William Henry Tipton (1850–1929) was born in Gettysburg, and began apprenticing to photographer brothers Isaac and Charles Tyson at the age of twelve. Although the Tysons closed shop during the Battle of Gettysburg, “According to Tipton’s obituary, Tipton assisted Mathew Brady, the famous Civil War Photographer, in photographing scenes of the battlefield in the days following” (“William Tipton”). In 1866 Tipton and a partner, Robert Myers, purchased the Tyson studio, and in 1880 Tipton went into business on his own, as the W. H. Tipton Company. He photographed views of the battlefield, war monuments, and the surrounding town, and made portraits of tourists and veterans. He also served on the Gettysburg town council and was active in the Republican Party, serving a term as a state representative. He championed several controversial efforts to promote Gettysburg tourism and commercialize memorialization of the battlefield.

The 32^nd Massachusetts Monument is a rather conspicuous one among the many at Gettysburg. Dedicated in October of 1895, it was designed to look like a US issue Shelter Tent with a carved canteen hanging from the frame.  The monument can be found on “Stony Hill” at “The Loop”, overlooking the portion of the Wheatfield which sits between “Stony Hill” and the Rose Woods. Given Tipton’s propensity for photographing monuments as they were dedicated, this image was likely captured sometime during or after October of 1895.

The image is in excellent condition and is mounted to a burgundy card with gold gilt edges. There is very slight wear to the lower left corner of the card and some slight chipping along the top edge. The front is unmarked but the image is number 878 of Tipton’s catalogue – originally written in white on the glass negative and transferred to this early print. The reverse features a transfer logo of the trooper depicted on the 9^th New York Cavalry Monument with text reading “W. H TIPTON THE BATTLEFIELD PHOTOGRAPHER,” and three paragraphs concerning ordering prints from his 12,000-plate catalogue. The address provided is “Lock Box 35, Gettysburg, PA.” There is scattered loss of the outer layer of the reverse, revealing spots of white beneath the gray layer of finished paper as shown. The logo motif on this card is one of the more uncommon commercial markings found on his photo prints and cabinet cards. Overall measurements are 14.5” x 11” (there is a slight vertical curve as with most of these larger Tipton mounting cards).  A recent 35mm photo of the monument as it appears today is taped to the back.

Tipton’s photographic collection – including early prints such as this – helped to shape popular memory of the battle and are an important but rare record of the Gettysburg battlefield’s evolving place in history.  This print is part of a singular private collection and archive acquired by the Horse Soldier and would make quite the unique and important addition to any Civil War or Gettysburg-centric collection.  [cm][ph:L]

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