Color Question

[skamikaze]

What color do yo think the jackets are in this picture:

http://www.freewebs.com/tjkoehn/unde...0sweater-1.jpg

They seem to be the same as the trousers, but lighter than the forage cap.

Thoughts? I know a lot of PA and NY state jackets were grey. The cut of the coat is not VRC, so that probably rules sky blue out. I know there are experts on this kind of thing out there.

[Craig L Barry]

Experts that can tell the color of something from a B&W pic?

[doughboy]

Not sure where you see them being lighter than the forage cap. They look the same to me. Definitely a NYS jacket.
Christopher

[Tom Scoufalos]

No, that photo has classically been attributed to a PA regiment in various texts, and is cited as the 31st PA/later 82nd PA on the LOC website. The odd thing is that other photographs with the same attribution show officers and noncoms (specifically an orderly sergeant) in presumeably dark blue coats, the orderly in a federal issue frock coat.

Note, the caption and attribution of the photo does not appear on the same page as the photo itself, but rather the link in the gallery that proginates it. You have to click on "Bibliographic information" for that.

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/...56sf=01667:@@@

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/...666:@@@mdb=cwp

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/...668:@@@mdb=cwp

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/...663:@@@mdb=cwp

I'm still digging...at present, flummoxed by the 31st/82nd comparison...the 31st PVI was the 2nd PRVC; how the 82nd links in yet I've not sorted out...

Ok, it seems that when the 2nd PVRC recieved its line number as the 31st PVI, what was at that point the 31st PVI became the 82nd, so that clears that up. Makes sense, too, since a digitized history of the 31st PVI/later 82nd PVI mentions their mustering in in August 1861 and serving in the defenses of Washington from October 1861 until March 9, 1862...with their camp at Queen's Farm, as attributed in the photographs above. Now we're gettin' somewhere; good thing one of my consults was a no-show!

[skamikaze]

Experts that can tell the color of something from a B&W pic?

Yep. certain colors turn up as different shades in B&W pics. I'm fairly colorblind as it is, so any help I can get with this would be cool. The wife and I plan on re-making the image this year.

Tom, those are great links buddy. The dress coats in the other picture don't match the shade of the shell jackets in the first photo. But again, I'm not the best with this kind of thing.

The caps look a shade darker to me, especially if you factor in the light beating down on the cap. it is better in the second pic of the couple. especially on the guys in the back

[Blair]

Tom,

This is good info, check out the guy wearing a Greatcoat(?) in the back ground on this image,
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/...666:@@@mdb=cwp
This could give you an idea on how dark the uniforms might be in these lighting conditions when the image was taken.

[skamikaze]

hey Blair, that link didn't work for me. error 404?

[Blair]

Eric,

I have found different fabrics with differing texture may also appear slightly different in shade or color in these old black and white images too.

[doughboy]

This may be a PA unit though I would like to see some support for PA troops wearing jackets like that. An LOC attribution is no guarantee of anything, in fact the USGovt. has often put wrong information with photos you are talking about clerks not historians. They catalog onlywhat they are given. (My wife is a librarian at the Smithsonian).
I still think this is a dark issue as the comparison with the greatcoat in the background would seem to support.
Christopher Wilson

[Blair]

Eric,

Try this one,
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/...666:@@@mdb=cwp

It is the second image from the top in Tom's posting....