In this, the third installment of our “Odd Civil War Photos” series, we highlight more strange and offbeat images made during the conflict. (Unless otherwise noted, all images are courtesy of the Library of Congress.)
In this image made in 1865, two strapping Union soldiers assume boxing stances for the photographer.
In this photo from 1861, a surgeon stands among soldiers of the 74th New York Infantry as he performs a (presumably staged) amputation outside the surgeon’s tent at Union army camp near Washington, D.C.
This unidentified Union soldier looks relaxed—and well-equipped—in a photo he had made of himself sometime during the war.
Unlike the recumbent soldier above, these Zouave troops opted for a much more martial pose in the photographer’s studio, play-acting a combat scene for the camera.
Is Brigadier General Edward Follansbee Noyes (in back at right) lifting the hat off the head of Major General John Wallace Fuller (front right) … or is Noyes simply holding his own hat? The hat in Fuller’s lap seems to point to the latter scenario.
This unidentified Union soldier seems to have had a fondness for his canteen—or perhaps its contents.
These Union soldiers demonstrated their fondness for tobacco, and each other, in a single pose.
This boy plays soldier—riding a wooden horse while wearing a full uniform, sash, and sword—in an undated wartime photo.
Union soldiers, some of whom appear to be amputees, pose in a firing line for the benefit of the photographer. Note the civilian, who appears to be a sketch artist, at center-left.
This photo, made sometime between 1863 and 1866, shows actors portraying (from left to right) a Union army officer, a young man just drafted into the military, and the civilian’s wife or sweetheart. The image bears the title “The Conscript.”
This photo of soldiers from Company G, 71st New York Infantry, contains at least two oddities: First, the man at left who decided to trim his toenails for the camera, and second, the man standing at far left, who appears to be in the process of poking his comrade in the ear with a small stick.
An oddly coiffed Union officer “puts thumb to nose,” flashing the time-honored gesture of derision. (Image courtesy of Ronald S. Coddington)
