Grant - 4 Star General

[Zuzah]

Glad you like it!

Grant was actually pretty easy, the carpet was a real pain.

I am still not 100% happy with it, so it may change later. I really have no idea what the colors are on the original carpet and when you look at it magnified 100% (the version posted here is only about 25% scale even when maximized) it is hard to tell what you are looking at, is that a flower, what color should it be, I kind of went all over the place. If you look at Zuzah's version he only used two colors for the carpet, much simpler. I tried that as well, but did not like it as much as a floral pattern.

I remember when doing it, I even missed half the carpet. I am not a smart man.

I always had the same color scheme for carpets way back when because I didn't have a specific color reference, red and gold was my go-to color. Worked out alright, but nowadays I'd definitely do it waaaay different, more in your ballpark.

Nicely done by the way.

 

[Northern Light]

Ahh! I remember that now. Nope, just a relative. Not sure if his unit was in the charge or not.




I have wondered that as well. Was there another version (now lost) that included Julia?

Maybe George Thomas had his picture taken just before!

 

[civilwarincolor]

I hope this is ok to do, I really liked this guy R.J Gibson Studio's 65 Steinwehr Ave Gettysburg, PA. He is very good. He has taken tins of a lot of the actors in the movie. He is personally acquainted with Steven Lang and Sam Elliott. He was in the movie Gettysburg as one of Bufford's aids. So there is my plug. It's an awesome experience.

Rob Gibson is the one that does period images for the Center for Civil War Photography's "Image of War Seminar". He has taken my picture a few times, the last time was at the Brompton house at Fredericksburg, VA in October. I am right behind my wife, who is on the front row center holding a white bag on her knee.

The first time he took my image was with the same group at Gettysburg in 2010. He brought a group of reenactors on to the battlefield to recreate some of the images of the dead photos from the day. He did a talk on use of wet plate photography and then took our photo. He is a great photographer and I agree, terrific experience.

Expired Image Removed

 

[civilwarincolor]

I remember when doing it, I even missed half the carpet. I am not a smart man.

I always had the same color scheme for carpets way back when because I didn't have a specific color reference, red and gold was my go-to color. Worked out alright, but nowadays I'd definitely do it waaaay different, more in your ballpark.

Nicely done by the way.

Thanks Zuzah, I appreciate that. I did look at your image, but did not want to match the carpet you did. As I mentioned in an earlier post I did this one green because of the flowers and the carpet sample I found. I had noticed that you missed a lot of carpet detail on the right in yours, but I was not going to mention it , the rest is so well done, small amount of carpet is no big deal.

 

[Northern Light]

He certainly has a very determined look on his face. The photo is excellent.

Like he was determined to put his head through a brick wall and was about to do it....or something like that.

 

[Northern Light]

Thanks so much! Agreed on the look on his face, I think you had to be really patient to get your picture taken back then. Not as many "selfies" in the 19th Century.

Can you just imagine all those "selfie" people just randomly standing still for 18 min......
Saw the funniest thing the other day in the grocery store. Someone was holding up a lettuce and taking a picture of it with her cellphone. How odd!

 

[alexjack]

Great job!

 

[civilwarincolor]

Can you just imagine all those "selfie" people just randomly standing still for 18 min......
Saw the funniest thing the other day in the grocery store. Someone was holding up a lettuce and taking a picture of it with her cellphone. How odd!

My wife and were at dinner a few weeks ago. There was a birthday party (mostly 20 somethings, no kids) of about 12-15. All of them took out their phones and took pictures of their meals. Boy that will be some memories 50 years from now. "Look kids, this is what food looked like when I was your age!"

 

[M E Wolf]

I wonder why there are two chairs in the picture?

Northern Light,

I am of the belief you are looking at one chair and one leg rest--the leg rest having no back would permit a person to prop their legs up.

