Cas City Forum Hall & CAS-L
Special Interests - Groups & Societies => The Barracks => Topic started by: Major 2 on December 21, 2022, 11:58:08 PM
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This very interesting hand colored early studio photo portrait was donated to the museum.
The subject is an unknown US Army Captain, I estimate circa 1885 or later.
I have enlarged the medals, which have been painted and the detail is obscured
Has anyone any thoughts as to identifying anything ?
The buttons appear to be general service eagles.
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They look to be marksmanship medals, but beyond that I have no idea. They could even be medals struck for individual competitions.
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I considered marksmanship :-\ with the target looking centers
or perhaps GAR reunions or Regimental conventions souvenir medals.
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The markmanship medals look European to me.
Like Austrian, German, French or Tyrolian.
Long Johns Wolf
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Hmm... hadn't considered foreign competition
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Post-ACW - through the 1890s, rifle clubs existed in profusion - both on these shores and overseas, as well.
The uniformity of the medals suggest they're from the same club/district/region, as they look like the same maker produced them.
I doubt there's a truly military connotation - more like one of the 'society' military organizations like the 'Society of the Army of the Tenessee', as an example - it isn't 'Grand Army of the Republic' - that uniform was laid down in their Regulations.
Vaya,
Scouts Out!
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Pretty much we all concur, post ACW, prolly even post 1870's
My guess was 89-90, and agree its Marksmanship..
The guy may be a Capt. or veteran officer (I hate to think stolen valor)
May be the Club's CEO or akin.
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'Stolen Valor' wasn't a 'thing' back then - and there's no 'valor' attached to rank - otherwise Colonel Sanders'd be in Leavenworth along with all the 'Kentucky Colonels', the auctioneers and the Confederate Air Force as well - because all those guys were 'Colonels'..
The various Fraternal/Society organizations all had a rank structure mirroring that of the Army - this is that.
The coat has a distinctly 'European' cast to it - Germany and it's various states, most likely - there or one of the Scandanavian countries - 'we' didn't use velvet facings.
Vaya,
Scouts Out!
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Velvet facings were popular on many society/militia uniforms in the latter half of the 19th century. The hat cord with acorns is an American affectation. I would say this is a US rifle club marksman of the 1890s, probably based in New York/Northeast seaboard. The medals are of a "Gilded Age" design, very 1890s, as is the collar style. Note the elaborate medal top row left, appears to have stars in the blue field.