Carte-de-visite studio portrait of the noted Western scout known as “California Joe,” shown full-length in frontier attire with arms crossed, a revolver worn at the waist, and tall boots. Albumen photograph on a standard CDV mount. The subject is identified in period ink beneath the image as “California Joe.” The studio imprint on the verso reads Bosco & Penelon, Photographers, Downey’s Block, Main Street, Los Angeles, California, placing the photograph firmly in the post Civil War Western studio tradition.

“California Joe” was the nickname of Joseph Milner, a well-documented frontier scout and plainsman active from the 1850s through the mid-1870s. He worked extensively as a civilian guide for the U.S. Army and is most closely associated with George A. Custer, serving as a scout and hunter during Plains campaigns in the late 1860s. Contemporary military memoirs and frontier accounts frequently reference him as an experienced woodsman and tracker, and his appearance became emblematic of the professional scout of the postwar West.

The photograph presents California Joe in a composed studio setting rather than the field, emphasizing his public identity and reputation rather than a candid likeness. The Los Angeles backmark is uncommon and suggests a Western distribution rather than an Eastern copy image. The mount is plain, without additional printed advertising beyond the photographer’s imprint, reinforcing the focus on the subject himself as a recognizable frontier figure.