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Offered here is an exceptional two-photograph group centered on Corporal John A. Johnson, identified as an Artificer in Company B, 20th Kansas Volunteer Infantry, with one portrait clearly dated just before overseas service in the Spanish-American War / Philippine campaign period.
The group includes:
1. Cabinet card portrait
A sharply presented studio portrait of John A. Johnson, taken by Holler, 8 Sixth St., San Francisco, California, and inscribed on the reverse:
“J. A. Johnson
Sept. 14th 1898”
Johnson is shown in military dress seated in studio pose, wearing a campaign hat bearing “20” above crossed rifles and the letter “B,” identifying Company B, 20th Kansas Volunteer Infantry.
2. Tintype portrait
An earlier or later civilian tintype portrait, included with the cabinet card and appearing to show the same mustached man in civilian dress with bowler hat. It is offered together with the identified military portrait as found.
This lot has strong appeal because it ties a named enlisted man to a specific volunteer regiment raised for the Spanish-American War. The cabinet card was made in San Francisco in September 1898, during the regiment’s period of staging on the West Coast before deployment to the Philippines. That gives the image excellent historical context and makes it much more desirable than an anonymous volunteer portrait.
The 20th Kansas Volunteer Infantry is remembered for service in the Philippine theater, and Company B forms part of that larger wartime story. The identified role of Artificer adds another level of interest, as such men served in skilled technical or support-related functions within the company structure.
This lot should appeal to collectors of:
Spanish-American War photography
Philippine Insurrection-era material
Kansas volunteer regiment history
named military portraits
U.S. Army volunteer ephemera
identified cabinet cards and tintypes
What makes this group especially attractive is the combination of:
a fully named and dated military cabinet card
a specific regiment and company
San Francisco pre-deployment context
and a second portrait that appears to preserve the same man in civilian life
Condition:
Original antique condition with expected wear from age and handling. The cabinet card remains attractive overall with normal light wear. The tintype shows more evident wear, including edge loss, spotting, emulsion wear, and condition issues visible in the photographs. Please review all images carefully for exact condition.
Original period photographs, not reproductions.
