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AED[CIVIL WAR] Signed CDV of Medal of Honor Recipient Newton Martin Curtis
![[CIVIL WAR] Signed CDV of Medal of Honor Recipient Newton Martin Curtis](https://s1.img.bidsquare.com/item/xl/3685/36857839.jpeg?t=1WmQEd)
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About Auction
LiveJun 20, 2026
This sale features an extensive catalog of Civil War photographs that were acquired, curated, and researched by seminal collector, Rick Carlile. Fleischer's Auctions info@fleischersauctions.com
View Full Catalog (238)
- Lot Description
Vignetted studio bust portrait albumen CDV. Washington, D.C. and New York: Brady & Co.’s National Photographic Portrait Galleries, [ca. 1864-5]. Photographer’s imprint to mount verso. Two-cent blue Washington proprietary revenue stamp to mount verso. Period ink signature to mount recto reads: "N. M. Curtis / U.S.V."
This impressive CDV features a vignetted study of Newton Martin Curtis, the towering commander of the 142nd New York Infantry, known famously as the "Rock of Fisher’s Creek." The portrait is a product of Mathew Brady’s National Photographic Galleries and captures the officer in a thoughtful profile, highlighting his distinctive beard and sharp uniform detail. The image is significantly enhanced by a bold, war-date ink signature on the recto, where Curtis identified himself as a member of the United States Volunteers.
Curtis earned his place in the pantheon of Union heroes during the second assault on Fort Fisher, North Carolina, in January 1865. Standing 6-foot-7-inches tall, Curtis was a physically imposing leader who personally led the first wave of attackers into the Confederate stronghold. During the brutal hand-to-hand fighting that followed, he was wounded multiple times, eventually losing his left eye — disfigurement that is visible in this portrait — to a shell fragment. His relentless bravery in the face of overwhelming fire was credited with securing the Union foothold that led to the fort's fall. For his "distinguished personal bravery," he was awarded the Medal of Honor and promoted to brigadier general.
This is a premier, signed war-date Brady sitting of one of the Union’s most legendary "fighting" generals and Medal of Honor recipients, taken in profile so as not to emphasize a disfiguring wound. It has a place in any advanced collection of Civil War photography.
[Civil War, Union, Confederate] [Photography, Early Photography, Historic Photography, Daguerreotypes, Ambrotypes, Tintypes, Cased Images, Union Cases, Albumen Photographs, CDVs, Carte de Visites, Cartes de Visite, Carte-de-visite, Cartes-de-visite, CDV, Cabinet Cards, Stereoviews, Stereocards]
Condition
The image is in generally good to excellent condition, featuring strong tonal contrast and sharp detail across Curtis’s features, including his facial injury, which is obvious. The albumen surface shows typical light foxing consistent with the period, which does not detract from the power of the portrait. The mount remains structurally sound with clean edges and a bold, legible signature.
- Provenance
Rick Carlile collection.
- Shipping Info
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