This is an extremely rare portrait of a Napoleonic veteran.

The large colored albumen print is mounted on the original cardboard. Unfortunately this cardboard has been cut in the past.
The name and regiment of the sitter is still visible: Dorigny, 12e Régiment de la Garde Impériale, Campagnes _ 1813 à 1814'.
Dorigny is decorated with the medal of Saint Hélène. The one Napoleon III introduced for all living veterans of the Napoleonic wars. The 12th regiment of the Young Guard was raised on 6 April 1813 and disbanded on 12 May 1814 after the Napoleon's first abdication. He must have seen action at Haynau, Hoogstraten, Maubeuge and Paris.

It is very rare to find photographs of Napoleonic veterans still wearing their uniform. We read on the website of the Anne S. K. Brown: "These remarkable photographs provide probably the only surviving images of veterans of the Grande Armée and the Guard actually wearing their original uniforms and insignia, although some of the uniforms have obviously been recut by tailors of the 1850's".

Although the cardboard has been cut, the address '4. Rue Frochot, Quartier ...' is still visible. It's here where Erwin Hanfstaengl (Erwin frères) had his Paris studio from 1863 on. We found several CdV's of the Erwin frères who had the same furniture and studio decoration.
Interesting to have identified the photographer of this portrait because another part of these portraits is currently in the collection of the The Anne S. K. Brown Military Collection. These portraits are of an 'unknown' maker and not tinted. Because of the same furniture, style, format and topic we can almost certainly say these portraits are also made by Erwin Hanfstaengl in Paris around 1863. Of course the photo session could have been earlier on his other address (Rue Frochot, 2). He started as a photographer in 1853.

ca. 1863
photograph: ca. 31,3 x 23,4 cm
cardboard: ca. 37,4 x 23,4 cm
signed with an unknown name (photographer or colorist?)

Literature: The Anne S. K. Brown Military Collection. These fascinating photographs are published in several publications about the Napoleonic wars.