A seated Union officer fills this albumen CDV, identified on the reverse in period script as a Brevet Brigadier General from Iowa, dating the photograph to the Civil War era or its immediate aftermath. The carte-de-visite format was the dominant portrait medium of the 1860s, and the plain cream ground and direct frontal pose are characteristic of studio work from that period. No photographer's imprint is visible on the mount.

The officer wears a double-breasted dark frock coat with two rows of large brass buttons, shoulder straps indicating general officer rank, and a waist belt with a circular eagle plate. A long, full beard and slightly windswept dark hair frame a composed, direct gaze. His hands rest across his lap in a relaxed seated pose against a plain, light background.

Brevet rank was awarded by the Union Army for gallant or meritorious service, and Iowa furnished numerous officers who received brevet promotions by war's end. The reverse inscription reads "Brevet Brig[adier] Gen[eral]" followed by a partially legible surname that begins with the letters "R. Gird." or similar, offering a promising lead for further identification research.

The reverse bears a handwritten inscription in pencil identifying the subject as a Brevet Brigadier General from Iowa. No photographer's imprint is present on either side of the mount.

From the collection of James Lee Soffer