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Help needed to decipher an inscription

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!

 

Untitled-Scanned-53.jpg

Untitled-Scanned-51.jpg

Untitled-Scanned-54.jpg

Message 1 of 25
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Help needed to decipher an inscription

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!

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Current avatar: Actress Myrna Loy.
Message 2 of 25
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Help needed to decipher an inscription

Yes, Fig, that tinted flag is what drew me to the photo!

Message 3 of 25
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Help needed to decipher an inscription

A little image manipulation makes it easier to read.  Pretty sure it starts "Bowl . . ."

michelles photo.jpg

Message 4 of 25
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Help needed to decipher an inscription

If the first letters are "Bowl...", here are the contenders (from the Soldiers/Sailors Civil War database):

 

Message 5 of 25
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Help needed to decipher an inscription

Yikes! There's a lot of narrowing to do.

 

scream

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Current avatar: Actress Myrna Loy.
Message 6 of 25
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Help needed to decipher an inscription

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!).

Message 7 of 25
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Help needed to decipher an inscription

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

Message 8 of 25
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Help needed to decipher an inscription

If someone is hesitant to click on the link, here are the accompanying words:

 

Eighth-plate tintype by an anonymous photographer. Michele Behan Collection.  

 

 A cannonball at the feet of this federal would have been filled with an exploding charge and capped with a fuse in the visible hole. This type of ammunition illustrates the “bombs bursting in air” lyric in “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The cannonball could have been a photographer’s prop. It might also have been carried into the studio with purpose by the soldier, who may have been a heavy artilleryman or infantryman. His identity is not known. A barely readable inscription on the back of the iron plate appears to read Samuel Bo----.

 

[Footnote: Love the way they call my motley assortment of antique and found photos the "Michele Behan Collection." Smiley Very Happy

 

Message 9 of 25
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Help needed to decipher an inscription

That banner!!!

You should steal it for your store page.

Message 10 of 25
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Help needed to decipher an inscription


@taylor_memorial wrote:

That banner!!!

You should steal it for your store page.


I know ... it's the bomb!

 

(Groan-worthy, yes?)

 

Smiley Frustrated

 

 

 

Message 11 of 25
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Help needed to decipher an inscription


@imagine.ink wrote:

If someone is hesitant to click on the link, here are the accompanying words:

 

Eighth-plate tintype by an anonymous photographer. Michele Behan Collection.  

 

 A cannonball at the feet of this federal would have been filled with an exploding charge and capped with a fuse in the visible hole. This type of ammunition illustrates the “bombs bursting in air” lyric in “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The cannonball could have been a photographer’s prop. It might also have been carried into the studio with purpose by the soldier, who may have been a heavy artilleryman or infantryman. His identity is not known. A barely readable inscription on the back of the iron plate appears to read Samuel Bo----.

 

[Footnote: Love the way they call my motley assortment of antique and found photos the "Michele Behan Collection." Smiley Very Happy

 


 

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?

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Current avatar: Actress Myrna Loy.
Message 12 of 25
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Help needed to decipher an inscription

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! 

 

 

 

Message 13 of 25
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Help needed to decipher an inscription

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.

 

.

 

A preoccupation with the next world is a clear indication of an inability to cope credibly with this one.
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Message 14 of 25
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Help needed to decipher an inscription