| A great rarity. This tintype, matted to the size of a Carte de Visite depicts an unidentified Iowa Cavalryman from around 1865. He wears the typical shell jacket which has the buttons picked out in gold paint. What sets this image apart from most other Civil War photographs is the fact that this soldier is armed with a 3rd Model Colt Dragoon revolver. Technically these pistols were obsolete before the war began but they were pressed into service due to the extreme shortage of all type of firearms. Photographs showing any of these early Colt "Horse Pistols" are amongst the rarest of the rare. This image was found inside an old trunk in Iowa. The matt bears the patent date of 1865. Carte de Visite-sized Tintype (Ferrotype) Unknown Photographer Iowa, USA c. 1865 |
