A mighty wind interrupts photo shoot in Union camp

chubachus

First Sergeant
Joined
Nov 27, 2014
Location
Virginia

The original NARA negative by a Brady photographer:

Headquarters_-_NARA_-_529164.jpg


Four photos taken in quick succession of unidentified men posing in front of a tent in a Union encampment during the Civil War.

Source.
 
I just found something I hadn't noticed before:

wind tent.jpg


A bottle or maybe a piece of paper seems to fall down between photos. Possibly because of the wind?
 
Is that one of those manila colored tags which festooned everything requiring an identity? Kind of miss those.

Very cool series, thank you! Had seen one without realizing it was part of a series. Maybe all 4 without knowing it? Like the series with men on shore, nearly under a bridge, either Tennessee or Pamunkey? Swimming guy in 3 disappears in number 4?
 
So many of these wall tents had a fly draped on them, as this one. I suppose the waterproofing of the tent canvas wasn't all that durable, so a fly took most of the force of rain in order to better keep the interior of the tent from drips. And, to think on it, such a fly provided shade for the actual roof of the tent, perhaps to keep the interior cooler in beating sun.

I notice as well how many of these camps, civilian in particular, had regular house dining chairs and table furniture rather than the folding camp furniture military officers or explorers tended to have. Either they commonly had wagons in which to travel, or they were as guilty of foraging as the armies.

I need a folding table, dining height, for my new impression. Can anyone point me to a period photo, or a table pattern to make one from? I can handle common woodworking tools but I'm no carpenter.
 
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