[Sergeant in frock coat, Russian knot epaulette, aiguillette]

Archive record

1 photographic print on cabinet card ; 16.5 x 11 cm. | Photograph shows a half-length portrait of an African American soldier in dress uniform.

About this photograph

This photograph shows a half-length portrait of an African American soldier wearing dress uniform with a frock coat, Russian knot epaulette, and aiguillette. The record dates it to 1870. Luke Otis created the image, which was printed as a cabinet card.

The sitter's name does not appear in the archive record. Studio portraiture held particular significance in Black communities during this period, when published depictions of African Americans were largely caricatures. A formal sitting was an assertion of dignity and standing. Black-owned studios served clientele that white studios often refused or treated poorly, and catalogue records of the era commonly left Black sitters unnamed while identifying white ones.

The uniform details suggest a non-commissioned officer's dress regalia, though the record provides no information about the soldier's unit, service history, or circumstances of the sitting.

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

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