It’s been a while since I posted anything new. I haven’t had much time for stamp collecting activities lately, and what little I’ve had hasn’t been spent on U.S. material (shocking!).

Here are three CDVs from the 2-year taxation period (August 1, 1864 through July 31, 1866) that I found interesting for different reasons.

First is a CDV that I purchased for the subject matter rather than the stamp or cancel, although the 2-cent orange Proprietary is a better stamp. I’ve always found non-portrait CDVs to be fascinating, whether they were artwork productions, political cartoons of the era, photos of objects, etc.

This CDV depicts a famous painting, Robert Walter Weir’s “The Embarkation of the Pilgrims”, painted in 1857, which currently hangs in the United States Capitol rotunda.

Next is one that finally attributes a fancy cancel that I’ve been wanting to identify for several years, photographer Francis Forshew of Hudson, New York.

And lastly, one that I wish was in a bit better condition, with a military subject, that showcases a large-format shield cancel, from J. Norris Greene, a photographer in Geneseo, Illinois.