Col. S.M. Pollock, an Iowa Civil War soldier, is portrayed in this albumen CDV dating to the 1860s. The image is printed within an elaborate decorative oval border printed directly on the card mount, a style popular during the Civil War era. No photographer's imprint is visible on the reverse.

Pollock wears a dark frock coat with two rows of buttons arranged in the double-breasted pattern characteristic of Union officer dress, with the collar buttoned high at the throat. His dark hair falls to ear length, and he wears a neat chin beard with a clean-shaven upper lip. His expression is composed and direct, and the bust-length pose centers him squarely within the decorative printed cartouche, which features scrollwork, tassels, and foliate ornament surrounding the oval vignette.

Samuel M. Pollock served as Colonel of the 13th Iowa Infantry during the Civil War, leading the regiment through engagements including Shiloh and the Vicksburg campaign before mustering out in 1864.

The reverse bears a period ink inscription reading "Col. S.M. Pollock" in a cursive hand.

From the collection of James Lee Soffer