Help identify rank

1863Wagoner

Cadet
Joined
Nov 9, 2018
Location
Three Rivers Michigan
Some of you are so good at identifying Union or Confederate, what State they represent, and rank. I look forward to the day that I can do the same. QUESTION: what info can be determined and shared with me on this tintype of a soldier with his wife (I’m assuming his wife)? Thanks so much!

ps. I’m attaching a 2nd photo for help identifying rank. This one is a CVD photo.

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image.jpg
 
Both Federal, The top photo is a NCO, his stripes on his jacket are hard to see in this photo but looks like two stripes for corporal, stripe on his trousers also identifies a NCO. The insignia on his lower sleeves are years of service stripes, he's most likely a regular army guy. The lower photo is a field officer, again his shoulder insignia his hard to see in this photo but looks to me like two bars of a captain. Maybe somebody that can blow it up further can confirm that.
 
Both Federal, The top photo is a NCO, his stripes on his jacket are hard to see in this photo but looks like two stripes for corporal, stripe on his trousers also identifies a NCO. The insignia on his lower sleeves are years of service stripes, he's most likely a regular army guy. The lower photo is a field officer, again his shoulder insignia his hard to see in this photo but looks to me like two bars of a captain. Maybe somebody that can blow it up further can confirm that.
I believe the NCO is a sgt. based on the width of the stripe. I have may be wrong though... Also does anyone recognize the jacket, definitely not NY because I don't see any sky blue trim. Plus he's been in at least 5 years(That is indicated by the service stripe on the lower sleeve).
 
My eyes might be deceiving me but the NCO might be a 1stSgt. looks like there just may possible be a lozenge above those chevrons.
 
My eyes might be deceiving me but the NCO might be a 1stSgt. looks like there just may possible be a lozenge above those chevrons.
The first time I looked at this was on my phone and didn't see it but there is another insignia there and he is indeed a sergeant. Looks like it could be a star to me, ordinance sergeant maybe. Hard to see it. Looks like the insignia has points on it, don't think it's a first sergeant's lozenge.
 
The first time I looked at this was on my phone and didn't see it but there is another insignia there and he is indeed a sergeant. Looks like it could be a star to me, ordinance sergeant maybe. Hard to see it. Looks like the insignia has points on it, don't think it's a first sergeant's lozenge.
I would like someone to colorize it. Then we could get a better look.
 
I'll add that neither of these garments worn by the two soldiers are exactly regulation... The short jacket was popular but was neither the regulation frock coat nor the four-button fatigue blouse popularly known as a sack coat. The officer is wearing a large and very loosely-cut version of the officer's sack coat, which unlike the regulation frock was worn by officers of all grades as a single-breasted garment, making it at least possible (but not particularly likely) that this fellow is a major, lt. colonel, or colonel.
 
I would like someone to colorize it. Then we could get a better look.

You're joking right? You realize colorization is merely colors metrically assigned (programmed) to the relative intensity of the developed greys in a non-color photograph. As such it is totally unreliable for the purpose of proving actual colors. The unknown character of the light used in these old photos (direct / indirect / reflected / sunlight / overcast / window transparency index & refracted tint / general hue of the overall setting / camera over or under exposure etc. etc.) alone introduces a far wider spectrum of possibility than an automated colorization process is capable of addressing.

Bottom line: colorization is parlor entertainment, not historical assessment. Admittedly as an art form it has become highly convincing.
 
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You're joking right? You realize colorization is merely colors metrically assigned (programmed) to the relative intensity of the developed greys in a non-color photograph. As such it is totally unreliable for the purpose of proving actual colors. The unknown character of the light used in these old photos (direct / indirect / reflected / sunlight / overcast / window transparency index & refracted tint / general hue of the overall setting / camera over or under exposure etc. etc.) alone introduces a far wider spectrum of possibility than an automated colorization process is capable of addressing.

Bottom line: colorization is parlor entertainment, not historical assessment. Admittedly as an art form it has become highly convincing.
Geez, is lecturing the guy on his knowledge of photography really necessary here. I believe he was just saying it would be easier to see his chevrons in that photo if it were in color. No need to jump all over somebody over it.
 
I just played around with the first photo in Photoshop for 5-10 minutes, trying to make the suspected chevrons more visible... without any success. If they are there, their color is to close to the color of his uniform to make them stand out... even if I play around with a number of different settings.
 
I just played around with the first photo in Photoshop for 5-10 minutes, trying to make the suspected chevrons more visible... without any success. If they are there, their color is to close to the color of his uniform to make them stand out... even if I play around with a number of different settings.
Thanks for trying, they are tough to see
 
Geez, is lecturing the guy on his knowledge of photography really necessary here. I believe he was just saying it would be easier to see his chevrons in that photo if it were in color. No need to jump all over somebody over it.

ok, I get it. In the museum business one becomes sensitized to such issues, but that's no excuse, my post was overkill.
 
I raise a question. Is the NCO photo damaged or something? I don't know much about the making of these photos but it looks like something is wrong with it. just noticed it when looking at the woman in the picture
 
I raise a question. Is the NCO photo damaged or something? I don't know much about the making of these photos but it looks like something is wrong with it. just noticed it when looking at the woman in the picture

The image processing was flawed at some stage, the emulsion in the splotch area overdeveloping. In photography such an aberration is known as "solarization," whereby the "hottest" (brightest) parts of the emulsion begin to darken, giving the image a kind of otherworldly chrome metal appearance.

Perhaps an interesting aside: Just as with Jimi Hendrix and audio feedback (he using that unintended artifact of electric sound amplification for artistic expression), solarization became sought-after as a technique in itself for art photography by the 20th century.
 
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