Pinky Rings???

[Tiger_rifles]

I was looking at a Non-ACW site and was reading comments about a Union re-enactor photogrphed wearing a pinky ring. I then was looking at closeup pictures of the three Rebs captured at G-burg,(we all know the picture I am talking about!), and Two of those fellows have pinky rings! It also seems that the third has a wedding band on, but it is on the right hand. Now we all know this picture was taken many days after G-burg was over and done, so were these men on grave digger duty?
So how common was this? I did do a search before asking but really could not find anything.
Thanks,

[Jim Mayo]

Pinky rings while not common are sometimes seen in period photos of Union soldiers. Can't remember if I have seen any on CS soldiers.

[1 Yellowhammer]

Period freemasons sometimes wore Masonic pinky rings... Pat Craddock over on the AC makes them based off some originals...

[FranklinGuardsNYSM]

Ellsworth's avenger, Francis Brownell, had one on the left hand: http://www.myrtle-avenue.com/firezou/brownellcuff.jpg

[Rob Weaver]

To this day, Russians wear wedding rings on the right hand. This practice may have been in Eastern Europe in the mid-19th c.

[Elaine Kessinger]

Many Germanic-based countries wear the wedding ring on the right hand.

Also remember that in this era, wedding rings weren't always the "plain gold band" that we think of today. ...so the "plain gold band" we see in photos may be "just another ring" too. Kinda hard to tell without other factors for context.

[tenfed1861]

It's possible that they were not just Masonic rings,but also fraternal rings in general.If you look close at the example above,you can almost make out a cross in the ring.So either fraternal or religious.Hope this helps.

[LibertyHallVols]

Marc,

Not to get off-topic, but...
The cuff of his sleeve is way down at his knuckles, a trait more commonly associated with early century fashions. Is he wearing a poorly-fitted coat, or is it cut this way?

Thanks!

[Ross L. Lamoreaux]

From a number of articles, including one from the "Columbia Rifles Research Compendium" and from years of looking at originals images of soldiers and citizens, pinky rings were indeed more common than most think. the CRRC article noted a survey of original images which indicated the percentage of pinky rings versus other fingers and it seems to be much higher than the modern ratio today. I've seen dozens of original images myself showing this to be true, which led me to incorporate pinky rings into many of my impressions. Originals I've viewed come in a variety of styles from plain gold or silver bands, gutta percha and/or India rubber, rose gold, Fraternal and military rings with everything from eagles to corps badges. One of my favorite period ads from Harper's Weekly and other newspapers includes classified ads looking for agents to sell corps badge rings to soldiers, most of which appear to be pinky rings. My research into this question led me to talk to some of the old-school relic hunters, and sure enough, severeal of them noted that rings that they've recovered from camps and battlefields all seem to be under a modern size 7, usually in the 5 or 6 range, which seem to be a pinky size.

[FranklinGuardsNYSM]

John -

Hard to say! In another view, he looks to have thrust his wrist well through the sleeve, so as to allow excess material, of which there seems to be a good amount, to ride up:

http://www.myrtle-avenue.com/firezou/fbcdv.jpg

So, it may have been an anomaly with his jacket. Another Fire Zouave doesn't have that problem:
http://www.marchermann.com/fzcuff.jpg

In a completely unscientific, not-to-scale comparison, there seems to be a bigger difference between the sleeve and the jacket body on Brownell's jacket than on a sample New York State uniform jacket:
http://www.marchermann.com/twojackcomp.jpg

The 11th's first uniforms were ordered, manufactured, and issued with incredible speed, so a design flaw may very well have been there. It certainly wouldn't have been the only flaw.

[Calum]

Not sure, but look at his left bicep - he's got something tied around it. Depending on when the photo was taken, perhaps a mourning band? That could easily affect the perceived sleeve length.

Or, to me, it looks like he's got the sleeve pushed up based on the number of folds/wrinkles at the elbow.

Calum

[Rob Weaver]

That's definitely a mourning band. There is at least one more that shows Brownell with a mourning band for Ellsworth.

[easttnfed]

I agree with Ross on the subject of pinky rings. Among the years of relic hunting various camps in my area, I have came across several brass rings and one wide gold ring with a lot of wear in the middle area all the way around. I have also found a women's ring among all these also. Not sure if it was carried by a soldier or if he wore it. It is also made of brass and is missing the jewel in the middle. All of the brass rings are now nicely tarnished to a really deep reddish brown. Some of the pinky rings, however, appear too large in diameter to be pinky rings unless they had fat pinkies.

[easttnfed]

here are some pics of some of the rings I have dug up1148211483114841148511486

[easttnfed]

and here are the rest.

1148811487114891149011491

[FranklinGuardsNYSM]

Is anyone aware of any rings from Odd Fellows or United American Mechanics organizations that are solidly documented to our period?

[Tiger_rifles]

Easttnfed, Thank you Sir so very much for posting those pictures!!! Truely worth 1000 words! The Brass rings you spoke of...... did they seem to be Gold plated?

[easttnfed]

You are so very welcome. The one brass ring that shows where they sized it does not appear to have been gold plated. The woman's ring still has its gold plating left on it in a couple of areas. The other ring shows a lot of gold, but where the wearing is shows a metal like material underneath. Of course, the wide gold ring could also be 20th Century also. It has the 10k on the inside of the ring still visible. All these rings came from a camp occupied by the 1st Tn Cav. U.S. and one of Longstreet's Corp during different periods of the Knoxville Campaign. Along with the rings I also found the back of a belt plate that was trying to be carved into a shield as the top half was already finished and the bottom half still had the tooling marks and outline of the shield.

