Quarter plate tintype. Half leatherette case. 

A fine portrait of a Union infantryman standing on the bare ground next to a photographer's prop column. Interestingly, a small American flag was wedged into the top of the column to add martial flair. This unique studio setup is associated with Pennsylvania troops, although the specific photographer is, thus far, unknown. While unidentified, the crude studio suggests this soldier was "in the field" when his photo was made.

The solider wears a somewhat scarce M1855 Rifleman's buckle, a two-piece brass buckle copied from the French 1847 Chasseur-a-pied buckle. His associated wide leather belt was intended to support not only a cartridge box worn on the waist but also the heavy brass-hilted saber bayonet that fit a Model 1855 rifle. This rig never caught on, as the Army favored the .58 caliber rifled musket, and its troops preferred their over-the-shoulder cartridge boxes.

[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]