Private Olie Swanson, an Iowa Civil War soldier, is portrayed in this albumen CDV set within an elaborately printed ornamental oval border of scrollwork, tassels, and foliate tracery that frames the bust-length portrait. The card format and printing style are consistent with early-to-mid 1860s production. No photographer's imprint is visible on the reverse.

Swanson wears a dark Union infantry sack coat with a single-breasted row of small buttons and a piped standing collar, paired with a light-colored forage cap bearing a dark band. His expression is direct and composed, his gaze angled slightly upward from the camera.

Iowa furnished more than 76,000 men to the Union Army during the Civil War, organized into infantry, cavalry, and artillery regiments; privates such as Swanson formed the backbone of that contribution. The printed ornamental mount, uncommon on standard CDVs, suggests this card was produced by a studio offering decorative presentation options popular during the war years.

The reverse bears a period ink inscription in cursive script reading "Private Olie Swanson," with an additional partially legible line below.

From the collection of James Lee Soffer