Full Plate Hand-Tinted Tintype of General George Armstrong Custer / SOLD

Description

Full Plate Hand-Tinted Tintype of General George Armstrong Custer

 

A rare and visually commanding full plate tintype portrait of Brevet Major General George Armstrong Custer (1839–1876). Custer is shown seated in uniform, wearing a dark double-breasted frock coat with shoulder straps tinted in gold to indicate his general’s rank. His buttons are also gilt-highlighted, while his face and hands have been delicately tinted in flesh tones. Custer’s long flowing hair, mustache, and wide-brimmed slouch hat—hallmarks of his flamboyant wartime persona—are prominently displayed. The portrait is housed in its original oval gilt mat and frame, measuring approximately 7 ¼” x 10” overall.

 

Custer graduated last in his class at West Point in 1861 but quickly rose to fame for his audacious cavalry leadership during the Civil War. He first distinguished himself during the Peninsula Campaign and later at Gettysburg, where he led repeated saber charges that helped blunt Confederate cavalry under J.E.B. Stuart. By war’s end, Custer had attained the brevet rank of major general at just 25 years old, one of the youngest generals in the Union Army. He was present at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865, when General Lee surrendered to General Grant, further cementing his place in the nation’s history.

 

Following the war, Custer remained a national celebrity and was assigned to command cavalry in the West during the Indian Wars. His fame, however, became permanently linked to his controversial defeat at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876, where he and much of his 7th Cavalry command were annihilated by combined Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho forces under Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse.

 

Large-format tintypes of Civil War generals are exceptionally scarce, particularly of a figure as renowned and flamboyant as Custer. The full plate format, combined with hand-tinting, makes this a striking display piece as well as a historically significant artifact. Such portraits were often treasured keepsakes or display items, meant to honor one of the Union’s most dramatic and controversial heroes.

 

Minor surface wear and spotting consistent with age, excellent clarity and tonal preservation. The hand-coloring remains vivid, and the plate displays beautifully under original glass. An outstanding and museum-worthy portrait of one of the Civil War’s most famous—and infamous—generals.

 

Inventory Number: HAR 236