Item No. 8528908

This beautiful half plate tintype features 30+ members of a Union infantry company. The men have a mid- to late-war appearance, and I suspect the image was made at the time of their muster-out, perhaps in 1864 or 1865. The men are drawn up in line of battle and stand at support arms. Three officers stand in front. There’s very nice blue tinting on the mens’ trousers and dark green in the trees behind them. While these colors were expertly applied, a rather sloppy job was done applying the gilt to the cartridge box strap plates. The image is in excellent condition with no bends or creases in the plate. There are some streaks visible, particularly above the mens’ heads and below their feet, which I believe is discoloration of the original varnish. No major crazing or rubbing, except around the edge of the oval where the mat meets the image. This fine tintype has been kept safe in a lovely black thermoplastic frame. This is the same material that union cases are made from, but produced as a frame for display. There aren’t any cracks in it, but there are a handful of minor rough spots along the edge. Image size: 5 1/2” x 4 1/4”. Overall frame: 8” x 6 7/8”.