3 1/4 x 2 in. photograph on cardstock mount with Hetzel's imprint on verso. Depicted is an African American soldier seated in a studio, his arm resting atop a book on a table at his side. The elements of the subject's uniform make it difficult to ascertain exact details about his service. Although he wears a pre-1874 hat device, he also appears to wear a ca 1885 blouse, suggesting that he could have been in the Regular Army, possibly the 25th Infantry, a "Buffalo Soldier" unit. It is also possible he was a bandsman.