Photomontage of a collection of various unidentified soldiers, firemen and celebrities titled "Ben Gurney's Dream," c. 1870s. Some of the soldiers appear to be German while most look like they are American militiamen or cadets. Other photos of soldiers look like they might be from the Civil War era. Identified celebrities in the photomontage include Ulysses S. Grant, Edwin Booth, Mark Twain, and Horace Greeley. Originally published as a stereoview by photography firm J. Gurney & Son. Ben Gurney almost certainly refers to Jeremiah Gurney's son Benjamin who was also a photographer and presumably was the creator of this photomontage. The man with the camera at bottom right of the photomontage has a passing resemblance
to this double exposure CDV of Benjamin Gurney at the National Portrait Gallery.
Source: Minneapolis Institute of Art.
