsdon issued a circular urging Maine’s officers to submit copies of their photographs. Since then, numerous CDVs have been donated to the Maine State Archives, including the Tom MacDonald and Hosmer-Low collections, as well as many individual images contributed by the descendants of these veterans.