William J. Bradford in uniform, standing with chair Photographer: Unknown Inscription: None, circa

The William J. Bradford Family Photograph Album collection contains a total of 15 items: 14 photographs, and one photograph album. Of the 14 photographs, 12 are early examples of carte de visites (CdV), approximately the size of visiting cards (4 x 2.5 inches), which became very popular in the United States during the Civil War, as the families of soldiers now had a means of obtaining keepsakes of their loved ones. The additional two photographs, items 13 and 14, are similarly sized tintypes, one mounted on cardstock and one unmounted. The album itself is blue in color with ornate gold borders on its cover, approximately 5.5 x 4.25 inches in size, with a small locking mechanism that no longer functions. The book-like album contains 15 thick pages with pre-cut openings specifically for these style and size photographs.

The photographs in this collection are predominantly images of William James Bradford (1840-1899), though also pictured are William Levi Wheaton (1838-1878) and his wife Mary Elizabeth Bradford Wheaton (1843-1926), who was also William J. Bradford’s sister. Five of the photos depict William J. Bradford in his Union Army uniform, while one additional photo shows him in a suit. William and Mary Wheaton can be seen in two photos, one where they are accompanied by a Mr. Ordway and a Mr. Leary and another featuring a Christmas message. There is also a photo of an unidentified house with two white men standing on its porch and one young Black man leaning against a tree in the yard. Of particular note within this collection are two separate photos of unknown Black women holding what appears to be the same white child. The first includes the caption “Aunt Hannah and Baby May,” while the second is labeled “Betty and Baby May.” The final three photos depict unidentified white women: one woman standing, an older woman with a baby, and finally the first woman again with the same baby in her arms. This person could be William J. Bradford’s wife Mary, though this has not been confirmed. All of the photographs mentioned above are carte de visites, except the last two which are the tintypes. While this album has been attributed to William J. Bradford, it is possible that it was created by his sister, Mary Elizabeth Bradford Wheaton (1843-1926).