Why are the Majority of lockplates in posed Images facing inward?

[CompanyWag]

Aron,

Your attachments in post 9 do not work.

[Curt Schmidt]

Hallo!

An interesting and challenging question.

What did a photographer do to set up or pose an image taking? How much was the photographer's creative art, versus how much was the customer's druthers?

In looking at period images, there seems to be either a "martial" infuence versus the "casual" influence. Meaning, one sometimes finds men posing or posed seemingly in accordance with a manual of arms position depending on what manual they were schooled in. Oh, say one of the two versions of "parade rest."

Obviously, there is no command for the position of "port arms/arms port" for a seated man. Yet, images often show what appears to be that being done
(or sometimes what appears to be a "left-handed' version being done).

Or another, the holding of a revolver sideways to best show it off to the camera and the viewer.

Maybe it was just part of the "custom." Meaning, such as not NUG smiling wheer today we NUG have such nice teeth and such fast exposure speeds we are almost "forced" to smile...

Cheese.



Curt

[CompanyWag]

From the hard images in Post 8 all showing lockplates facing in, I'd like to comment on two of them:

Incredible image! This guy is afraid of nothing: Two Whitneys revolvers, one Remington revolver, an unusual view of a cocked Enfield, and two knives mysteriously attached to his cartridge box sling. How'd he do that?
His accoutrements are all reversed to appear correct in the photo, but he also reversed his belt plate. Why? Even in the mirror image, the US will still be upside down:


This image may seem a little perplexing as it is not a mirror image (note the direction his frock coat buttons close and which side of the musket the lockplate is on). Not being a mirror image, one might think this soldier wouldn't have to hold his rifle backwards. The most probable explanation is that this is a duplicate tintype...a tintype of a tintype. A period way of making copies when CDVs weren't available. The original tintype this was made from would have been reversed and would explain why he is holding his rifle-musket backwards. Notice also that the bayonet is on the wrong side...evidence of a conscious attempt to make the original tintype look correct.


Some of the other images you note in Post 8 also show reversed accoutrements, showing a definite attempt to appear correct in the mirror-image tintype or ambrotype.

[YankeeTiger]

Aron,

Your attachments in post 9 do not work.

Apologies. They were a few images of "lockplate facing toward camera"

I'll try to get them fixed when I can get back to a 'puter

[Hank Trent]

and two knives mysteriously attached to his cartridge box sling. How'd he do that?

Off-topic on lockplates, but I wondered that. Barring some trick with magnets I'm wondering if the knives are actually sheathed in light-colored tight-fitting sheaths. They're hanging in such a position, that the bosses on the back of the sheaths, which would be about an inch or so from the top of the blade, would be just right to hook over the edge of the sling. They wouldn't stay in that position long-term, but would hook there easily long enough to stay for the photo.

Edited to add: it's odd to see two sheaths that light in color and I can't see any line where you'd expect to see the metal tip and throat of the sheath, so I'm not sure they're actually in sheaths, but it's the only explanation I can think of, other than they're unsheathed and just carefully balanced delicately there, which is of course another possibility.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@gmail.com

[lukegilly13]

[QUOTE=CompanyWag;222929]From the hard images in Post 8 all showing lockplates facing in, I'd like to comment on two of them:

Incredible image! This guy is afraid of nothing: Two Whitneys revolvers, one Remington revolver, an unusual view of a cocked Enfield, and two knives mysteriously attached to his cartridge box sling. How'd he do that?
His accoutrements are all reversed to appear correct in the photo, but he also reversed his belt plate. Why? Even in the mirror image, the US will still be upside down:

I think his cartridge box is upside down and it looks like possibly his cap pouch is underneath it. As if the cartridge box is attached to the belt that he put on upside down.

Don't want to be off topic, so I will add that I am of the opinion that they hold the musket in the manner discussed in order to appear in the reversed image as if they are holding the action end in the correct hand.

[YankeeTiger]

Regarding that image, look halfway down both blades.. You will see a metal contraption of some sort that appears to hold the knife(ves) in place.. Perhaps they slide into them.. The large one appear to be a 'keeper'-esque contraption whereas the smaller one appears to rest on a bolt or notch of some sort.. Zoom in and you should see what I am referring to

[Hank Trent]

Regarding that image, look halfway down both blades.. You will see a metal contraption of some sort that appears to hold the knife(ves) in place.. Perhaps they slide into them.. The large one appear to be a 'keeper'-esque contraption whereas the smaller one appears to rest on a bolt or notch of some sort.. Zoom in and you should see what I am referring to

Well that solves the mystery. Thanks, because it doesn't show up on my monitor!

Hank Trent
hanktrent@gmail.com

[YankeeTiger]

Hank, upon further review, te smaller one is held on by another small pair of fasteners where the blade meets the guard

[Curt Schmidt]

Hallo!

IIRC, or not...

Don't the LOC images have three levels of "size" to choose form so that at the high setting you can zero down on detail? I was going to check but got distracted.

On my monitor, with this image, I just barely see a white "something" (presumably not a medium solution "speckle") under the blade where it is at the shoulder belt.



I suspect they first removed the breast plate "eagle," and something was rigged through the breast plate holes in the shoulder belt, possibly being seeing in front of the smaller knife's quillon.

Curt