Thumbing his Nose

John Hartwell

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The latest addition to Ron S. Coddington's flickr photostream (used here with permission), shows an unidentified Union officer with a munchkin-hair-doo, demonstrating the traditional gesture of contempt and derision. "Thumbing one's nose" has been recorded back at least to the 17th century -- Shakespeare is said to have used it on seeing a rival playwright.

A Civil War example:
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[Hartford Daily Courant, May 25, 1861]​


We've seen a few period photos of people "cutting up" in front of the camera, but this one is outrageous.
 
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That's a new one! There's another somewhere, less dynamic than this though. At least we know what he means! Have a few photos saved because they're baffling- am convinced if you stare at one long enough the meaning will appear ( it doesn't work ).

Hopefully this isn't a post mortem - I go back and forth about it. Just always wonder what that mother is saying to us?
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The latest addition to Ron S. Coddington's flickr photostream (used here with permission), shows an unidentified Union officer with a munchkin-hair-doo, demonstrating the traditional gesture of contempt and derision. "Thumbing one's nose" has been recorded back at least to the 17th century -- Shakespeare is said to have used it on seeing a rival playwright.


We've seen a few period photos of people "cutting up" in front of the camera, but this one is outrageous.
The source says they call this 'cocking a snook' in England. A new phrase for me. Great photo.

That's a new one! There's another somewhere, less dynamic than this though. At least we know what he means! Have a few photos saved because they're baffling- am convinced if you stare at one long enough the meaning will appear ( it doesn't work ).

Hopefully this isn't a post mortem - I go back and forth about it. Just always wonder what that mother is saying to us?
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It doesn't look post mortem to me. (Do hands swell shortly after death?)

A Michigan Civil War soldier from my collection. Could it be he is giving some sort of Freemason sign?!?

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A Mason couldn't tell you if it is a Masonic sign!
 
NOTE: the newspaper clipping in the OP is labelled [Hartford Daily Courant, May 25, 1861]; that date should be July 25, 1861. Just noticed, and its too late for me to edit it.
 
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Though he's wearing an officer's tunic (with no shoulder-boards, I note), I wonder if he isn't a comic actor, and this an early publicity photo. We see photographs of actors and other performers in stage costume, but the poses are usually sedate "tableaux" (however foolish the costume). I've never seen one as flamboyantly clownish as this.
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Actor Charles T. Parsloe, jr, from Brady's New York studio. It reads: "Important if true." The younger Parsloe (the father was an actor, too) began acting during the Civil War. He was most famous for his comic "Yellowface" routine: "Ah Sin, the heathen Chinaman."
 
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That's a new one! There's another somewhere, less dynamic than this though. At least we know what he means! Have a few photos saved because they're baffling- am convinced if you stare at one long enough the meaning will appear ( it doesn't work ).

Hopefully this isn't a post mortem - I go back and forth about it. Just always wonder what that mother is saying to us?
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If you apply today’s sign language to her gesture then you would interpret her as saying either woman or sister. Pointing the finger at the cheek represents a bonnet strap which is the sign we still use today. Could the photo be intended for the little girls absent brother, perhaps he has been away from home for a long time and the woman is indicating to him that this is your sister, she may have changed a great deal since the last time he’d seen her.
The sign for woman has been around since Victorian times.
 
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That's a new one! There's another somewhere, less dynamic than this though. At least we know what he means! Have a few photos saved because they're baffling- am convinced if you stare at one long enough the meaning will appear ( it doesn't work ).

Hopefully this isn't a post mortem - I go back and forth about it. Just always wonder what that mother is saying to us?
View attachment 298670
Simple. She has a tooth ache. Bless her ❤️
 
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