Interesting shirts/sweaters

[paulcalloway]

"Captain Ballerman's kitchen. Tasting the soup"

Take a look at the shirts/sweaters some of these fellas are wearing. Trimmed out with black tape. Looks like 4 or 5 in the photo at least are wearing the same shirt - even the boy.

TITLE: Captain Ballerman's kitchen. Tasting the soup
CALL NUMBER: LC-B811- 2416[P&P]
REPRODUCTION NUMBER: LC-DIG-cwpb-01680 (b&w copy scan)
No known restrictions on publication.
MEDIUM: 1 negative : glass, wet collodion.
CREATED/PUBLISHED: [between 1861 and 1869]
NOTES:
Caption from negative sleeve: Capt. Ballerman's kitchen; Tasting the soup.
Forms part of Brady Civil War Photograph Collection (Library of Congress).
SUBJECTS:
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
FORMAT:
Glass negatives 1860-1870.
REPOSITORY: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
DIGITAL ID: (b&w scan) cwpb 01680 http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cwpb.01680
CARD #: cwp2003004792/PP

[Vuhginyuh]

Re: Interesting shirts

Two things here from other threads. Guy sitting at right in the center crop with white English clay pipe as well as the kid sitting at the right that Paul mentioned.

Any ideas about the lanyard around the neck of the guy to the left in the same crop as the pipesmoker? I have seen sailor's rigging knives and marlinspikes carried like this.

The brick ember-pit in the foreground is a great feature, probably still right there if the site is not paved over.

[Jefferson Guards]

Re: Interesting shirts/sweaters

I wonder if that could be some kind of weird early state issue blouse or a blouse dreamed up by the company or regimental commander. Does anyone know of what regiment a Captain Ballerman (or Ballermann) could be with?

[ThehosGendar]

Re: Interesting shirts/sweaters

There are two caps in the image of Capt. Ballerman's kitchen with company letters. The soldier wearing the frock coat, laying on the ground to the right of the cookfire has what appears to be an 'H' on his cap, and the soldier with the pipe, wearing a knitted garment and sitting in front of the woman has either an 'E' or an 'F.'

Did the 7th New York ever change their company designations from numbers to letters? If so, this could be an image of the 7th in the field, and the knitted blouse/jacket may be a unique regimental issue undress jacket.

[RyanBWeddle]

Re: Interesting shirts/sweaters

Yes - these are very interesting early war uniform pieces, I am currently researching for an in-depth piece to be published on these very 'camp blouses'... I don't want to 'give away the farm'. But keep your eyes peeled for some very interesting information on early war material culture, contractors, etc. in the not too distant future.

Thanks...

Ryan

[hireddutchcutthroat]

Re: Interesting shirts/sweaters

I see a few men in this photo wearing the white "army shirt". The one fellow that sticks out is the man to the left of the Captain. And like Vuhginyuh said there is one or more man with a clay pipe.

[D1861]

Re: Interesting shirts/sweaters

I did a search of rosters, and there were no Ballerman's, or Ballermann's who served in the Union army. Looks like they mislabeled the photo. There's no name remotely similar to Ballerman in the 7th New York.

[MrsArmstrong]

Re: Interesting shirts/sweaters

I thought that picture looked familiar! It is in The Lady Reenactor Vol 1, which sadly never made it to any other volumes. It is in an article about "Setting up on suds row... by Nicky Huges" and the photo is from "Masachusetts Commandery, Military Order of the Loyal Legion and the U.S.Army Military History Instutite."
Susan Armstrong

[FedOfficer]

Hardee hat feathers

How about the feathers in those Hardee's, looks like they've got them stuck almost vertical instead of horizontal near the brim. Does anyone else know of a photo that shows the feather worn this way?

Rick Rachal

[FortyRounder]

Re: Hardee hat feathers

How about the feathers in those Hardee's, looks like they've got them stuck almost vertical instead of horizontal near the brim. Does anyone else know of a photo that shows the feather worn this way?

Rick Rachal

This photo may depict soldiers of the 12th U. S. Infantry. Notice the short length of the man's frock coat. In the GI Series volume "Terrible Swift Sword" there are two photos which show men in coats of this length. They are also wearing Hardee hats and I believe several of them have the feathers stuck in vertical. The man in the second picture is identified as Private Varney of the 12th Infantry. Of course, the reason why regulars would be wearing a gray shirt/coat hybrid as shown in "Tasting the Soup" is a mystery to me.