Can Anyone ID this Soldier's Regiment, State, Era?

[indguard]

Here is a new Tintype I just purchased from Maine. (Cheap at $50)

http://www.publiusforum.com/publiusbanners_buttons/MainSoldier500px.jpg

Can anyone say what state, unit, era? It might be 1870s, and it could be New York, is my guess. But, I am not sure at all.
I really like the uniform. I have bunches of civil war CDVs in the non-descript uniform of the era, but not too many in the finery like this.

[WestTN_reb]

It almost looks like some kind of chaussuer or lancer uniform. Don't quote me on that though.

[cookiemom]

Um...is the photo printed backwards? Note the "6" where the straps cross.

He bears an eerie resemblance to my first husband...

[indguard]

Yes it is backwards. It is a tintype.

[Spinster]

CookieMom-due to the process used to make a tintype-ALL print is backwards and the whole image prints in reverse.

Looking at facial hair and hair style, I'd call this one post-war, maybe even up to 1900.

[hanktrent]

Looking at facial hair and hair style, I'd call this one post-war, maybe even up to 1900.

Ditto.

First thing that occurred to me was the post war brass band era, when there were zillions of men (and a few women) running around in musician-type uniforms, and thus apt to have their pictures taken like, well, all 2,434,871 of them here: http://www.harrogate.co.uk/harrogate-band/vbbp-us2.htm :D

But I don't know enough about those uniforms to say for sure.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

[ScottWashburn]

The number on the breastplate would tend to indicate a regiment and thus be a military (militia, National Guard) uniform rather than a band uniform. I tried zooming in on one of the buttons to see if it was a recognizable pattern but it's not clear enough.

[hanktrent]

The number on the breastplate would tend to indicate a regiment and thus be a military (militia, National Guard) uniform rather than a band uniform.

Agreed that the "6" is going to be the key to actually identifying the uniform, if it's possible. The general "look" of the uniform and haircut I'm picturing though is like this unidentified fellow from a late 19th century band:
http://www.harrogate.co.uk/harrogate-band/uabg093.jpg

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voayger.net

[Jim Mayo]

Look at the buttons with a loop. You may be able to tell what state they represent. If not, scan the picture on max file size and zoom in on the buttons. A tin type should have good resolution.

[indguard]

The best closeup of the buttons...

http://www.publiusforum.com/publiusbanners_buttons/mainecloseup.jpg

[clconboy]

well there is an eagle....at least it looks like an eagle....that doesn't really help...

[rebyank]

look very closely between the image and the button here, it's the same, the only reason I spotted it was the photo looked alot like a mass vol militia button in my collection, both buttons on the closeup are turned slightly.

http://www.campsiteartifacts.com/images/MassComplete3.jpg

hope this helps,

Ian Baker

[jthlmnn]

Putting the tintype closeup & Ian's buttons side-by-side, I see some definite differences. In the tintype, a "V" is formed by what appear to be the upward slope of wings. What appears to be neck and head rise up from the point (bottom) of the "V". There are 2 triangles, forming what I take to be wings, in the tintype. The tintype image also has shape between the 2 triangles, forming what I take to be torso & talons. IMHO, the tintype is showing an eagle button.

[Lee Ragan]

The Mass. Militia wore a very similar uniform to this in the late 1800's. I remember seeing a photo of a group of their NCO's taken sometimes in the 1880's wearing a grey uniform with this type of frogging on the chest. (The photo is in an old American Society of Military Insignia Collectors magazine from the late 1970's early 1980's period - I'd have to dig it out to verify this.) If it's the same outfit, they wore a plumed cork helmet with this rig.