[Full-length portrait of an African American veteran and GAR member, standing on rug between table and chair]

Archive record

1 photographic print on cabinet card ; 16.5 x 11 cm.

About this photograph

This photograph shows an unidentified African American man who served in the Civil War and belonged to the Grand Army of the Republic, the Union veterans' organization. The image was made in 1866, within a year of the war's end.

Studio portraiture held particular significance in Black communities during this period. Sitting for a formal portrait was a deliberate assertion of dignity at a time when published images of African Americans were largely caricatures. The man posed in full length between furnishings, a formal arrangement typical of cabinet card photography.

The catalogue record leaves him unnamed. This absence reflects common record-keeping practices of the era, which frequently identified white sitters while leaving Black ones anonymous, rather than any lack of importance on his part.

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

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