Sixth plate hand-gilt ambrotype. Half leatherette case. Anonymous artist.

Considered one of the premier images in the recovered Herb Peck Collection, the subject of this ambrotype could be mistaken for a schoolboy. The young Confederate wields an enormous bowie knife, the symbol of southern defiance.

Confederate leaders repeatedly insisted that ultimate victory would hinge on contributions from nearly all of its citizenry. This portrait of an improbable child soldier and his impractical weapon serves as testament to the sacrifices made to meet their call to arms.

An iconic portrait that illustrates Herb Peck’s taste and eye for quality.








[Daguerreotype, Ambrotype, Tintype, Carte-de-visite, CDV, Albumen, Mexican War, Mexican American War, Civil War, Slavery, Abolitionist, Abraham Lincoln, Robert E. Lee, Early Photography]

Provenance: Herb Peck assembled one of the first and greatest collections of historic American photography before it was stolen in 1978 from his Nashville home. Once thought lost forever, authorities recently traced an unexpected clue and discovered many of Herb’s images unscathed after nearly 45 years in hiding. These daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, and tintypes comprise one of the most important collections of Civil War portrait photography ever curated. Herb Peck was a true pioneer who understood both the historic and artistic merit of portraits showing the common Civil War soldier at a time when they were often overlooked. These photographs are deeply important to our shared American history, and Fleischer's Auctions is proud to make them publicly available on behalf of the Peck family.

As represented. For a full condition report, please email us.