This U.S. Army captain poses with a hand on his hip in the New York City studio of daguerreian pioneer Henry Earle Insley. One theory holds that the officer posed before leaving to fight in the Mexican War. The physical evidence supports this possibility as the absence of a preserver and the intact original seals point to a date before 1847.
The officer’s tall collar and tightly tailored frock coat—with sleeves cut close to the arm—reinforce this dating, as later styles favored looser fits. Particularly notable is the four-button cuff. Written regulations of the period generally specified three buttons, though the regulations could also be vague, leaving open the potential for interpretation. Evolving standards also played a role. Surviving examples support variability, with artillery officers sometimes associated with four.
Efforts to identify him, including efforts through Civil War Photo Sleuth, have yet to put a name to this captain’s face.
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