Photograph of Alexander II, Emperor of Russia. He is sitting in an ornate chair facing the camera, his right elbow resting on the arm of the chair. He is wearing military uniform with insignia and his plumed helmet is on the wooden table beside him to the left. Alexander II was Emperor of Russia from 1855 until his assassination in 1881. The Emancipation of the Serfs and the sale of Alaska to the United States were among the notable events of his reign.