Civil War Photo

Rare & intriguing 1860s photo female civil war soldier dressed as man

Rare & intriguing 1860s photo female civil war soldier dressed as man
Rare & intriguing 1860s photo female civil war soldier dressed as man
Rare & intriguing 1860s photo female civil war soldier dressed as man

Rare & intriguing 1860s photo female civil war soldier dressed as man    Rare & intriguing 1860s photo female civil war soldier dressed as man
Original circa 1863 ninth-plate (1/9) ruby ambrotype of a female Civil War Cavalry soldier. Nice, gold-hand coloring throughout, including a "US" on the belt buckle. Yes, I truly believe this is a woman dressed / disguised as a male soldier; it has also been suggested that she could have been dressed in her KIA husband's uniform, as sort of a memorial tribute. I own an ambrotype of a woman wearing her husband's CW belt and holding his sword, so it's a possibility. Everything about this soldier seems feminine to me, and she looks a lot more feminine than some of the more famous female soldiers and spies I've seen. Take a close look at the hair, the jawline, eyes and eyebrows, and mouth, thighs... All very feminine physical features. In addition, her coat fit doesn't look quite right - it looks a bit "stuffed" to me...

Possibly to add the appearance of bulk and/or from binding? There were hundreds of female soldiers, on both sides, that disguised themselves as men, including a woman named Mary Owens Jenkins, a PA 9th Cavalry soldier.

I'm not saying this is Mary - I could not find a photo of her online. Mary Owens supposedly joined the service to be with a man she loved, William Evans. She used the Alias John Evans. William Evans reportedly died and Mary/John stays in Service. Abraham Jenkins, whom she did marry, was also in the 9th PA.

The little specks are on my scanner or on the photo glass. The image is very nice, sharp and clear.

A small spot by her face, is the only real condition issue. Rare unusual history gay spy south southern union military photography photograph 1860s soldier picture antique vintage 1800s. The item "Rare & intriguing 1860s photo female civil war soldier dressed as man" is in sale since Friday, November 03, 2017. This item is in the category "Collectibles\Photographic Images\Vintage & Antique (Pre-1940)\Ambrotypes".

The seller is "jack_mord" and is located in Woodinville, Washington. This item can be shipped to United States.

  • Date of Creation: 1861-1862
  • Original/Reprint: Original Print
  • Photo Type: Ambrotype
  • Subject: Military & Political


Rare & intriguing 1860s photo female civil war soldier dressed as man    Rare & intriguing 1860s photo female civil war soldier dressed as man