POST CW MILITIA OFFICER? THEATRICAL? FRATERNAL?

[INIMICUS]

I lately picked up this studio image, about 5x7, and it looks non-military or quasi-military to me.

 

My best guess is fraternal (and therefore I suppose worthless). Can anyone help please?

 

Thanks and good hunting.

[INIMICUS]

I lately picked up this studio image, about 5x7, and it looks non-military or quasi-military to me.

 

My best guess is fraternal (and therefore I suppose worthless). Can anyone help please?

 

Thanks and good hunting.

 

pic 2

[INIMICUS]

pic 2

 

pic 3

[INIMICUS]

pic 3

 

pic 4

[Jason G]

I dunno...I kinda like it. Is it on cardstock or tintype?

 

The coat looks like a Union officers frock, but, as you guessed, I don't think it's a Union officer.

 

LMK tho, if you want him to find a new home. I think he'd look good in my little '4th of July' patriotic display I have goin.

[KurtA]

The sword appears to be a fancy Model 1860 Staff & Field Officer's sword.

Those "shoulder paddles" came out in 1872. He's not Federal. Appears to be some sort of State Militia. Is that an anchor on the hat and gloves? Possibly Rhode Island Militia from the 1870's/1880's?

Kurt

[pconrad02]

Well the patch on the glove looks like a WWII OSS patch, so he must be a spy.... (sorry couldn't help myself)

[INIMICUS]

Well the patch on the glove looks like a WWII OSS patch, so he must be a spy.... (sorry couldn't help myself)

 

 

thanks gents.

 

The ID of this proud fellow is C. (E.?L.?) A. D. Faris, marked in pencil on back.

 

The gauntlet glove emblem is unclear but yeh it cd. be an anchor and is the same design as the one on his fore-and-aft cap.

 

the photo is laid down on card stock of the photog (Dillard, South Pittsburg, Tenn.) Image is a bit yellow - I turned it neutral grey in Photo Shop. Couldn't get the details clearer tho.

 

I* guess these are worth about $20. In the Ballpark?

 

Thanks again

[Bob Hudson]

The coat looks like a Union officers frock,

 

Apparently it could be a Union officer's coat. According to a webpage at http://www.neaca.com/FraternalSwordsandCollectables.htm Civil War surplus was popular with fraternal organizations:

 

Pictured is a small collage of regalia and frock coat that was representative of the style many fraternal societies employed. After the War Between the States, much surplus of military uniforms and gear was available and a lot of this was sold to fraternal organizations and foreign armies. Various swords, sword belts and items of clothing were altered or, in some cases, used as issued.

 

I'll bet there were all manner of such organizations that are no longer around - like this one:

 

[KASTAUFFER]

Isn't that a thistle on his gloves? Wouldnt that be a " Scottish Rite " insignia ?

 

Kurt

[chrisdumford]

This coat appears to be possibly the 1872 regulation field grade officer's coat with two rows of nine buttons. The 1872 coat had vertical lace on the cuffs and this appears to possibly be the case (although it is hard to tell based on the posted photo) on the left sleeve of the coat in the top photo (right sleeve from the viewer's perspective). If the cuffs do not have lace, then this most likely an 1879 coat. The Civil War field grade officer's coat had two rows of 7-buttons and the junior grade officers had one row of 9-buttons. general officers in the civil war had various groupings of two rows of buttons depending on the rank. There were no regulation Civil war army officers coats that had two rows of nine buttons. In any case, this is post Civil War based on the epaulets which are as previously stated model 1872 regulation epaulets. If the emblems on the hat and gloves are anchors, it could be as stated in an earlier post either Rhode Island naval militia or possibly New York naval militia, although I have a New York naval militia coat identified to a surgeon that conforms to the 1869 naval regulations. He is carrying an 1860 staff and field officer's sword which was used up to and through the Spanish-American War. The 1872/1879 coats had generally different tailoring than Civil war coats. Civil war coats tended to have elbows in the sleeves that ballooned outward to as much as 9-1/2" during the war. Earlier coats have narrower elbows and the elbows increased in width during the war. The coat in the photo appears to have narrower selbows which was the trend of coats after the war. They generally had elbow widths (based on several period pieces in my collection) that did not exceed 8-1/2". Coat tails generally became shorter following the war although this coat have relatively long tails.