[RJSamp]

Is anyone aware of any rings from Odd Fellows or United American Mechanics organizations that are solidly documented to our period?

I'd start by looking at pictures of the 23rd Ohio as both future presidents were members of the IOOF. I'd imagine FLT and\or three links would be the key....

[Private Wallar]

There are tons of photographs depicting soldiers wearing pinky rings on both sides, infact whne you look at the art work done by the Confederate soldier at point lookout (his name escapes me) he shows soldiers trading rings with the guards. The pinky rings show up in portraits most often and they can be found on bothe officers and enlisted men.

Jon Bachmann
CVG

[JesseJames70]

Looking through the new Civil War Monitor magazine this evening. There is an article/photo spread of seven "Black Men In Blue", seven photos total 5 have pinky rings the other two you can't see the hands at all or clear enough to tell if there is a ring or not. Wish I could put a link to the article but it wasn't available. Just my observation.

[funhistory]

Gentlemen:

Just a word of caution in a world that I've noticed has become too accustomed to thinking of history through 21st century eyes... The photos of men wearing rings on the pinkie finger may not reflect the fact that wearing such a ring was either a fad or fashion or was common, but instead, the ring may have been worn there as a momento of a wife, fiance, mother, or sister--the ring too small to fit on any other finger.

[Boyd Miles]

Wearing a ring is wearing a ring, I don't see the why as being that important. Was it done? Yes. Do you know why each and every person at any given moment was wearing it? No.

[Boyd Miles]

http://www.cwreenactors.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=11630&d=1324670810 Image is a bit small but clearly there is a pinky ring on this unknown Yankee in my collection.

[Ross L. Lamoreaux]

Gentlemen:

Just a word of caution in a world that I've noticed has become too accustomed to thinking of history through 21st century eyes... The photos of men wearing rings on the pinkie finger may not reflect the fact that wearing such a ring was either a fad or fashion or was common, but instead, the ring may have been worn there as a momento of a wife, fiance, mother, or sister--the ring too small to fit on any other finger.
There may have indeed been some of that going on, but the giving of jewelry as a momento from a woman to a man was a bit uncommon in mid 19th century. Locks of hair, CDV's or cased images, inscribed books, and written regards such as letters were more common. There are too many advertisments and images of men's pinky rings to ignore that it was a fashion. I've seen too many rings with fraternal orders, corps badges, military unit numbers, and even a ring I own engraved "Father" to discount that pinky rings were much more common for men than today.

[Rob Weaver]

This actually can be an important piece of material culture because it involves the backstory of the man you are recreating. He has/had a life outside the army, and material artifacts that root him in a particular place in the culture are every bit as important as the right military effects.

[FloridaHoosier]

Two messages were already deleted from this thread for not adding anything constructive. I would handle this via PM, but since the message system for that user is disabled, I am making the statement here. Please do not post unless you have something that adds to the discussion in a positive manner. Just because you don't believe this thread is important (comparing it to the canteen string thread), doesn't mean that many others don't believe it contributes to the material culture knowledge of the reenactor/living historian

[dweiser]

Dont forget about Signet Rings, those have been around for thousands of years. I have one that is turn of the century (but could easily be from the 1860s as well) that has been in my family for a long time (and it fits) and I wear it from time to time.

[moconfed]

FWIW, The character Black John in RWTD clearly shows his pinky ring at the trading post scene. Don't know who did the historical research for the movie- and what their basis was for including this detail, but possibly somewhere the net would provide it.
I have read several places that state quite a few dug rings were plain brass bands. Is anyone aware of reproductions of such?

[Olden's Legion]

Also to add a point, as is stated earlier in the posts the large majority of the rings found are brass/copper type material with gold electroplated on them. This plating was seen by the average citizen of the time as gold, only the upper class had what we think of as gold today ex.. 14k 18k, I was not a hidden fact that it was electroplated I have seen advertisements in the Sears Catolog selling rolled gold jewelry to the public and explaining the process. I also have a family heirloom bracelet that was worn by a great grandmother (1890's) that shows wear where the plating had worn off. The pure karated gold we think of as gold started to be uses in the 1920's. As a side not white gold is not authentic at all it was invented in the 1880's, and did not become popular until the 1920's.


William Summe

[Boyd Miles]

White gold has been around a very long time and even occurs in nature. Electrum was used for coins in 600BC Lydia which is a fair bit earlier than the 1880s AD.


Yellow gold, Pure or fine gold, 1000.
Red gold Fine gold, 750; rose copper, 250.
Green gold, Fine gold, 750; silver, 250.
Dead-leaf gold, Fine gold, 700; silver, 300.
Water-green gold, ... Fine gold, 600; silver, 400.
White gold An alloy of gold and silver in which
the latter predominates.
Blue, gold, Fine gold, 750; iron 250.
Taken from Dictionnaire des Arts et Manufactures and published in English in:
Chemistry, Theoretical, Practical, and Analytical:
As Applied and Relating to the Arts and Manufactures, Volume 2
W. Mackenzie, 1860
Under the heading of Jewellers, Gold.

Rolled gold is not the same as electroplate, rolled (predates the war by around 40 years) is thicker and done by heat and pressure, it would be called "gilt" in the period and in modern times "gold filled".

[Rob Weaver]

By Greek tradition, wasn't it King Midas who made the first electrum? Or was it Croesus (as in "rich as Croesus")?

[Jeff Davis]

I was watching Gods and Generals a few days ago and I noticed in a scene where General Jackson is looking at his newborn daughter in a crib, the shot of his hand shows a pinky ring. I don't know if that is because the real Jackson actually wore one or if the filmmakers were trying to incorporate something they knew to be accurate... Just my two cents.