Are these picture taking duds ?

[PogueMahone]

Re: Are these picture taking duds ?

I've never seen a double breasted sack coat before! That is what I need!

[MissMia]

Re: Are these picture taking duds ?

Luke, Here is another shot at the same location.
Washington, District of Columbia. Group on steps of Quartermaster General's office, Corocoran's Building, 17th Street and Pennsylvania
Digital ID: (digital file from original neg.) cwpb 04251 http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cwpb.04251
Reproduction Number: LC-DIG-cwpb-04251 (digital file from original neg.)
Repository: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

The clarity of the photo is incredible, from the detail of the mens' clothing, to the sheen of the silk hat (held by the gentleman on the left.)
Thanks for posting.

[lukegilly13]

Re: Are these picture taking duds ?

Luke, Here is another shot at the same location.
Washington, District of Columbia. Group on steps of Quartermaster General's office, Corocoran's Building, 17th Street and Pennsylvania
Digital ID: (digital file from original neg.) cwpb 04251 http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cwpb.04251
Reproduction Number: LC-DIG-cwpb-04251 (digital file from original neg.)
Repository: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

Cool! I wonder why they strike the pictures from different angles? To ensure the pictured that they will be satisfied with the outcome like they do now-a-days maybe? That's a good reference for men's shoe styles.

[PetePaolillo]

Re: Are these picture taking duds ?

The image above is a pic of a quartermaster department. It is LOC Image cwpb 04249
There is a little discussion of it on a very similar thread to this one that I started about a month ago.
What to wear, linen or wool? A question of temperature, culture, social class, or formality?

Luke, Here is another shot at the same location.
Washington, District of Columbia. Group on steps of Quartermaster General's office, Corocoran's Building, 17th Street and Pennsylvania
Digital ID: (digital file from original neg.) cwpb 04251 http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cwpb.04251
Reproduction Number: LC-DIG-cwpb-04251 (digital file from original neg.)
Repository: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

[Peachfuz]

Re: Are these picture taking duds ?

One thing I noticed looking at the photos of the workers at the Sligo mills is the mix of belts and suspenders, regardless of dress (i.e. work vs. dress clothes). Here is a picture of Pat Rocket (cool name BTW) in his dress clothes and co-worker James Young in his work clothes. I have zoomed in on Pat’s waist line so you can better see the belt.

[Ian McWherter]

Re: Are these picture taking duds ?

For those wanting to see some excellent examples of working class clothing, check out the link below. Lots of dark trousers, patterned shirts, mixed gray knit shirts, and a mix of hats and caps.

http://images.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/i/image/image-idx?q1=lysh;sid=5e5f75d86cfd7a10867b44053fb564a7;type=boolean;rgn1=lysh_all;view=thumbnail;g=imls;med=1;c=lysh

Laborer's clothing came up earlier in the thread and it took me a few days to find this grouping!

Many of these men are posed in the clothing they clearly wore while working, some others are posed outside of their work clothes, so some distinction should be made between them. There are some images in that collection of men posed outside their work clothing such as George Murrin who worked for Lyon, Shorb & Company, also known as the Sligo Iron Works of Pittsburgh, as a boiler. He is posed wearing a fine broadcloth frock coat of the current 1860s style.

Not all men dressed this way for work though, for some jobs men were expected to wear decent clothing and maintain a respectable look, it just depended. A poor coal miner isn't going to dress for work the same way a poor law clerk would.

[prestontoprail]

Re: Are these picture taking duds ?

Thank you Brian!

[GreencoatCross]

Re: Are these picture taking duds ?

For those wanting to see some excellent examples of working class clothing, check out the link below. Lots of dark trousers, patterned shirts, mixed gray knit shirts, and a mix of hats and caps.

http://images.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/i/image/image-idx?q1=lysh;sid=5e5f75d86cfd7a10867b44053fb564a7;type=boolean;rgn1=lysh_all;view=thumbnail;g=imls;med=1;c=lysh

Laborer's clothing came up earlier in the thread and it took me a few days to find this grouping!

[Becky Morgan]

Re: Are these picture taking duds ?

Not so much in the Aquia Creek picture, but in the rest of the group shots, notice how many men do indeed have the top button of their coats buttoned and none of the others? Not everyone, nor even a majority, but enough to make me admit the custom did indeed exist.

[Hank Trent]

Re: Are these picture taking duds ?

The flag picture in post #65 is a good example of the blue-sensitivity. Normally I'd think of the red and blue of a flag about the same, or the blue darker if anything, but the blue shows up noticeably lighter than the red on both flags in the image.

It's also a case where one might guess at a color, based on a known color.

Since coverlets like the one on the left often were dark blue and white, and the coverlet shows up as pale gray and white, one might be able to guess that it was a blue-and-white coverlet rather than, say, a red and white one. But that's only because we already how common blue ones were--it might just as easily be light gray or light brown or light green, etc.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@gmail.com

[lukegilly13]

Re: Are these picture taking duds ?

The image above is a pic of a quartermaster department. It is LOC Image cwpb 04249
There is a little discussion of it on a very similar thread to this one that I started about a month ago.
What to wear, linen or wool? A question of temperature, culture, social class, or formality?

[2ndva]

Re: Are these picture taking duds ?

Hello Everyone

I’m just adding this image to the thread because I think it fits in with the discussion. Unfortunately I cannot tell you any information about it. I had used it as a reference when I was putting a civilian impression together. I copied it from a thread on this forum about 4 years ago. Maybe someone will recognize it and be able to tell us when it was taken and where for the sake of documentation.

[OldKingCrow]

Re: Are these picture taking duds ?

This cat, I have always liked....shifty, pie-eyed loaner...

He seems habituated to pulling that chapeau down "rakishly" by the right edge over his eyes....taking a long draw off that pipe (looks like his hand has assumed a classic "hey Im holdin a pipe" position) and slouching his frame in a relaxed manner to take it all in stride.




CJ Rideout
Tampa, Florida

[OldKingCrow]

Re: Are these picture taking duds ?

Within the same picture, and the same garment, angle and position can entirely change the way a fabric or detail photographs. So, even using color reference within one single image, it's speculation rather than science.

The line on the trousers (page 6) is in the side-seam... you can follow it up to his hip. I can't see enough detail to be entirely sure, but there doesn't appear to be a texture change along that line. However, a ridge can easily be created if one pressed a run-and-fell seam too hard... that would account for a ridge that's the same color as the trousers, and looks quite pressed and durable. Essentially, such a pressing compacts the wool fibers and makes a very hard impression that can be permanent.

Ma'am,

Seam it is, as I indicated was most probable.

I do not throw out statements of certaintity unless, well I am certain. That is why you will note probabilty qualifers in my suppositive posts. In an effort to demonstrate my supposition was based on extant historical fact and not pulled out of my primary point of saddle contact, here is an officer with the exact thin seam striping or braiding on his trousers and it has in fact repop'd lighter than the garment which it adorns....unless that too is a seam ????????



CJ Rideout
Tampa, Florida

[Ian McWherter]

Re: Are these picture taking duds ?

To me, it looks like Captain F. Bache is wearing enlisted men's mounted services trousers.

As for the civilian men in the images, small turn down collars, narrow cravats with simple knots, short-crowned/short brimmed hats, dark or neutral colors. All characteristic of up-to-date 1860s clothing.