A young Iowa Civil War soldier occupies the center of this albumen CDV, presented as an oval vignette portrait consistent with studio practice of the 1861 to 1865 period. The format, mount stock, and printing tone all point firmly to a Civil War-era date of production. No photographer's imprint appears on the reverse.

The soldier wears a dark infantry frock coat with a double row of small buttons running from collar to chest, consistent with Union enlisted dress. He sports a short chin beard with clean-shaven cheeks, has dark wavy hair swept back from the forehead, and meets the camera with a steady, composed expression. A white shirt collar is visible at the throat beneath the coat's standing collar.

Iowa contributed more than 75,000 men to the Union cause across 48 infantry regiments, 9 cavalry regiments, and 4 artillery batteries, giving this portrait a strong provenance within one of the most actively recruited Union states of the war. The reverse of the mount carries no inscription, annotation, or studio imprint.

From the collection of James Lee Soffer