Now this is cool

[Chris Suppelsa]

http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/10434.html

This should generate some quality discussion. Have at it boys.


P.S. Is there some type of softwear program you can buy that allows you to do the same thing with other images? I'm not what you would call a computer literate person.

[johnf1862]

Chris, that is really great. First thing I noticed were the 2 men if you zoom in about 1 inch below and then 1 inch to the left of center were carrying axes inside of their coats with the head sticking out between the buttons. Secondly there is some very interesting headwear and scarves/blankets, possibly folding slouches??

[MPDoughBoy153]

Their shoes look to be in pretty decent shape......

[Chris Suppelsa]

What are they hanging out the windows? Blankets?

There appears to be a lot of Richmond Depot clothing.

[Chris Suppelsa]

Whats that thing with four rods in the front center of the photograph? Look to the left of the first line of men and you will see what I mean.

[Mojo1842]

Chris, that is really great. First thing I noticed were the 2 men if you zoom in about 1 inch below and then 1 inch to the left of center were carrying axes inside of their coats with the head sticking out between the buttons. Secondly there is some very interesting headwear and scarves/blankets, possibly folding slouches??

Some of the men behind the ones with the axes/hatchets in their coats seem to be holding a square and a straightedge of a rule of some kind. Is there any record of a construction or repair detail? It could be possible also that the rods were used somehow in construction or surveying.

[CYoungJSU]

It looks like there is a gentleman with something that resembles a square to the right of the four rods. Also, there is a gentleman holding a saw at the extreme right side of the picture. I also notice what seems to be a spattering of civilian frock coats throughout the photo. Pretty neat image!!

Chris

[Marc29thGA]

It is a nice assortment of headgear. A good smattering of forage caps with hat brass – seem to be dark blue. I was able to see three corporals; two with “curved” and one with “straight” chevrons.

In the foreground is a mechanical device of sorts. Is that a style of hand cranked water pump?

A very interesting photo indeed; whatever the software is, it is a fantastic feature and great clarity when you zoom it.

[Rob]

It's Macromedia Shockwave Flash, now owned by Adobe. It would appear that they borrowed some ideas from LizardTech's MrSID viewer.

[Chris Suppelsa]

The officer guy in the front row looks like he still has his sidearm.

[VA-Patriot'61]

I like the variance in uniforms and also the handful of belts that can be seen, one man wearing the British import two piece snake buckle... very neat!

[bholt61stny]

It looks like the rods in question could be one. The man hold it was probably moving it while the photo was being taken. Some of the rods look transparent and from the looks of it and in relative position to his body his hand is in the center of the pole and that being blurry too leads me to think that he was moving it. But anyway the image is great.

[HighPrvt]

Whats that thing with four rods in the front center of the photograph? Look to the left of the first line of men and you will see what I mean.

Probably one rod, whatever....
Looks like the guy move it around while the image was being struck.

[MillerTime]

If you look all the way to the left at the Corporal what kind og hat is that?

[MillerTime]

Excuse me look at the right.

[Mojo1842]

If you look all the way to the left at the Corporal what kind og hat is that?

You mean the one that kind of looks like one of those fur hats that you might find on a Russian? Seems to me that from all the blankets/ frocks/ overcoats that this image was struck at least late fall, in which case a fur cap wouldn't be out of the question.

[HighPrvt]

It's impossible to be certain, but a couple of the prisoners look to be female!?!

[Pvt_Jack_Bauer]

It's impossible to be certain, but a couple of the prisoners look to be female!?!

Great find indeed!!! I wish alot of sites had this feature and yes it does look like some are female but I know alot of amish around my area and sometimes when the men have their hair cut they can look like ladies from a distance so this could be what you are seeing. I just cant see them peppering a few ladies into a pen with a few hundered reb POW's. It would be mass chaos. Just my thought.

[BobbyHughes]

The guys behind the axe wielders are carrying carpenters squares. Untill I looked really close, I thought the guys in the lighter jackets might have been VRC, but I am not so sure as they do look more like RDs, and I had to guess, now why would some VRC guards be down among all those prisoners, and two of em (the prisoners) with hatchets or axes.....:tounge_sm

[tsgalloway]

Very interesting photo. Thanks for sharing.

[arthurlee]

Wow! Every hat, coat and trousers possible. A bunch of rebs standing around with their hands in their pockets, now that is something. It appears the footware are boots for the most part. I could spend hours on this one. Thanks for the post.

Artie Maxwell
Shepherd Texas

[BrownBlanketMess]

I would highly recommend reading George Levy's book "To Die in Chicago: Confederate Prisoners at Camp Douglas 1862-1865" According to his research the photograph in question and another are housed in the Chicago Historical Society (know the Chicago History Museum) collections. Levy states on page 208 that this photograph is of "Enlisted men in Prison Square." There is another photograph shown on page 208 of "Confederate officers in front of sutler store in Prison Square, circa September 1864." This image is taken exactly in the same position as the one viewed here except for the water and fire hydrants in the forground are viewed more easily. The building to the right in the image posted on the forum is of the sutler store.

Searching the encyclopedia site I did not find the image of Confederate Officers--unless I overlooked it! It too is a very nice and revealing image.

Get ahold of Levy's book it is well worth the read.

Steve LaBarre
Brown Blanket Mess
Hodge Podge Mess
Cornfed Comrades
WIG

[ContinentalMorganGuard]

The men up front appear to be VRC, they have light shell jacket's with piping, dark chevrons, and Federal style forage caps with hat brass. The key to me is the number and size of the buttons on the coats, as the VRC wore 12? button shells with the cuff size buttons which appears to be what they have. I'd be real interested in knowing if they are VRC or prisoneers for sure, as the various belts they are wearing does throw one off, as well as being " in the mix" with the prisoners. Thoughts?