What a great item, and beautifully preserved. John Allen [1795-1887], better known throughout his life as "Camp Meeting John" was one of the most influential Methodist revivalists of the Camp Meeting movement of the 19th century. 

A clothier until 1825, he was persuaded to attend a camp meeting and was gloriously and forever a new person. In his words, he went "a swearing sinner" and returned "a shouting Methodist." He was licensed as a Methodist Local Preacher in 1828 and then as a Circuit Rider for the Maine Circuit in 1835. He was, quite literally, the Apostle of Maine, riding through forests and into the mountains to establish dozens of churches in the then very sparsely populated state. 

An active agent in the Camp Meetings happening in the entire New England region, he was particularly active in the great revivals of 1838 and of 1862. It is estimated he attended around 375 camp meetings from 1825 to 1887, most of which he preached at.

His biography was published in 1888 as The Life of Rev. John Allen, Better Known as Camp Meeting John. It contains tributes by Charles Cullis, William McDonald, and other Methodist, Holiness, and Revivalist pioneers. In his biography we read of many accounts of the revivals, camp meetings, and more. 

The carte de visite is in a very good state with autograph neatly under the crisply rendered photograph. It is then inscribed on the rear, presumably in the recipient's hand, "Camp Meeting John Allen. Aged 91 Years. March 7, 1886. 367 Camp Meetings." He would die a year later while at the East Livermore Camp Meeting.