FRAMED UNION PRIVATE IN AN INFANTRY OVERCOAT, PERHAPS A WARTIME CASUALTY

$95.00 SOLD

Quantity Available: None

Item Code: 1054-844

This is one of several large format framed albumen photos of soldiers that we took in and represent and interesting category of collecting. They show the use of a photo of the soldier in uniform that he sent home to his family as a memento, which they later used to make a larger photograph to display on a wall. In some cases, this was simply to note his service for visitors to the home, but in many cases it was a memorial photo for the family, who had no other image of their lost relative.

This shows a soldier seated in a photographer’s studio with a brocade curtain at left rear and a draped table at right, upon which the soldier rests his elbow, next to a book. (It was common to use a bible, but close inspection often reveals that photographers were not particular in their reading matter, and some are actually photograph albums.) The soldier looks directly into the camera lens, and the facial detail is quite good. He wears the chin whiskers popular at the time and has combed is somewhat long hair back and out of the way. He wears a regulation, issue infantry overcoat, and one cuff is rolled back, exposing a button of what is likely an infantry frock coat underneath. He has certainly dressed for cold weather and it is not too much to suppose that he might be one of the many soldiers signing up in the Fall of 1861, after it became clear that the war was not going to be a short affair.

The photo is matted and housed in its original frame. We have not removed the backboard, but it looks like the collector may have placed a piece of acid-free paper between the board and the back of the card mount, a good idea. The image has a few minor stains, but nothing egregious. The photographer touched up the line of his shoulders. The reversal of the button arrangement shows the image he worked from was a tintype, a medium preferred by some soldiers as less subject to damage when sent home.  [SR]

Please note: this frame contains glass; click here for our policy for shipment of framed items containing glass.

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