USS Kearsarge Deck CDV Cherbourg 1864 Before Battle with CSS Alabama - A period albumen carte de visite photograph showing officers on the deck of the USS Kearsarge, taken in Cherbourg in June 1864 shortly before her famous engagement with the Confederate raider CSS Alabama. The view looks forward along the starboard side, with crew members positioned beside the ship’s large pivot gun.  The photograph carries the imprint of Rondin of Cherbourg (Maison Centrale de Photographie), who is known to have boarded the Kearsarge at this time and produced a small series of images of the ship and her crew. Examples from this same sitting are held in institutional collections, confirming the historical context of the scene.  A handwritten caption to the reverse identifies the ship and notes the moment as prior to the action with the Alabama, adding a contemporary layer of interest.  A well-composed and historically significant Civil War naval photograph, linking directly to one of the most notable naval encounters of the period.
 
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