Horizontal studio albumen CDV. Plattsburgh, NY: Gates’ Photographic Galleries, H. K. Averill, Jr., Proprietor. [ca. 1861–1864]. Recto features an impressive group portrait of nine men and little more than a child. Verso bears a detailed gallery backmark. 

A formidable group of nine Union cavalrymen posed in a professional studio. The men are outfitted in standard cavalry shell jackets, many wearing slouch hats or forage caps with crossed-saber insignia. Notably, almost every trooper is armed with a Model 1840 or 1860 cavalry saber, held prominently in front of them. In the center of the group stands a young child in a long coat, also holding a full-sized saber, likely a regimental mascot or a son of one of the officers. The fourth man from the left sports a Sharps carbine. Given the Plattsburgh backmark, these men are almost certainly members of the 16th New York Cavalry or the 26th New York Cavalry (Frontier Cavalry), both of which recruited heavily in the Clinton County area for service along the Canadian border and in the Virginia theaters. 

This is an exceptional example of a large-group military CDV, one of Rick Carlile's favorite genres. Producing a clear image with ten subjects required significant skill from the photographer to ensure all faces remained somewhat in focus. The composition is classic for the era, utilizing a studio column and painted backdrop to add a sense of formality. The display of cold steel—with sabers and carbines pointed toward the floor—creates a powerful visual statement of the unit's martial readiness and fraternal bond.

Chilly Plattsburgh, nestled on Lake Champlain, served as a vital mobilization point for New York’s northern tier. Hometown units like the 16th New York Cavalry saw significant action, including the pursuit of John Wilkes Booth following the Lincoln assassination. This photograph captures an impressive selection of the men (and boys) from a remote place who traded their quiet civilian lives for the saddle and saber. 

[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, Stereographs] [Civil War, Union, Confederate]

Good tonal range with clear facial details for a group of this size. The mount shows typical age-related edge wear, including a nicked top left corner, and light staining on the reverse.