Photograph Album with Forty-Seven Tintype and Carte-de-Visite Photographs of the Mulligans, an Irish-American Family in Philadelphia, 1860s

Philadelphia, 1860. Album measuring 6 ¼ x 5 ¼ inches. Wear and tearing to binding, images excellent, a few empty spaces in albums though no evidence of removal such as annotations, etc., very good condition overall. With thirteen cartes-de-visite and thirty-four tintypes, most of the CDVs with identifications of Philadelphia photographers to verso and one image showing the Gurney and Son studio at 707 Broadway. Very Good. A compelling album of images of Irish-American immigrants in Philadelphia in the 1860s. We cannot identify precisely which Kate Mulligan the album belonged to, as several Kate Mulligans with plausible genealogical records exist. The album is an uncommon survival in complete, unbroken form, and several of the portraits are quite compelling. The album includes an image of Father John Kelly, who we assume to be the founder of the Saint Malachy Church in North Philadelphia, which was founded in 1850 and would match the time period. The photographs in traditional dress provide a compelling visual landscape of Irish-American immigrants from the period.

On balance we believe the album to be assembled in the late 1860s, though we cannot give a specific date as none of the photographs are dated and the nature of album assembly makes it difficult to pin down exactly. The biggest clue may be the inclusion of one image taken by Gurney and Son in their 707 Broadway Studio, which was in use from the 1860s until their move to 5th Avenue in 1869. Other clues follow. John Kelly's tenure began in 1860 and this appears to be a young picture of him. Among the photographic backmarks are the Mahan and Keller firm, with the 1427 Ridge Avenue address being different from their address listed in the 1876 trade literature. One backstamp is for the photographer Oliver Boudrias DeMorat, who was active from the 1850s onward. One photograph has the backstamp of A.M. Gorman, identical to a photograph held at the Getty which they dated to 1865-1870.