Posted 12 years ago
filmnet
(476 items)
WOW Just going through a box which came from drawers in a desk, This desk was 100 years old and was taken out of our house. Given to my wife's brother, I emptied the drawers 7 moths ago, saved each drawers in a box. Because i could see that they had very old letters , pictures, envelopes. Well i just found 1 box i forgot to look in. All letters from 1860-1890s and a few letters about the women who lived here, when her husband died about his estate also an envelope with this hair , unmarked . Now this photo her husband survived the Civil War I will post above his company written in his bio and his photo from much later that the war 1895, he must be in this shot? any help please.
Great image! I love how what appear to be overcoats have been rolled up like bed rolls, with button in neat rows.
I am at work taking a few minutes to goof off, but will do a bit of research when I get home. In the meantime, I suspect this is a militia unit by the belt buckles, and that the picture is post-civil war, because the rifles appear to be trap-door Springfields. Based on the uniforms, I’m thinking late Indian Wars period.
Agree with Chris-- great image and post Civil War.
In addition to what Chris states, the man in the center is wearing the crossed rifles which dates this to 1874 or later (CW era IN used the hunting horn). Also, I can clearly see the "SSA_" on the buckle of the individual at the right front-- he is wearing a square brass buckle with applied letters "MASS"achusetts. Tintypes are mirror images, so it would show in reverse.
Additionally, the foreground "grass" prop is typical of post war photography.
Again it is a great photograph, but shows an 1880s- 1890s Mass Milita unit.
Scott
funny we have 3 small print of soldiers marching on Winter Island in Salem MA , written underneath these marching prints says Spanish American war Winter Island. I don't know who was in the war from our family, But the first husband of the women i have been talking about. She married him 1872, had his child 1973 who is the golfer and he was the photographer who took all the great shot i post here. This father died in 1873 in the Salem Cadets from a disease, her son carried his name his whole life and she remarried the guy above, they all 3 lived here after 1875. Now Salem Cadets have a very strange history, i cant find much at all other than this. In Salem National Park next town beside here a historian women wrote a book about them, but the federal government never printed this book she was guide there for 20 years. And when the Civil war broke out Salem solders went to Washington D.C. 2 groups of the oldest soldier company's in the USA were put together, 1 was Salem Guards they had a Amory building from 1796 and another group. I did read the Salem history was so rich early on that they copied the British to guard the ships. The Salem Cadets dressed like British i will post a photo here, were under 18 years old and could not join the army, But after the war this must have changed , it a huge mystery, my wife's family carried his last name for 3 generations and none knew about him, i did post the beautiful letter written to his wife form the clerk of Salem Cadets 1873 here you should read it its wonderful.
Just a bit more info on the picture, now that I'm home. In the regular Army, Officers changed from leather chin straps to gold cord on their caps in 1884, and I assume the militias followed suit. Also, the rear sights on the Trapdoor Springfields appear to be Model 1884 rear sights - so, I'd say it's safe to say the picture wasn't taken prior to that year.
How much later the picture might be is more problematic, since militias continued to use items for some time after the regular army had changed, but by 1895, the Army had been issued different caps than these. Also the Krag began to replace the Trapdoor Springfield in 1892, but many units still had the Trapdoor Springfield when we entered the Spanish American War in 1898.
My best guess then is that the picture was taken between mid-to-late 1880s to mid-to-late 1890s.
Great work Chris looking at the letters saved in this envelope i know understand what my wifs grandmother was doing. When she died in 1973 they found on her bed piles of pictures envelopes books, jewelry. She was getting each generation together as her house in Maine was cleaned out all valuable antiques were spread out to 2 family's us and another. I married into this family, i didn't know what was there. Well the other side on our family wanted all the ? antiques we knew they were going to see them once over 2 day a antique seller was in front of the house with a van and his name on it. Well today we have a 2nd cousin who got some antiques from my wife grandmother before she died left the state now has come back to find out what they have had from our family from 1945. The other family sell a lot and have only this 1 of only 4 small of the 1776 painting of the old painting. the guy who made it made 4 small ones before the huge on which is in Marblehead . It was in my wife home as she was growing up her Grandmother told her about it. We have not see it for 45 years in, it has a cut and dirty but would be worth over 750.000 we hope to see it soon. Now i have found all letters from people who wrote them 1870s -1040 with the Tintype and hair and prints to the right. I will put today some great letters i found yesterday.
In this envelope was this letter from my wife's grandmother she donated letters to Beverly Historial Society, they are address to a famous women in our town, very possible they are from the group of soldiers. I do heave some shot from soldiers marching before the war form these years, i was told they were from the Spanish-American War,
Now i found this envelope which makes since F.W. Stopord very possibly a Beverly Ma group
Guys very important here now My wife's relative who's death letter I posted from 1873 here , was written by the clerk of 2nd Corp of Cadets.I just found a historian who is very excited because before he died he gave 8/10 prints to his wife of all the group standing in town, dressed in different clothes, and a close up shot of 8 guys.I also just found a beautiful letter written by them saying they want do the funeral ,this was given to his wife. All prints and letters, possible buttons from uniform were saved by her she was my wife's great great Grandmother. Just yesterday got her DAR Certificate , she joined in 1909 in the famose DAR Club one of the original one In Medford Ma. Named after this women, she painted the faces of the minuteman to look like indian's these were the men from the Boston Tea Party . They all met back at her house, after the war she was so famous Washington visited her, and the Lafayette from France visited her. Sarah Bradlee Fulton Chapter, now the fun part Wificapedia has a long history you should all read it unbelievable about 1st corp of cadets Independant corp other names because the were started in 1780 here great history , they were started to marching great uniforms when the Governor was in parades. They paid to be in this group and 1 time they were picked to be officers. Great history the National Guard was finally started by the goverment which was the end of them The 2nd was the last. Hancock from Boston was in charge for many years also, They might be the oldest soldiers in us history.