[Buffalo soldier, African American officer, Lt. 1st Infantry, four button sack with crossed rifles and "1" on kepi]

Archive record

1 photographic print on cabinet card ; 17 x 11 cm. | Photograph shows head and shoulder portrait of an African American young man in uniform and hat.

About this photograph

The record identifies this officer as a lieutenant in the 1st Infantry, wearing a four-button sack coat with crossed rifles and the numeral "1" on his kepi. The photograph is dated to 1866, the year after the Civil War ended, and was produced by Staley Bros.

Studio portraiture carried particular weight in Black communities at this time, when published images of African Americans were overwhelmingly caricatures. Sitting for a formal portrait was a deliberate assertion of dignity and standing. The sitter remains unidentified in the archive record, a pattern that reflects the record-keeping practices of the period rather than the subject's identity or importance.

The crossed rifles insignia indicates infantry service. The four-button sack coat was standard military issue during and immediately after the war.

Compiled from the catalogue record and reference notes on the formats and events involved. The archive record above is the primary source.

About the format

Rights & Attribution

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