Figure 1.--This Afro-American boy had a tin-type portrait made, we think some time after the Civil War. Unfortunately the portrait is undated. We would guess he was photograohed in the late 1860s or perhaps the early 70s. We do not know if he was a freed slave or a freeman. He looks as if he comes from a prosperous family so we think he most likely came from the North. We are not sure how to date the boy's jacket, but the stock he is wearing was more popular in the 1860s than the 70s. Note that it is stripped. Most of the stocks we have seen were wider and all black.

This Afro-American boy had a tin-type portrait made, we think some time after the Civil War. Unfortunately the portrait is undated. We would guess he was photograohed in the late 1860s or perhaps the early 70s. A reader writes, "This pprtrait chould have been later. Ferrotypes are difficult to date. They were produced for a long time and are the poor man's photography. These pics normally do not have any marks. I have one dated 1913, so still available then. I think you see too few clothing in this picture to be too sure about the date." Yes, there is no way to be certain. We begin seeing tin-types in the 1850s. Thus the portrait certainly coukd have been taken in the 1860s or early 70s. We think the fact that he is wearing a stock, means that it is a fairly early tin-type. I supose it could have been taken in the 1880s, but any later seems very unlikely to us. We do not know if he was a freed slave or a freeman. He looks as if he comes from a prosperous family so we think he most likely came from the North. The great majority of blacks at the time lived in the South, but even after emancipation they were very poor. We are not sure how to date the boy's jacket, but the stock he is wearing was more popular in the 1860s than the 70s. Note that the boy's stock is stripped. Most of the stocks we have seen were wider and all black.

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Created: 7:23 PM 12/19/2006
Last updated: 5:20 AM 12/20/2006