CDV of Seated Federal Soldier "Ben Bishop" with No Backmark

This carte de visite depicts a seated Union soldier photographed during the American Civil War. The subject wears Federal military attire consistent with the period, though no visible insignia or studio imprint is present to conclusively identify his unit or the photographer.
 
The reverse of the card bears a modern handwritten inscription reading “Ben Bishop.” Because the handwriting is not contemporary to the Civil War era and lacks corroborating documentation, the name should be regarded as an attribution rather than a confirmed identification. Such later inscriptions are common on 19th-century photographs, often added by descendants, collectors, or dealers attempting to preserve an identity.
 
The absence of a photographer’s backmark suggests the image may have been produced by a small local studio, an itinerant photographer, or issued without a printed imprint, a practice not uncommon during the war years.
 
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the sitter’s identity, the photograph remains a representative example of Civil War–era soldier portraiture. It reflects the personal nature of cartes de visite, which were frequently sent home to family or kept as mementos during a time of national conflict.