Boy or Girl?

[1stMN]

To me, I think it is a woman. The facial structure is pretty feminine.

 

[LoyaltyOfDogs]

I'm enjoying everyone's observations and think good arguments have been made for the subject being a girl, but I think it's a young boy. This might account for the directness of the gaze, and I think if his hands were not closed they would appear big enough to fit Allie's observation about the large hands of young boys. His lips, though prim, don't look feminine to me, and his chin is quite prominent, although there are plenty of girls and women with strong chins. But I vote for "boy" mostly because he reminds me a great deal of a lad of about age 5 whom I knew many years ago. I lost touch with his family and did not see him grow up, but by age 12 or 13 he would have looked very much like the boy in this portrait.

 

[MRB1863]

I voted "girl". She just looks like one to me, especially around her eyes.

 

[MissREP]

No scientific reasoning really behind my guess...but I think it's a boy. A good lookin' lad who hasn't quite gained all his manly features yet.

 

[Private Watkins]

Certainly might be a boy... one feature that might be adding a sense of "false-feminine" to the image is the gold highlighted buttons on each side of the collar... at first glance they give the impression of earrings, especially given the tilt of the head.

 

[Reb]

The only thing that makes me pause is how square this person's face is? From ears around to ear, and lips, a little strong and heavy. I'm not disagreeing, honest- just seems a girl this slender would have more delicate jaw line. So it's tough to decide.

It looks to me that her jaw is setting on the collar, making it appear square. The eyebrows look feminine to me.

 

[Northern Light]

How are you picturing her hair? I see it as long, no ends visible, pulled loosely back toward the lower back of her head.

When I blew the picture up to 500%, I can see "ends", but they may just be "whispies". I see the hair cut shortish with natural waves. I am likely mistaken. In fact, in the enlargement, the features seem much more feminine, especially the mouth. Still not sure, but veering toward girl now. Nice features either way!

 

[Northern Light]

These are all women who served as soldiers, some have very strong features, others don't. I think it is hard to generalize about features being masculine or feminine.

 

[Northern Light]

This young man has, at least to me, very feminine features. He is listed as unidentified.

 

[TerryB]

Do the crossed sabers bother anyone? I thought those were postwar. [edit] I did some checking and the hat insignia could be ACW, but upside down?

 

[TerryB]

I'm also bothered by the frame. It looks modern to me, like a gift shop item from the Centennial. But I haven't seen enough examples of either type to really be sure.

 

[Allie]

My initial reaction to "her" hair was a comparison to this fellow's coiffure; here his face, although boyish, together with everything else seems to leave little question as to gender. In the above image, however, "her" face is quite feminine and, I might add, very mesmerizing...
View attachment 97043

Compare the size of this fellow's hands to that of the picture in question. If I could see her wrists I would feel sure. Female impersonators usually cover the wrists for just that reason.

People tend to notice things like jaw shape, but the real tell of a female face is the forehead. Testosterone makes foreheads square and prominent, while women's are more rounded. Hers appears feminine to me, while this guy's face, equally delicate, has a completely different, male set of the eyes and forehead.

 

[Greg Taylor]

I voted girl, but not with a lot of confidence. Shoulders seem narrow and hands big. If it is a male he is young and feminine looking. Either way, doesn't look much like a soldier.

 

[Allie]

The only thing that makes me pause is how square this person's face is? From ears around to ear, and lips, a little strong and heavy. I'm not disagreeing, honest- just seems a girl this slender would have more delicate jaw line. So it's tough to decide.

She does have a very strong jaw, but that does happen... Take a look at Daisy Ridley's jaw:

Also note that despite the big jaw, Ridley still has a curved forehead.

 

[Boonslick]

Transgender?

 

[Stony]

girl

 

[Private Watkins]

Do the crossed sabers bother anyone? I thought those were postwar. [edit] I did some checking and the hat insignia could be ACW, but upside down?

Yes, the crossed sabers were used in the ACW, but what your good eye was indeed bothered by is that the sabers are upside down in this case. Here's the normal presentation (handles on the bottom):

 

[Private Watkins]

I'm also bothered by the frame. It looks modern to me, like a gift shop item from the Centennial. But I haven't seen enough examples of either type to really be sure.

I haven't seen one exactly like this, but here's one that's similar...

 

[TerryB]

I haven't seen one exactly like this, but here's one that's similar...
View attachment 97121

The style is similar, but this one is definitely period. The other, I'm not so sure.

 

[East Tennessee Roots]

View attachment 97031
What think ye...?

http://civilwartalk.com/threads/hid...s-of-the-civil-war.120774/page-2#post-1260409