December 7th Militaria and Aviation Auction
Lot 84:
Description
This is a rare and compelling Carte de Visite CDV photograph, likely dating from the 1860s, depicting a distinguished officer wearing a uniform strongly resembling those worn by French or Zouave style units. The officer is shown in a three-quarter length studio pose, leaning on a classical column. He wears a dark, skirted frock coat or tunic featuring multiple buttons, and distinctive, fringed epaulets on the shoulders, suggesting a high or non-commissioned officer rank. His dark uniform and skirted coat are characteristic of the French-influenced uniforms popular in the mid-19th century, particularly among some Union and Confederate Zouave regiments during the American Civil War. Significantly, the officer is wearing two visible military medals pinned to his chest, indicating combat service or distinction. The reverse of the card features two different studio imprints from Boston, Massachusetts: a circular stamp for Wm. E. Abbott & Co. and an oval stamp for Silsbee, Case & Co. The handwriting on the back reads Roney or Rarey, which may be the soldier s name or a later collector note. This photograph is a valuable and unusual piece of military portraiture due to the officer s decorated status and the unique combination of the Zouave-style uniform and Boston photographic provenance.
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