This sixth-plate ambrotype comes from the collection of the late Bill Turner, well known Virginia Civil War collector and dealer. The image shows a drummer posed standing, from about the knees up, with his drum suspended at his side and holding his drumsticks, ready to play. He wears a nine-button jacket, with the buttons’ gilt by the photographer and the drum sling delicately tinted red. At the left edge of the image we see some draped fabric with tinted alternating red, white and blue stripes, also very deftly done, most likely a flag.

The soldier’s jacket and pants seem to be of the same color, which comes across as a gray. The jacket has shoulder tabs. Two gilded buttons show on his cuff at left. He holds his drumsticks with the tips against the head of the drum. The photographer also carefully tinted the rim of the drum red. The drum is a full-size military side drum and the resolution is good enough to the shows the ropes and even the edge of the flesh hoop beneath the rim. The soldier wears a kepi or forage cap that appears to have been dark and blends in with the background, though there is possibly a number or letter on the front of the cap.

The ambrotype has some scratches at lower left and some solarization that do not overly detract from the rare subject matter. The image is housed in a Scovill “Union Case” with its label in the back of the case and decorated with floral motifs. The case is separated with the pins apparently having pulled out from the lower portion of the hinges- advertised in back of the case as their “fine gilt and burnished hinge,” but it displays well with facing pad, mat, glass and frame in place. The back of the ambrotype was re-blacked to bring out the image again, a frequent problem when the black varnish flakes off from the back of the glass plate. Bill acquired many of his images directly from families and the descendants of soldiers. In this case we have no name to go with the image, but it presents very strongly. [SR] [ph:L]

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