This image of an unidentified Union officer clowning around is a rare and famous departure from the typically stoic military portraits of the 1860s. Captured around 1863, this quarter-plate tintype shows the soldier performing a classic gesture of mockery or “thumbing his nose.”
Photography in the 1860s was still relatively new and technically demanding. Most portraits required long exposure times (several seconds or more), so subjects had to hold perfectly still, which is why so many Civil War photos show stiff, serious expressions. Humorous or candid shots like this one are quite rare because holding a silly face steady without laughing or moving was challenging.
Soldiers (especially in camp) often had downtime between battles or during sieges, and photography studios or traveling photographers near camps allowed them to send portraits home. This unknown officer clearly decided to have some fun instead of the standard stoic pose. It humanizes the era, reminding us that even amid one of America’s bloodiest conflicts, soldiers found moments of levity, boredom relief, and personality.
The photo’s exact location isn't definitively recorded in most sources, though some mentions loosely associate similar images with places like the Siege of Petersburg, Virginia (1864–65). The identity of the officer remains unknown, it’s one of those charming “anonymous” artifacts of history that pops up frequently in collections, books, and social media posts about Civil War photography.
It’s a great example of how tintypes captured not just the gravity of war, but also the everyday humanity and humor of the people living through it. The image has circulated widely online precisely because it’s so relatable and unexpected from that period.
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