Full-length studio albumen CDV of two Union officers. Philadelphia: B. F. Reimer, No. 624 Arch St., [ca. 1861-3]. Photographer's imprint to mount verso. Period pencil inscription to mount verso reads: "Capt. E. D. / Killed at the Battle of Gettysburg."

The reverse of this carte-de-visite bears a somber 19th-century inscription identifying the subject as "Capt. E. D. Killed at the Battle of Gettysburg." This poignant "mystery" portrait, which vexed even Rick, represents a significant research opportunity for a dedicated Civil War historian. 

This double portrait likely captures a pair of Pennsylvania officers prior to their departure for the front. The seated officer on the left wears a shorter officer's sack coat, while the standing officer on the right — taller and bearded — wears a long frock coat and impressive knee-high boots. Both men display captain's shoulder straps. Given the Philadelphia backmark and the specific notation of his death at Gettysburg, "Capt. E. D." is likely a member of one of the many Pennsylvania units engaged during the three-day struggle.

This carte is a classic example of wartime fraternal portraiture by B.F. Reimer, whose Arch Street studio was a prolific source of images for Philadelphia's departing volunteers. The composition captures the camaraderie common among officers of the same company or regiment. The presence of the "Killed at Gettysburg" notation adds a layer of tragic documentary weight, transforming a standard studio pose into a memorial artifact of the war's most famous turning point. 

[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]