My family has passed down the line, several of these chairs which have been named "Grant's Chairs" as far as family lore has identified them as. They are identical to the one in the photograph. Missing from our collection is the leg rest. Further family lore about these chairs, is that the weave permitted air to circulate under and around the person and in doing such, the trousers and skirts didn't 'stick' to that person.

Why Grant is posed that way, no idea. However I do note a blue cloth on the carpet behind the chair.

M. E. Wolf

 

[Horace Porter]

 

[civilwarincolor]

Why Grant is posed that way, no idea. However I do note a blue cloth on the carpet behind the chair.

M. E. Wolf

Are you perhaps talking about the photography stand? The base of the cast iron stand is just visible in the image and in this case would have held a support for his head. Here is one not hiding so you can get a better look.

 

[reading48]

Zuzah did this version two years ago. Here is my take on it.

This is post war, Grant was the first person promoted to 4 stars (July, 25, 1866) a rank he held until becoming President March 4, 1869.

Four Star General....I give it a Five Star Production....

 

[civilwarincolor]

Four Star General....I give it a Five Star Production....

Thank you! Very nice compliment AND it made me laugh.

 

[Northern Light]

Northern Light,

I am of the belief you are looking at one chair and one leg rest--the leg rest having no back would permit a person to prop their legs up.

My family has passed down the line, several of these chairs which have been named "Grant's Chairs" as far as family lore has identified them as. They are identical to the one in the photograph. Missing from our collection is the leg rest. Further family lore about these chairs, is that the weave permitted air to circulate under and around the person and in doing such, the trousers and skirts didn't 'stick' to that person.

Why Grant is posed that way, no idea. However I do note a blue cloth on the carpet behind the chair.

M. E. Wolf

Thanks, Mr. Wolf. Then Grant is actually sitting on the leg rest? How odd!

 

[M E Wolf]

Are you perhaps talking about the photography stand? The base of the cast iron stand is just visible in the image and in this case would have held a support for his head. Here is one not hiding so you can get a better look.

I agree with your assessment. The stand is spot on. The two chairs look though is a bit odd. Seems like a hat or something is needed to make a finished look to it.

M. E. Wolf

 

[Horace Porter]

No mystery. The photo was a study for the Healy painting. This explains the positioning of the uniform coat on the chair ... it's the couch in the painting.

From that Healy painted a single study of Grant:

http://www.art.com/products/p221136...als=24129&ui=8BAF8FD88A454D92B29536AD5F353BFE

 

[Northern Light]

No mystery. The photo was a study for the Healy painting. This explains the positioning of the uniform coat on the chair ... it's the couch in the painting.

From that Healy painted a single study of Grant:

http://www.art.com/products/p221136...als=24129&ui=8BAF8FD88A454D92B29536AD5F353BFE

Thanks for posing that link, HP, such a rich portrait of Grant!

 

[civilwarincolor]

No mystery. The photo was a study for the Healy painting. This explains the positioning of the uniform coat on the chair ... it's the couch in the painting.

From that Healy painted a single study of Grant:

http://www.art.com/products/p221136...als=24129&ui=8BAF8FD88A454D92B29536AD5F353BFE

Wow, I never noticed that before that this was the same image. When you look at "The peacemakers" and then look at this image it all makes sense. I have looked at the painting many times and there is something else I never noticed. While the image depicts a meeting that would have taken place in early 1865 if you enlarge the image you will notice that Grant has the 4 stars that he is shown wearing in the photograph. This of course did not occur (at the earliest) until a year after Lincoln's death.

Never noticed before that the stars were not correct. Thanks so much for matching up these two images.

 

[KansasFreestater]

Beautiful photo, CWIC -- truly a picture worth a thousand words. You've done a great job showing the effects that years of war have left on his face. And those eyes... so sad. The photo is so lifelike, it breaks my heart.

 

[ole]

I wonder why there are two chairs in the picture?

Probably composition. The extra chair anchors him to a side of the picture and doesn't leave him floating.