Civil War Violin Player

[Nathan Dodds]

My gut feeling is that this photo is actually from the 1870's, based on the young gents hairdo. What do you-all think? Oh yes... and that might be a Viola, not a Violin. Or else he is just short.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/CIVIL-WAR-ERA-VIOLIN-PLAYER-RICHMOND-INDIANA-CDV-PHOTO-/320818309827?pt=Art_Photo_Images&hash=item4ab242eac3

[eric marten]

Re: Civil War Violin Player

Nathan:

Thanks for posting this great picture. It looks like a violin to me - the ribs don't look wide enough to be a viola, and the violin was then, as is now, much more common an instrument. (Ask anyone trying to staff an amateur orchestra). I love the hairstyle - maybe my wife might let me try that .... (nah). Other than going by clothes or hairstyle, its pretty hard to date the instrument as war-time, post war, or whatever. This is how the instrument was set up from the early 19th century to the early 20th century. No chin rest, gut strings, no fine tuners, no metal or "composite" tailpiece, the unwound gut strings inserted directly into the holes of the wooden tailpiece. "Civil War" string bands, minstrel groups, take note! I don't think the fellow in this picture would be whining about how hard it is to tune or play on the gut strings.

Thanks, Nathan, for posting.

[Chip]

Re: Civil War Violin Player

You typically see this type of chair in photos from 1864 on.

The double gold borders and thinner card stock started to disappear around 1867.

Since it doesn't have a revenue stamp, I'm thinking about 1867 to about 1869.