Cilil War picture help...

[NWpickin]

I recently just picked this at an estate sale. I believe it to be a civil war union soldier. If you look closely you can see the camp in the background. It's measured approx 22" long and 18" wide ( in frame). I have no idea what to call this.. tintype? Painting? Drawing? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

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[Diver_Down]

Well, it is not a tintype. It might not even have been created during the Civil War era. The up-close photo with the ruler shows evidence of foxing indicating a paper medium. The depiction of the soldier indeed looks to be of a Civil War soldier with camp background, but it could have been created much later. I would expect to see further foxing on the paper if it was indeed done during the Civil War. That being said, it looks to be a pencil on paper drawing with very nice detail.

 

[NWpickin]

Thanks for the reply. Is there any way to find out for sure what it is?

Regardless it's pretty cool. I found it in the basement in a trash bag and the frame was all busted up... Just glad to save it and not have it end up in the trash.

 

[geologyjohn]

Charcoal portrait of a Federal critter boy, copied from a photograph. I know a guy who has been picking these up for years at Civil War shows.

 

[NWpickin]

Nice.... Any idea how old it is? Is it valuable?

 

[NWpickin]

So I'm guessing since it's a charcoal drawing it was probably a early way of reproducing it .... 1880's? Does the foxing effect the value/desirability?

 

[geologyjohn]

Yeah, I would think that it is post war. I know charcoal portraits rendered from earlier photographs were popular in the 1880's. A way of taking a small photograph and turning it into something that could be hung on the wall for others to enjoy. But maybe charcoal portraits were also popular prior to the 1880's?
Foxing would hurt the value.

 

[NWpickin]

Thinking of making a larger charcoal drawing of the image...... A charcoal of a charcoal of a picture.....