Quarter plate tintype studio portrait depicting two Civil War–era soldiers seated side by side and engaged in a deliberate handshake across a small table. One soldier wears a military jacket bearing three sleeve chevrons, identifying him as a non-commissioned officer at the rank of sergeant. Both men are dressed in period military attire consistent with mid-19th-century service uniforms. The image is housed in a thermoplastic case with a gilt mat.

The handshake is an unusually direct and intentional gesture within Civil War photography. While studio portraits of soldiers are common, images showing physical interaction between sitters are distinctly uncommon, as photographic conventions of the period favored rigid poses and minimal movement due to exposure constraints and social norms. The clasped hands suggest a posed expression of fellowship or mutual regard rather than a casual moment.

The tintype presents a rare example of interpersonal gesture in Civil War portraiture, offering a striking departure from standard soldier images of the era. The visible chessboard-like table surface and symmetrical composition reinforce the formal studio setting, while the handshake remains the dominant and defining visual element of the photograph.