Unique Cabinet Card Showing Adolescents From Military Academy- Includes Children and African American Cadets!

A sepia-toned image of a group of twenty adolescents ranging in age and dressed in cadet uniforms, holding weapons and flags, and posed in front of a large tree. Among the pictured are several children and a young African American teenager found in the second row. The photograph card is adorned with gilt beveled edges, with gold, embossed lettering on the bottom border declaring the photographers as the Pach Brothers Studio of New York City.  8" x 10", n.d., New York, NY. Even toning to image surface with bumped corners and scratching to the board throughout. Overall wonderful condition- a unique piece!

Historically, the United States military has often seen children and adolescents among their recruits, enlisting in both combative and non-combative positions (i.e., drummer or flautist). Most notably during the Civil War, it is estimated that around 100,000 Union soldiers were 15 years of age or younger. While the boys pictured here were being trained well after 1865, circa late nineteenth-early twentieth century, it is possible they used similar methods of enlistment as their earlier counterparts, such as being sponsored by an adult or simply lying about their age.

The Pach Brothers Studio was founded in the wake of the Civil War in 1867 by German-born brothers Gustavus, Gotthelf, and Morris. Together, they photographed hundreds of subjects- both ordinary and notable- among them including former president Benjamin Harrison and philanthropist George Foster Peabody. They moved to their location on 935 Broadway in 1895, although a fire which occurred two years later would destroy a number of their negatives.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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