Is This the First Confederate Reenactor?

[Gettysburg Greg]

In the early years after the Battle of Gettysburg, based on the lack of interest by any photographers, it appears that the significance of the climax of Pickett's Charge inside the Angle was not yet appreciated. It wasn't until 1876, thirteen years after the battle, that any photographer focused his camera on the Angle and Copse of Trees. However, by the 1880's, as the monument period began, Pickett's Charge had caught on as the highlight of the battle as well as the high-water mark for the Confederacy. In 1882, before French artist Paul Philippoteaux began work on his great Gettysburg Cyclorama painting, he contracted photographer William Tipton to create a 360-degree panorama of a images for him to use as a model. Tipton placed men and horses at various distances to provide size perspective for the artist. Tipton placed his camera on a 10' platform just north of the Copse of Trees and rotated his camera from there capturing the entire 360-degree pan. His photo showing the area inside the Angle included a mounted man as well as an individual coming across the wall in the area defended by the 72nd Pa on July 3rd, 1863. This man interested me, as this is the area generally accepted as where General Armistead crossed during Pickett's Charge before being mortally wounded. Under magnification, it was apparent to me that not only was the man simulating Armistead with sword and hat in hand (rather than on his sword), but his physical appearance also resembled the General as shown below. The top image is the highly magnified crop of the man at the wall not only bearded and bald, but also appearing to be looking back at his men just as depicted in the park Wayside shown in the middle photo. So, for the members of this very knowledgeable group, what say you? Is this actually the first Confederate reenactor or am I reading too much into what may simply be a coincidence? For reference, I will add Tipton's uncropped photo on the bottom.

 

[Nathan Stuart]

That's a thought-provoking question raised.

Was the featured individual 'reliving' or 'reenacting' an experience. In other words, was this man a returning veteran who actually participated in the original charge or was he an unconnected actor merely recreating the event? (Both the age of this person and the determined purpose displayed in his photographed pose suggest that he may have been a veteran who was present there, some 19 years earlier).

 

[TallTallMan]

In the early years after the Battle of Gettysburg, based on the lack of interest by any photographers, it appears that the significance of the climax of Pickett's Charge inside the Angle was not yet appreciated. It wasn't until 1876, thirteen years after the battle, that any photographer focused his camera on the Angle and Copse of Trees. However, by the 1880's, as the monument period began, Pickett's Charge had caught on as the highlight of the battle as well as the high-water mark for the Confederacy. In 1882, before French artist Paul Philippoteaux began work on his great Gettysburg Cyclorama painting, he contracted photographer William Tipton to create a 360-degree panorama of a images for him to use as a model. Tipton placed men and horses at various distances to provide size perspective for the artist. Tipton placed his camera on a 10' platform just north of the Copse of Trees and rotated his camera from there capturing the entire 360-degree pan. His photo showing the area inside the Angle included a mounted man as well as an individual coming across the wall in the area defended by the 72nd Pa on July 3rd, 1863. This man interested me, as this is the area generally accepted as where General Armistead crossed during Pickett's Charge before being mortally wounded. Under magnification, it was apparent to me that not only was the man simulating Armistead with sword and hat in hand (rather than on his sword), but his physical appearance also resembled the General as shown below. The top image is the highly magnified crop of the man at the wall not only bearded and bald, but also appearing to be looking back at his men just as depicted in the park Wayside shown in the middle photo. So, for the members of this very knowledgeable group, what say you? Is this actually the first Confederate reenactor or am I reading too much into what may simply be a coincidence? For reference, I will add Tipton's uncropped photo on the bottom.
View attachment 492592
View attachment 492594

If so he looks more like Armistead than Richard Jordan.

 

[John Winn]

I think you are probably correct as to what was happening as we know about the placement of men for perspective and that certainly seems to be what's shown in the image. That doesn't seem to me to be the sort of thing a person would do just as a remembrance and just happen to be there when there was a photographer.

As to being the first reenactor what about the assistants who posed as dead in various images ? I'd say they were first.

 

[W Charles Young]

If the person was a veteran and was present on July 3rd, Tipton evidently did not pass that information on to Philippoteaux. His rendering put Armistead incorrectly on horseback but the pose struck in the photograph does make an appearance to the left of Armistead as we look at the painting.

 

[Gettysburg Greg]

I think you are probably correct as to what was happening as we know about the placement of men for perspective and that certainly seems to be what's shown in the image. That doesn't seem to me to be the sort of thing a person would do just as a remembrance and just happen to be there when there was a photographer.

As to being the first reenactor what about the assistants who posed as dead in various images ? I'd say they were first.

That is somewhat exaggerated. Regarding Gettysburg photos, I know Brady had one assistant play dead in few images. Other than that I am not aware of any other occasion. The famous sharpshooter photo was staged, but with an actual body. If you know of other incidents, please let me know.

 

[Gettysburg Greg]

If the person was a veteran and was present on July 3rd, Tipton evidently did not pass that information on to Philippoteaux. His rendering put Armistead incorrectly on horseback but the pose struck in the photograph does make an appearance to the left of Armistead as we look at the painting.View attachment 492613

I believe he was finally shown on foot in the 3rd copy.

 

[John Winn]

That is somewhat exaggerated. Regarding Gettysburg photos, I know Brady had one assistant play dead in few images. Other than that I am not aware of any other occasion. The famous sharpshooter photo was staged, but with an actual body. If you know of other incidents, please let me know.

Obviously, my knowledge of the staged photos is poor; I just know there were staged photos and knew that a live person was in at least one such image (I thought there were several persons; seems just one person but several images). But I'm sticking with my contention that that one guy was still the first !