Image is of Dr. Reed B. Bontecou posed by a chair on which he rests his left arm. He wears a dark forage cap, dark mounted overcoat open to reveal a double-breasted frock coat and matching dark trousers. At his waist is his belt with a rectangular plate with a script “US” within a wreath.

Image has good clarity and contrast. Paper and mount have light surface dirt. Image has a very slight crease line across the center but this is only visible when the light hits it at the proper angle.

Reverse has photographer’s imprint in small lettering at bottom. It is for RINTOUL & ROCKWOOD…N.Y. Top of reverse has a modern ID in pencil. Image is from the doctors photo album.

Reed Brockway Bontecou was born in Troy, New York on April 22, 1824. His findagrave.com biography reads;

“…he attended High School Academy and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy and received an medical degree from the Castleton Medical College, Vermont in 1847. He is especially noted for his pioneering efforts to photograph and catalog the wounds of Soldiers in the Civil War and document the use of reconstructive surgery efforts. Dr. Bontecou was commissioned as Surgeon of the 2nd New York Volunteer Infantry (also called "the First Troy Regiment") in April 1861. In September 1861 he was promoted to brigade surgeon, and was present at the first major land battle of the Civil War, Big Bethel, Virginia. He was a witness to the battle between the Monitor and the Merrimac at Hampton Roads, Virginia and was also present at the capture of Yorktown, Virginia. He was placed in charge of the Hygeia Army Hospital at Fortress Monroe, Virginia. Later, he served as chief medical officer of all hospitals at Beaufort, South Carolina as well as the hospital steamer "Cosmopolitan" lying off Charleston during the siege of that city. From October 1863 to May 1866 he served as Chief Surgeon in charge of Harewood U. S. Military Hospital in Washington, D.C. After the war he returned to Troy, New York and continued his medical practice.

Dr. Bontecou died Troy on March 27, 1907 and is buried there in Oakwood Cemetery.     [ad]

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