Union Cavalryman?

[Hallibag]

I have this photo of what appears to be a Union cavalryman but, other than that, I'm woefully ignorant about who this soldier was, or when the photo may have been taken. If anyone would be kind enough to share their thoughts, I'd be grateful!

 

[captaindrew]

Could be a cavalryman or artillery, hard to tell in black and white with no visible hat badge showing. He's wearing a waistbelt instead of a swordbelt that a cavalryman would be wearing which would lean me a little more toward artillery but that doesn't necessarily mean anything, could've been a studio prop

 

[Hallibag]

Thank you, Captaindrew. Very interesting!

 

[JPK Huson 1863]

Can you tell cavalry or artillery by anything on his collar?

I keep going back and forth with the question " Is there something awkward about this image? " ( Swear I'm not crazy ) I don't know- something seems off without being able to put my finger on it. He's either really thin or something is pulling in his waist/jacket more than just that belt. And why would his buckle be crooked in what would have been kind of a big deal, sitting for photograph? Easy enough to fix it yet it's both off center and crooked. What's around his left wrist? It's not just his sleeve- a cord is passed through/into something.

His pose is odd, too, either squished in some small chair we can't see or perched, neither sitting nor standing. I'm not trying to find awkwardness, the more you look the less ' normal ' he seems? There's something else- it could be the way lights are hitting his eyes but his right eye seems like he's looking slightlyyyy off to the side.

Sorry to post so much- it just hit me that something is off, you know? Got distracted in why.

 

[captaindrew]

There isn't really a difference other than trim color between an artillery (red) or cavalry (yellow) shell jacket.

 

[captaindrew]

He does look like he's in a awkward pose like he's leaning on a stool or maybe leaning against one of those things they used in the studios at the time to pose and keep still, he doesn't look comfortable. The belt may have been a prop and not fit him well, he looks really skinny, maybe the belt was too big.

 

[treebie2000]

Is the lack of trim on the Cavalry jacket significant? I see that the Artillery one has the trim (like his), and the Cav one does not.

 

[captaindrew]

Is the lack of trim on the Cavalry jacket significant? I see that the Artillery one has the trim (like his), and the Cav one does not.

They were both the same except in color, I just noticed in the pictures I posted that the cav jacket is missing it's cuff trim. I'm assuming that's what you meant. It should be there like this one.

 

[ironmannf]

I have this photo of what appears to be a Union cavalryman but, other than that, I'm woefully ignorant about who this soldier was, or when the photo may have been taken. If anyone would be kind enough to share their thoughts, I'd be grateful!

View attachment 321132

I see a grip of the pistol that he's wearing. What's that under his other arm, a pouch?

 

[major bill]

Attempting to tell red trim from yellow trim is difficult in period photographs. There are people who are fair at doing this, however, I am not one of them. Often the period photo process turned yellow trim very dark and yellow trim can appear to be almost black in photographs. However, I have seen yellow trim that appears fairly light as well. Red trim usually appears to be a medium color in period photos.

The above is just a guide and as I said I am no expert in this.

 

[Robert Gray]

Chart showing how colors appear in wet plate photography. Notice the similarity between red and yellow.

 

[Hallibag]

Thanks for all the replies!

Now, I don't know if it's relevant or not, but I thought I should mention that the photo has some colour added to it. For example, gold added to the buttons and jacket trim, including the cuff trim. Much of this gold is now lost, but you may be able to see the little that remains in this closeup:

Perhaps the photographer tinting the cuff trim gold, rather than red, might indicate that this was a cavalryman?