The fourth installment of our “Odd Civil War Photos” series is here! Enjoy more strange and offbeat images made during the conflict. (View Part 1 here, Part 2 here, and Part 3 here.)
In this otherwise typical photo of Union soldiers in camp, two comrades in the background (center) seem to be battling over control of the same hat. Then again, the one soldier may just be lending a friendly hand to a friend. We’ll never know the story behind this odd pose. (The Medford Historical Society Civil War Photograph Collection)
These two men—presumably members of the Union navy—perform a mock fight with swords on the deck of an unknown warship. The pose is impressive for the stillness they had to maintain, as any movement would have rendered the photo blurry (as the swords themselves are, though only slightly). (MHS)
This Union cavalry soldier displays the rather bold way in which he carries his three Remington revolvers. Here’s hoping we wasn’t prone to accidents. (Library of Congress)
In 1863, Moore Brothers’ photography studio of Springfield, Massachusetts, published this photo of the photographer’s dog, “Old Hans,” next to an advertisement for the business. The pipe and glasses were drawn on the image, presumably to give Old Hans an extra bit of sophistication. (LOC)
A closer look at this photo of Union soldiers assembled in front of a sutler’s cabin reveals a humorous pose struck by the man standing second to right—who appears not to be taking the shoot seriously. (MHS)
In this photo of Union officers in front of a camp tent, the man second from left strikes a rather awkward pose—either it’s his preferred way to recline … or perhaps he’s holding a seat for a friend. (MHS)
This young Union soldier—who carries his pistols in the same troublesome style as the cavalryman shown previously—seems to value oral health, choosing to simulate picking his teeth with a Bowie knife in this wartime image. (LOC)
In this early war photo of Company B, 22nd New York Infantry, three soldiers chose to pose far from the main group: the man who climbed the small tree on the left, and the two comrades who sit on the roof of the house at right. (LOC)
The engineer in this photo made during the siege of Petersburg, Virginia, strikes an interesting pose among several gabions, wooden structures fashioned to be part of the Union army’s elaborate defensive line. (MHS)
While there’s nothing particularly strange in this photo of Massachusetts artillerists (though the long pipe the cannoneer at far left holds is noteworthy), it’s the size of the soldier at far right, who towers over his comrades, that captures the eye. (LOC)
There’s a lot to observe in this 1863 photo of reveling officers of the 7th New York Infantry … but focus in on the man third from left, who is in the process of sticking something in the ear of the comrade seated before him. (Smithsonian American Art Museum)
The children of this unidentified Union soldier seem to have inherited their father’s penchant for adopting unconventional facial expressions in the photographer’s studio. (LOC)
Related topics: Odd Photos
