Cased Image Photographs

bill_torrens

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Honored Fallen Comrade
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Feb 20, 2005
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Winslow, Buckinghamshire
"Cased Image Photographs From The Collection Of The Museum Of The Confederacy" contains more than 100 such images and is an indispensable purchase for the serious student of Confederate portraiture. It is right up there with "Even More Confederate Faces" and "Still More Confederate Faces".

Although most of the photos are of soldiers, there is also a sizeable collection of civilian portraits. One of the most interesting images is an ambrotype of Marlboro, the personal slave of Captain Randal F. Jones, of the 7th Georgia Cavalry. A thumbnail is attached.
 
Bill:

Thank you for starting such an interesting thread and I'll look forward to a plethora of confederate faces! This photo of Marlboro is quite amazing.

Dawna
 
Another outstanding image is a daguerreotype of A.P.Hill from circa 1850. Although this has been published before, this is the first time I have seen a colour version which shows the hand-tinting to full advantage. A gorgeous item.
 
That is a fantastic image, remember even though it may have been published before, many people like myself you will find aren't aware of what images exist, or where we can view them, it's even great to have you post some exceptional images from those that are available. Thank you.

James.
 
This hand-coloured ambrotype is of Pvt. George Washington Livesay, of Co.E, 13th Virginia Cavalry. The caption begins with the observation: "Memphis-born Livesay posed for the camera looking more like a riverboat gambler than a Confederate cavalryman."

A clerk in grocery in Petersburg, Va., he transferred from the 13th Cavalry to Graham's Horse Artillery, and was killed on 18th August 1864.
 
Bill, here is one of my gg grandfather and his family. It's on glass. I believe it's right after the war.
 
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What a great idea for a thread! Thanks everyone for posting the pictures of their Civil War ancestors. I think that being able to view the pictures is what brings us closer to these people who fought in this bloodiest of wars. I wish I had a picture of one of my Civil War ancestors.
 
Bill:

I love this image of Pvt. George Washington Livesay - he definitely looks as if he should be on a Mississippi riverboat, and if you put a black hat on Mr. Livesay, he could quite easily pass for Mel Gibson in the last rendition of "Maverick!"

Martin, this image of your gg grandfather is simply astounding. I can't stop staring at it and studying every single feature and expression (along with the clothing) of both the adults and the one child who almost stayed still long enough for the picture to be taken! I wonder about their lives and the fact that your gg grandparents had three children so close together...I can only imagine how difficult that must have been. And it is the enormous effort that it would have taken to ready the family in their finest attire that I also find so captivating. I feel privileged that you were willing to share this intimate family portrait with us Martin and I cant think of anything that I would value more than ancestorial images such as these.

Dawna
 
Dawna, They had three childern before the war and eight after. They were born from 1855 t0 1878. The last one past away in 1964. I only met one and that was my great grandfather.
 
Martin:

I was wondering if you might consider telling us a little bit about your civil war relatives, and also the great grandfather whom you did actually meet...he must have passed down some very interesting stories. Perhaps we could start a new thread to honour your relatives?

Dawna
 
Martin:

Thank you for re-directing me, and that is an excellent biography on your gg grandfather. And I just realized this. The quote that you use as your signature is none other than the Lewis Wallace of Ben Hur fame. It is a wonderful quote and pretty much my sentiments with respect to the ambiance of literary works! :smile:


Dawna
 
Martin,

Please accept my belated thanks for contributing the wonderful photograph.

Here is another picture from the Museum of the Confederacy book: a hand-coloured ambrotype of two soldiers, the man on the right being Lieut. John Taylor Temple of Co.B, 30th Virginia Infantry.

Bill
 
Hey Martin: I don't have any ancestors who fought in the war. You seem to have quite a few of them. Mind if I borrow one old buddy, ya fellow hoosier ya.....?
Always wanted to be able to say I had an ancestor in the war...It's great that you even have photos of some of them... ya lucky dog...
Terry
 
What an exciting new thread! Thanks again, Bill, and to you, Martin, for allowing us a glimpse into your own family history. It is another chance for all of us to step back in time and try to understand a bit more about these people who chanced everything they held dear to form a new country built on the original premise of the founding fathers.
 
Another image from the Museum of the Confederacy. This is of Captain William Worsley Mead, who served in the 2nd and also the 6th Virginia Cavalry. He lived until 1894.
 
I've got a technical question. The letters on Captain Mead's hat (IC?) are mirror imaged. Is this the result of photography technology in the Civil War era -- in other words, are most or all Civil War photos in fact mirror images without our realizing it, or is the photo anomalous in this respect?

BTW, what's "IC" (or "1C") stand for? (I would have thought First Cavalry (assuming it's "1C"), except that he apparently wasn't in the First Cavalary.)
 
I'm no technical expert on photography, so don't hold me to this, but my understanding is that certain processes - such as the daguerreotype - always produced a reversed image. The camera effectively acted like a mirror.

With the ambrotype, I believe that the way in which the negative was mounted in the case determined whether you got a reversed image or not. But I'm not certain about this.

When the image is clearly reversed, does this mean that you can flip it over by manipulating a digital image of it? Yes, but bear in mind that many soldiers knew their images were going to be reversed and therefore wore some accoutrements the wrong way round in order to get the "right" result.

The letters on Mead's hat are "LC". The book cannot decide whether this stood for "Loudoun Cavalry" or "Leesburg Cavalry".

Once you start looking for it, you should notice reversed lettering on hundreds of civil war portraits.
 
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