Someone with more knowledge than I will have to answer that.The musket may well be a photographer's prop, no?
NO!The musket may well be a photographer's prop, no?
Agreed (that would take a miracle camera that could show what is hidden), but it does show that he was holding it in his left hand with the rifle lock being on the right side toward his body. As far as my original question goes, is there any consensus on whether it is a 1809 or a prop? Or something else? I put a poll at the top.You can look at the image in a mirror and it will change the direction , but will not flip the rifle over to see the other side.
You can look at the image in a mirror and it will change the direction , but will not flip the rifle over to see the other side.
So, what type of rifle do you think it is?There´s a reserve lock plate on the back side of the stock - the Springfield doesn´t have one and instead has washers around the lockplate screws. The image is definitely reversed; there´s an inside pocket on a fatigue blouse on the left side. In the original photo, you wouldn´t be able to access that pocket because the buttons would be buttoned over it.
I'm on board with 1809 Potsdam. It has a curved banana shaped reverse plate like that.So, what type of rifle do you think it is?
I agree that he is probably holding it with his dominant left hand which would be the natural thing to do if you were a lefty.The soldier in this reversed image may have been left-handed, noting finger on trigger. If he was right-handed, he would have been holding this unconfirmed weapon the other way, with the lock plate facing the the camera. This of course is questionable as well. He may have just sat down and did whatever the photographer told him to do and to be quick about it, as there were many more in line behind him waiting to have their picture taken.
With due respect sir, if this is a tintype, the photo will be reversed as evident by the cartridge box and cap pouch. My guess is the soldier is holding the musket at the small of the stock in his left hand.Welcome, enjoy. Lock plate is on left side
How can you be so sure its not a prop? I'm not quite sure what you mean but if the lock is towards his body, a reverse image is not going to change that and somehow show the lock.NO!
And DO notice that he's purposely holding it on the "wrong" side (that is, with the lock towards his body) to make it appear for what he knows will be a reversed image that it's on the "right" side.
Sorry, but a reverse photo doesn't flip the rifle on it's axis. There is no way it would rotate the musket to have the lock plate facing his body. You are correct that it moves left to right and right to left, but it doesn't have the man reversed so all we see his back.With due respect sir, if this is a tintype, the photo will be reversed as evident by the cartridge box and cap pouch. My guess is the soldier is holding the musket at the small of the stock in his left hand.