This is a very rare and fine condition salt print photograph of Stephen Mallory when he was a Senator from Florida, circa 1855. Salted paper photographs were the earliest form of paper photography and were obsolete about the time of the Civil War, being supplanted by cheaper production albumin mediums. This rare image has excellent detail and contrast. We can find no others offered. Stephen R. Mallory (1812-1873) had a long and illustrious record of political service, most famously known as the Confederate Secretary of the Navy under President Jefferson Davis March 4, 1861 – May 2, 1865. Mallory served in many posts prior to and after the Confederacy. He was elected Senator from the state of Florida in 1850. Mallory, in his time in the Senate, was the prominent Chairman of the Committee on Naval Affairs. SIZE: 6-1/2″ x 4-1/8″. CONDITION: Very good to fine overall. Edge wear, corners rounded and hinges on verso. 52297-1 (1,500-2,500)