Interesting Civilian Picture

[easttnfed]

Found this one on CivilWarPhotos.net

Notice the woman smoking a cigar in the picture.

[markj]

Re: Interesting Civilian Picture

Hi,

I think if you look closer, you'll see the woman is actually smoking a pipe. Decidedly a bit cleaner than the Southern female habit of "dipping." The image itself is one-half of a stereo view currently in the holdings of the Library of Congress:

TITLE: Refugees leaving the old homestead

CALL NUMBER: LOT 4172 [item] [P&P]
Check for an online group record (may link to related items)

REPRODUCTION NUMBER: LC-USZ62-57032 (b&w film copy neg.)
LC-USZ62-33104 (b&w film copy neg. of half stereo)
Rights status not evaluated. For general information see "Copyright and Other Restrictions..." (http://lcweb.loc.gov/rr/print/195_copr.html).

SUMMARY: Small group of people on and around horse-drawn wagon, loaded with furniture and belongings - Civil War.

MEDIUM: 1 photographic print on stereo card : stereograph.

CREATED/PUBLISHED: [1862]

CREATOR:

Barnard, George N., 1819-1902, photographer.

NOTES:

Stereo, The War for the Union. Photographic War History (no. 306).

This record contains unverified, old data from caption card.

Original glass negative no.: LC-B811-306.

Caption card tracings: C.W.--Refugees; Shelf.

REPOSITORY: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

DIGITAL ID: (b&w film copy neg.) cph 3b04863 http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3b04863
(b&w film copy neg.) cph 3a33617 http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3a33617

CARD #: 2004682777

Yours, &c.,

Mark Jaeger

[easttnfed]

Re: Interesting Civilian Picture

Mark,

Ok, sorry. Your right, I just didn't see the bowl of the pipe since it was the same color as the items behind it.

[nc69th]

Re: Interesting Civilian Picture

Interesting photo. Who would of though a women in those days would smoke in public view.

[Knapsack Matt]

Re: Interesting Civilian Picture

It is cool that the little kid is wearing a kepi.

Matt

[Rob Weaver]

Re: Interesting Civilian Picture

The woman smoking is a reminder to us that etiquette among the working class then, as now, was honored more in the breach than the observance.

[ElizabethClark]

Re: Interesting Civilian Picture

This is a pretty "famous" picture of citizens, actually. This next sentence is kindly meant: you guys really need to look at your life before and after the war. :) You're missing some great stuff just like this! We also have an entire citizen's discussion area right here on the site for chatting about such lovely citizen images from mid-century, and those who primarily undertake military impressions are not barred from viewing or posting there.

The little boy's cap might be a quasi-military style (sure has that weird pulled forward profile of a military cap), or could be a well-used and distorted wool cap of non-military shape; there's a lot of variation for boys' headwear mid-century.

If you look at the woman on the wagon, you can see her full skirts, full sleeves, and enormous slat bonnet; the girl visible between wagon and animal has cropped hair typical of many girls mid-century.

Mr. Weaver, I like your comment a lot. :)

[Hank Trent]

Re: Interesting Civilian Picture

This is a pretty "famous" picture of citizens, actually. This next sentence is kindly meant: you guys really need to look at your life before and after the war. :) You're missing some great stuff just like this!

Liz, you're so diplomatic. :)

The little boy's cap might be a quasi-military style (sure has that weird pulled forward profile of a military cap), or could be a well-used and distorted wool cap of non-military shape; there's a lot of variation for boys' headwear mid-century

I've wondered about a couple similar caps in this image. Hope the link works: http://www.umsl.edu/~muns/civilwar/slave03.jpg

(May 14, 1862, contrabands at Cumberland Landing, VA, LOC call number LC-B811-0383)

The tops slant down something like military caps, but they don't actually seem to be army-issue caps, or are they? I'm talking about the one on the young man sitting with his hands clasped on his knee at the left, and the boy lying at the extreme right.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

[1stMaine]

Re: Interesting Civilian Picture

Comrades,

Not too many people ever comment on the woman sitting up front on the wagon. She's holding a baby.....

Respects,

[Sablearm]

Re: Interesting Civilian Picture

Hank,
I've been looking for patterns for civilian caps of the era such as the ones shown in these photos. Any clues to where I might find suitable patterns?

Thanks as always.

George Hardy
Independent

[Hank Trent]

Re: Interesting Civilian Picture

I've been looking for patterns for civilian caps of the era such as the ones shown in these photos. Any clues to where I might find suitable patterns?

I've not made one, but the Workwoman's Guide, 1838, has some very brief illustrations and instructions for making boy's caps, around p. 157ish.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

[K. Krewer]

Re: Interesting Civilian Picture

Does anyone actually know when/where the picture was taken? I've seen this captioned as Southern refugees, but I've also seen it captioned as Missourians leaving their home as a result of Order 11.....

[CornFedComrade]

Re: Interesting Civilian Picture

First, my great-grandmother was born in 1901 and passed away in the mid-90's. She chewed tabacco and spat into a spitoon well into her 80's. You did not want to be punished and have to clean that thing out. My grandma told me she smoked a pipe at times also, but had long gave it up by time I can remember. She was little woman weighing no more than 90 lbs most of her life. It's hard to imagine a woman nowadays chewing and spitting while walking around the mall shopping for shoes.

Second, I know a discussion comes up every now again in similar fashion, but look at the other boy's hat. That definately has to be a hand-me-down to be in that sad of a condition. That hat would be shunned at most events, even the mainstream.