* United States boys clothes : 1865 Unidentified brother and sister








Unidentified Brother and Sister (Unknown state, 1865)


Figure 1.--This is a wonderful CDV portrait of a brother and sister during the Civil War. We believe the portrait was taken in 1865 because it has a revenue stamp on the back. This means it could have been taken any time from 1864-66. We have a detailed view of popular dress for a boy and girl at the time. Almost certainly they are brother and sister. These are the kinds of portraits that would have been sent to their father or older brother during the War. Note the unusual hat.

This is a wonderful CDV portrait of a brother and sister during the Civil War. We believe the portrait was taken in 1865 because it has a revenue stamp on the back. This means it could have been taken any time from 1864-66. We have a detailed view of popular dress for a boy and girl at the time. Almost certainly they are brother and sister. These are the kinds of portraits that would have been sent to their father or older brother during the War. Unfortunately the children are not identified. One is a young girl about 11-12 years old and the boy about 9-10 years. There is no informaion about the photographer or location as is the case with some early CDVs.

Chronology

This is a wonderful CDV portrait of a brother and sister during the Civil War. We believe the portrait was taken in 1865 because it has a Federal revenue stamp on the back. This means it could have been taken any time from 1864-66. These are the kinds of portraits that would have been sent to their father or older brother during the Civil War.

The Children

Unfortunately the children are not identified. One is a young girl about 11-12 years old and the boy about 9-10 years. Almost certainly they are brother and sister.

Photographer

There is no information about the photographer or location as is the case with some early CDVs. Both children have lightly tinted cheeks. This was common with Daguerreotypes and Ambrotypes and we note it in some early CDVs.

Clothing

We have a detailed view of the clothing the children are wearing. They are popular clothing styles for a boy and girl at the time.

The boy

The boy is dressed in dark suit. There is a dramatic shift in the 1860s to suits with matching jackets and trousers. The jacket is a collar buttoning one without lapels. There appear to be metal buttons, but not as many as was common with these jackets in the 1850s. These jackets were very popular in the 1850s, but declined in popularity during the 1860s. We see a climpse of a white collar. He has matching long trousrs. He is holding a hat at his side. I am not sure how to describe the hat. It has notably high sides. It is certainlt not a high-top (Stove-pipe hat) that adults wote at the time, but it has higher sides than we see most boys wearing at the time.

The girl

The girl is wearing a light colored print fabric. The skirt has four rows of tucks about 12 to 15 inches from the hem and a Zouave style jacket with dark braid on the edge of the jacket and the sleeves at the wrists. This type of jacket was styled after the uniform of the Zouave soldier and was quite popular during this period. She has a small ribbon (printed fabric) tied in a bow at her collar. She has a very small ruffled collar. We have seen younger boys wearing coolars like that, but here her brother has a very plain collar. The girl is wearing a ring on the middle finger of her left hand. Notice how she is holding her hand so as to display the ring. Her hair is pulled back (it might even be cut short in the back), and her skirt is very full, supported with a hoop. As with most young girls, her dress does not touch the floor but is about 3 inches off the floor. She is wearing a dark cloth belt and it appears she is holding flowers at her waist.






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Created: 1:46 PM 9/14/2008
Last updated: 1:46 PM 9/14/2008