Extremely scarce and historically significant carte-de-visite of General George Armstrong Custer, bearing the simple printed caption “General Custer” on the lower mount. This image is widely considered the second-to-last photograph Custer posed for prior to his death at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876. The portrait—likely taken in 1875 or early 1876—shows Custer in civilian attire with close-cropped hair and his signature mustache, a notable departure from the flamboyant cavalry uniform and flowing locks seen in many earlier studio portraits.

This sober, introspective likeness captures Custer in the final months of his life, after his court-martial and subsequent return to command the 7th Cavalry, during a period marked by tension, ambition, and controversy.

CDVs of Custer taken this late are extremely rare and in strong demand among collectors of Western history, military ephemera, and photography of the Indian Wars. A powerful artifact directly tied to one of the most infamous figures and pivotal episodes in 19th-century American history.