Robert E. Lee

ROBERT E. LEE, Signed Photograph, 1868-1869. Lexington, Virginia: Boude & Miley. 1 p., 6.5″ x 4.25″. Signature is bold; soiled; light fading; stains; crease at the bottom-left corner below the image.

Provenance: Remember When Auctions, Wells, Maine, October 1996, lot 572. Christie’s New York Park Avenue. Manuscripts & Printed Books Including A Selection From the FORBES Magazine Collection. FRIDAY 15 DECEMBER 1995. VARIOUS PROPERTIES.

Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to General Ulysses S. Grant of the United States Army at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, on April 9, 1865. Although he was not arrested or imprisoned, he did lose the right to vote as well as some of his property, most notably his Arlington Plantation, which became Arlington National Cemetery. He counseled southerners not to resume fighting, but he joined Democrats in opposing the Radical Republicans. He hoped to retire to a farm, but he and his family lived in Richmond until June 1865.

He accepted an offer to serve as the president of Washington College in Lexington, Virginia, a position he held from October 1865 until his death five years later. His fame allowed the trustees to raise funds for the college and transform it into a leading southern college by adding programs in commerce and journalism and incorporating the Lexington Law School.

Lexington photographer Michael Miley captured several iconic images of the aging Lee, becoming known as “General Lee’s photographer, although Lee also sat for Mathew Brady and others after the war. His most valuable photograph of Lee was a picture of General Lee in his Confederate uniform on his horse Traveller, taken in the back garden of Lee’s home on the Washington College campus.

Boude and Miley (1866-1870) was the partnership that operated the Stonewall Art Gallery, a photographic studio in Lexington, Virginia. John C. Boude (1832-1896), an attorney, Confederate captain, and county clerk for 34 years, and photographer Michael Miley (1841-1918), a veteran of the Stonewall Brigade, were the partners. In 1870, Miley bought out Boude’s share of the business and continued it alone. He specialized in portraiture and continued to prepare photographs of students and teams at Washington and Lee University and the Virginia Military Institute. His studio was nearly destroyed by fire.

This item comes with a Certificate of Authenticity from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.