A collection of nine (9) soldier images. This lot includes: 

1. Quarter plate full-length studio portrait tintype. Full leatherette case.

The subject, standing in greatcoat and kepi, is identified to the tintype's reverse: "M R Yardly / Enlisted 1864 / Feb 22". Manley R. Yardly (alt. Manly, alt. Yardley) would be mustered into Company K of the New Hampshire 1st Cavalry just a day later on the 23rd. Yardly held a great deal of contempt for the army per letters he wrote to his father and cousin and echoed in this photograph by the withering expression he wears. Regardless, his sharp uniform and the studio's columnar scenery lend to a nice composition.

2. Ninth plate half-length studio portrait tintype. Full leatherette case.

A portrait of a Union artilleryman with a crossed cannons insignia visible to his cap. The trim to the cuffs and collar of his jacket has been tinted red and his buttons have been gold gilt. He wears a saber at his side, though it is not an artillery saber and appears to be cavalry issue, perhaps a photographer's prop. Behind the soldier is a painted backdrop depicting a fort on a hill. This specific backdrop was among those used at Benton Barracks.

3. Ninth plate half-length studio portrait tintype. Full leatherette case.

Striking a classic "hand-in-waistcoat" pose, the young Yankee subject models a dark greatcoat and kepi. His cheeks are subtly tinted.

4. Sixth plate half-length studio portrait tintype. Full leatherette case.

The goateed sitter wears a prominent cartridge box sling across his chest. Gold gilding has been applied to his breastplate, belt plate and buttons, and pink tinting has been added to his cheeks. The photograph is framed by a patriotic brass "Union and Constitution" mat.

5. Ninth plate studio bust portrait ambrotype. Full leatherette case. 

Bust-length portrait of a sack coat-clad subject staring intensely into the camera's lens. Neither of the large muffin-style buttons within the frame are captured with enough clarity to make out their device. His cheeks exhibit subtle tinting.

6. Ninth plate half-length studio portrait tintype. Full thermoplastic case. 

A fine portrait of a Union soldier with his hands folded in front of him. His buttons have been gold gilt and his cheeks hand tinted. 

7. Ninth plate half-length studio portrait tintype. Full leatherette case.

Though this view of a Union soldier resting his arm on a table beside him exhibits superb clarity and thoughtful framing, the generous application of blue pigment to the subject's sleeves, emulating a sergeant's chevrons, was almost certainly done fraudulently in an effort to drive up the image's value. The trim of his collar, tinted the same color, is clearly visible under the application. Nevertheless, the subject is clearly wearing a military uniform and is not a doctored civilian.

8. Ninth plate half-length studio portrait tintype. Full leatherette case. 

Gold gilding has been liberally applied to this young subject's buttons, collar, kepi buckle and, most notably, in the shape of an ambiguous pair of crossed weapons over his kepi, obscuring whichever insignia, if any, could have been observed in the unaltered image. Though difficult to make out given the image's dark contrast, his cheeks have been dramatically hand-tinted as well.

9. Ninth plate half-length studio portrait tintype. Full leatherette case.

Another image of a soldier which seemingly underwent modifications to increase its value. The sitter wears a shell jacket with heavy and imprecise gold gilding applied to the buttons and collar. The collar decoration may have been intended to trick a gullible buyer into believing the subject to be a Confederate officer, though as a consequence of the disorderly gilding nothing resembling an insignia can be interpreted.

[Photography, Early Photography, Historic Photography, Daguerreotypes, Ambrotypes, Tintypes, Cased Images, Union Cases, Albumen Photographs, CDVs, Carte de Visites, Cartes de Visite, Carte-de-visite, Cartes-de-visite, CDV, Cabinet Cards, Stereoviews, Stereocards] [Civil War, Union, Confederate]