Paired ninth plate tintypes depicting two unidentified men, each presented in a separate window of a double cased arrangement. Both men wear dark jackets, waistcoats, white shirts, and bow ties, posed in a conventional studio portrait format. Affixed prominently to the left breast of each jacket is a fabric cockade, rendered as a circular rosette with visible folded construction and trailing ribbon elements. The images are tintypes and appear contemporaneous, likely intended as a matched or companion set.

Cockades were decorative rosettes made of folded ribbon or fabric, traditionally worn on hats or clothing as symbols of political allegiance, military service, civic participation, or commemoration. In the 19th century United States, cockades were commonly associated with elections, patriotic celebrations, militia or volunteer service, and public ceremonies. They were frequently worn during wartime or political campaigns and served as immediately recognizable visual statements of affiliation or support, even when no uniform was present.

In these portraits, the cockades function as the dominant identifying feature, deliberately positioned and clearly meant to be read by the viewer. Their inclusion suggests participation in a civic, political, or patriotic event rather than casual adornment. The sitters’ formal attire, combined with the prominent rosettes, reflects the mid-19th century studio practice of marking personal identity and public loyalty through dress rather than through inscriptions.

The tintypes are housed in a hinged double case with matching ornate gilt brass mats and red velvet liners. The paired presentation reinforces that the portraits were meant to be viewed together. No photographer’s imprint, inscriptions, or identifying text are visible.