Civil War Photo

Rare Tintype of a Man Missing an Arm-Possibly Civil War Related

Rare Tintype of a Man Missing an Arm-Possibly Civil War Related
Rare Tintype of a Man Missing an Arm-Possibly Civil War Related

Rare Tintype of a Man Missing an Arm-Possibly Civil War Related    Rare Tintype of a Man Missing an Arm-Possibly Civil War Related
This is an interesting photograph to consider. It seems so obvious at first, so direct in its approach to what it describes, which is a handsome yet very intense looking young man missing his right arm. What's also worth noting is the rather sophisticated visual strategy the photographer has deployed to emphasize this man's loss.

First, he's positioned the man at a slight angle so that his empty sleeve is prominent in the frame. It's set deliberately against a stark white background, empty of course, like the man's sleeve. This absence is offset dramatically by the way the photographer has "loaded" the right side of the frame with information: the two large tassel curtain tie backs, the curtain itself and his hand, draped lazily across the "second arm" in this image-the arm of the chair--and creating a kind of visual echo so that it actually looks like a third tassel. His crossed legs and hint of piping running along them complete this side of the frame nicely. The overall impression is one of harmony--the harmony of shapes in a frame, and the man in harmony with his surroundings--at least on one side of the photograph.

It measures 4 x 3 inches and is clipped on its corners. Please contact me with any questions and I'll respond promptly.


Rare Tintype of a Man Missing an Arm-Possibly Civil War Related    Rare Tintype of a Man Missing an Arm-Possibly Civil War Related