CDV of 2nd Illinois Cav. Capt. Sterling P. Delano Taken By Female Photographer

This carte de visite portrays Captain Sterling P. Delano, an officer of Company L, 2nd Illinois Cavalry, a Union regiment that served in the Western Theater during the early years of the American Civil War. Delano enlisted in Quincy, Illinois, on August 24, 1861, where this photograph was taken, likely shortly after his entry into service.
The image was produced by Mrs. W. A. Reed of Quincy, Illinois, a notable example of a female professional photographer working during the Civil War era. Women photographers were relatively uncommon at the time, making this CDV significant not only as a military portrait but also as evidence of women’s participation in 19th-century photographic commerce.
 
Captain Delano did not die in battle but succumbed to disease on April 27, 1862, a fate shared by a large proportion of Civil War soldiers, as illness claimed far more lives than combat. The photograph thus stands as a poignant prewar or early-war likeness, preserving the image of an officer whose service was brief yet representative of the sacrifices made by volunteer soldiers.
 
As a locally produced Civil War CDV, this photograph reflects both the personal commemoration of military service and the broader role of small-town studios in documenting the Union war effort.