Full-length studio portrait albumen CDV. Upton's Hill, VA: Army Photograph and Ambrotype Gallery, [circa 1861-1862]. Photographer's imprint to mount verso. Research pencil identification to mount verso reads: "Benjamin A. Hart / Co H. 24th NY / WIA 8-30-62 / ID'd from Tom Harris Collection."

This evocative full-length portrait captures Benjamin A. Hart of the 24th New York Infantry, exuding the rugged, pragmatic demeanor of a veteran campaigner. Hart is posed standing in his four-button sack coat, with his trousers tucked practically into tall marching boots. He holds field glasses in his right hand, as if to scan the horizon for Rebels. Tucked casually into his belt, just above his US oval buckle, is a pocket revolver, while a cap box rests on his hip. The image bears the highly desirable field gallery imprint of the Army Photograph and Ambrotype Gallery at Upton's Hill, Virginia, placing the sitting directly in the winter encampments of the Army of the Potomac.

The pencil notation on the reverse grounds this striking portrait in one of the Eastern Theater's most brutal engagements. Benjamin Hart and the 24th New York Infantry (the Oswego County Regiment) were part of the famed "Iron Brigade of the East" under General John P. Hatch. They fought desperately at the Second Battle of Bull Run (Manassas) on 30 August 1862. The regiment was heavily engaged during the Union assaults against Stonewall Jackson's entrenched lines along the unfinished railroad grade, suffering devastating casualties in a matter of minutes. Hart was among those wounded in action during this bloody tactical defeat, adding profound historical gravity to this encampment portrait.

[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]

The image is in good to very good condition, featuring a strong, slightly warm tonal range that clearly delineates Hart's facial features and his customized field gear. The albumen surface shows minor surface wear and a light horizontal crease across the lower legs, consistent with period handling and album storage.