c. 1862. Sixth plate hand-tinted & gilt ambrotype. Leatherette case. Anonymous artist.

Another marquee portrait in the recovered Herb Peck Collection. The Confederate soldier featured here maintains a steady demeanor as he displays two large pistols tucked into his belt. One is a rarely seen m1858 Starr revolver. The subject’s gray jacket with black collar and cuff details peg him as an infantryman. His uniform strongly resembles some worn by Louisiana Infantry units.

The highlight of this image is its extreme clarity. The soldier’s face is in perfect focus, cooly appraising the viewer through the camera’s lens. While the subject’s name may be lost to the ages, his portrait survives as a powerful reminder of the many citizen soldiers who left their families and peacetime occupations for the battlefront.


[Daguerreotype, Ambrotype, Tintype, Carte-de-visite, CDV, Albumen, Mexican War, Mexican American War, Civil War, Slavery, Abolitionist, Abraham Lincoln, Robert E. Lee, Early Photography]

Provenance: Herb Peck assembled one of the first and greatest collections of historic American photography before it was stolen in 1978 from his Nashville home. Once thought lost forever, authorities recently traced an unexpected clue and discovered many of Herb’s images unscathed after nearly 45 years in hiding. These daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, and tintypes comprise one of the most important collections of Civil War portrait photography ever curated. Herb Peck was a true pioneer who understood both the historic and artistic merit of portraits showing the common Civil War soldier at a time when they were often overlooked. These photographs are deeply important to our shared American history, and Fleischer's Auctions is proud to make them publicly available on behalf of the Peck family.

As represented. For a full condition report, please email us.