Seated studio portrait albumen CDV. Boston: Chessman & McCosker, No. 110 Hanover St., [ca. 1864-6]. Photographer’s imprint to mount verso. Two-cent blue Washington proprietary revenue stamp to mount verso.

This evocative seated study captures a young man in civilian attire, prominently wearing an original 1862-pattern Medal of Honor on his left breast. The portrait was produced by the Boston firm of Chessman & McCosker, a studio that operated in the mid-1860s, a dating reinforced by the presence of the 2-cent proprietary revenue stamp on the reverse. The subject’s youthful appearance and the deliberate inclusion of the nation's highest military honor suggest a veteran who performed his heroic deed early in his service and sat for this likeness shortly after returning to civilian life in Massachusetts.

The 1862-pattern medal shown here is the early version with the eagle perched on crossed cannons, issued before the design was slightly modified in the post-war years. This reinforces that the image was captured while the award was still a relatively new and rare distinction.

This carte is a researcher’s dream, featuring an unidentified Civil War veteran prominently wearing an original war-date Medal of Honor.

[Civil War, Union, Confederate] [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] 

The image is in generally excellent condition, featuring strong tonal contrast and exceptional clarity in the Medal of Honor itself. The albumen surface is well-preserved with a pleasing light sheen and minimal age-related toning. The mount remains structurally sound with clean, unclipped edges.