09-02-2017 09:18 AM
I recently purchased this wonderful Civil War tintype at an antiques mall, of all places. (It wasn't cheap, but I believe I got it for a decent price.)
The man pictured on the front (of which I'm showing just the face) apparently "wrote" his name on the back of the tin. I can make out the first name (Samuel?), but no luck at all on the last name.
Odds are not good that anyone can make it out, but I thought I'd offer it to any eagle-eyed observers in the hope that maybe it will pop out for someone.
I lightened and enhanced the back as well as I could. Good luck!
09-02-2017 11:51 AM
I haven't been able to get much on this... It looks to me like the last name starts with either "Bond" or "Bom" -- and I looked in the National Park Service Soldiers and Sailors Database under Soldiers... but no luck! https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/soldiers-and-sailors-database.htm
The tinted flag in the tintype is fabulous!
09-02-2017 04:08 PM
Yes, Fig, that tinted flag is what drew me to the photo!
09-03-2017 12:44 PM
A little image manipulation makes it easier to read. Pretty sure it starts "Bowl . . ."
09-08-2017 08:27 AM
If the first letters are "Bowl...", here are the contenders (from the Soldiers/Sailors Civil War database):
09-14-2017 06:40 AM
Yikes! There's a lot of narrowing to do.
12-13-2018 08:25 AM - edited 12-13-2018 08:27 AM
Something interesting has developed regarding this photograph ... I'll post more about it in a few days (sorry, but I really need to work on Christmas cards first or none of my St. Louis family will get theirs in time!).
12-14-2018 08:30 AM - edited 12-14-2018 08:32 AM
Okay, I have a little bit of time now to share the latest news about this photo.
This past June, there was a Civil War Collectors show in Gettysburg that is held annually. I knew that Military Images Magazine would have a booth there, where they spread the word about their magazine and solicit military photos to be scanned for inclusion.
So I brought this tintype photo to their booth and Military Images Magazine scanned it for possible inclusion in a future issue. They seemed to really like this photo and even told me, "This is a $1,500 image" (but I didn't pay anywhere near that when I found it). They particularly liked the cannon ball at the bottom left corner.
The editor emailed me a couple of months ago and said they were planning to include the photo in the winter issue.
I just got my issue in the mail a couple of days ago and there, on the last page, was a full page image of my tintype, along with a nice explanatory blurb.
https://militaryimages.atavist.com/the-last-shot-winter-2019
12-14-2018 08:35 AM - edited 12-14-2018 08:38 AM
If someone is hesitant to click on the link, here are the accompanying words:
12-14-2018 09:16 AM
That banner!!!
You should steal it for your store page.
12-14-2018 07:11 PM
@taylor_memorial wrote:That banner!!!
You should steal it for your store page.
I know ... it's the bomb!
(Groan-worthy, yes?)
12-15-2018 07:53 AM
@imagine.ink wrote:If someone is hesitant to click on the link, here are the accompanying words:
Well, congratulations!
Eighth plate seems like a non-standard way to refer to size. I've usually seen only sixth plate and ninth plate. Although, sometimes the actual sizes are a little off from those.
Since I haven't re-read this entire thread, is this something you suggested for size, or did they select it?
12-15-2018 09:18 AM
No, I didn't suggest the "eighth plate" designation, but they measured the photo at the time they scanned it during the Civil War Collectors Show. Like you, I had never heard of 8th plate as a size designation, with 6th plate being the more common. So I guess they have more exacting standards, being a magazine concentrated on military (mostly Civil War era) photography.
They also wrote the accompanying script about the bomb. What would really be great is if one of the subscribers to the magazine could identify the mysterious Samuel Bo-.
By the way, if you go to the Military Images website (which I won't link to, because eBay might not like that), and
click on the tab that says Subscribe/Renew, you can get a completely free issue (with no strings attached: no payment information required) to preview the magazine and see if you like it enough to subscribe. That's how I got started. The magazine itself is a magnificent, glossy masterpiece that any photo collector would love!
12-15-2018 04:02 PM
At first I thought I was seeing 'Bowlton', but there isn't one in the posted list (no idea if that is exhaustive). Beyond that it looks most like a 'Bowlby' - there are a few of them to choose from.
.
12-06-2019 09:58 PM
I believe he is Artillery. Lower rank.
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/1860s-civil-war-tinted-tintype-1800941670