Fine quarter-plate ambrotype depicting an unidentified Union enlisted man standing at attention with his long arm. The soldier wears what appears to be the distinctive New York State Model 1861 jacket, with short body, standing collar, shoulder straps, and exterior breast pocket, together with a military fatigue cap and oval waist-belt plate. The uniform strongly suggests a New York volunteer, dating the image to approximately 1861–1862.

The image is housed in its period case with a striking red velvet pad embossed with the eagle and J. H. Whitehurst Galleries imprint. Jesse Harrison Whitehurst was one of the most prominent American photographers of the antebellum and Civil War era, operating galleries in several major cities. During the war his Washington, D.C. studio at 434 Pennsylvania Avenue photographed numerous Union soldiers, making Washington a likely, though not certain, location for this portrait.

The image remains clear and well defined, with minor age-related surface imperfections and a small area of loss at the upper right. A particularly desirable Civil War military ambrotype combining a full-standing armed soldier, distinctive state uniform, and association with one of the period's best-known photographic establishments.

Richard Ferry Military Antiques, Florida’s largest Civil War dealer.

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