A Union soldier fills the frame of this sixth plate tintype, seated squarely and staring directly into the lens with a composed, unyielding expression. The image is housed in a leather case and presented beneath a richly embossed gilt patriotic mat, the border cast with American flags, a sailing warship, a field cannon, and the motto "Constitution and Union" running along the left column. The photographer's label on the case spine reads "...dbridge Photographing Co.," partially legible but clearly attributing the work to a commercial studio.

The soldier wears a single-breasted Union sack coat with a column of small brass buttons running from collar to waist, and his hands rest folded across his lap. Most notably, a "US" oval belt plate is clearly visible at his waist, and a second small gilt letter or numeral, appearing to read "80," is positioned just to the right, likely indicating a regimental or company designation. His dark hair is swept up from the forehead, and a short beard frames his jaw.

The "US" oval belt plate was standard Union Army infantry equipment throughout the Civil War, and the additional numeral beside it points to a specific unit affiliation, making this portrait an above-average example of identified Federal military material culture from the 1861 to 1865 period.

The case spine bears a partial paper label printed in red reading "...dbridge Photographing Co." The mat bottom edge includes an embossed date that appears to read "July 4, 1876," suggesting the patriotic mat was a Centennial-era production used to rehouse or reframe the image.

From the collection of James Lee Soffer