Custer in color

[George Armstrong Custer]

A friend who specialises in colorising black and white photos of the Great War did a couple of Civil War pics of Custer for me:





ciao,
GAC

[biggordie]

A wonderful job by your friend!! I've seen a colorized version of the profile before, but that scene of the three officers is absolutely gorgeous in color.

Gordie

[conz]

Lovely, but I wonder how he picks colors? This was inevitable, you know...<g>

I'll leave it for the historians to nitpick these shots, but to this laymen, I would think in the first photo that the officers campaign hats should be more black, and less blue?

And why are Custer's epaulets not yellow, for cavalry? He is wearing infantry epaulets, unlike the cavalry ones on the officer on the right.

In the second, was this photo of Custer in his famous Civil War "black velvet" uniform? With matching black hat, of course.

Just wondering...still love the color...

Clair

[stevewilk]

Conz,

They are shoulder straps, not epaulets. Anyway remember Custer first served as a staff officer; straps for staff were dark blue with gold trim.

[bc]

Notice the shadow of the camera and tripod on the right along with the cameraman shadow on the far right. By the length of the shadows, it appears to be early morning or late evening. Custer is sitting on a folding chair. The other officer is sitting on what I believe is one of those portable cases/desks or whatever you call them. Appears to be some type of table leg and maybe table assemly under the case/desk. I suppose the wood case could be personal items though.

By the way, who are the other officers? I'm thinking the one on the right is Merritt.

[biggordie]

From Katz: Left to Right are Second Lieutenant George A. Custer, 5th U.S. Cavalry;First Lieutenant Nicholas Bowen, U.S. Engineers: First Lieutenant William Graham Jones, 10th U.S. Infantry. Photographed 20 May 1862 by James F. Gibson. All were officers on the staff of Genral Andrew Porter, and there is another photograph of them, with other staff officers, taken the same day by the same photographer.

Custer, in the seated portrait [which was supposedly his favorite], is wearing the standard blue uniform coat of a Major General. His black velveteen jacket was much more ornate, with gold loops on the sleeves. There are several photos of him wearing it, including one of him with Pleasonton, where the jacket can be seen in all its finery. The photo posted above was taken by Brady 23 May 1865, according to Katz.

The last photo I can find of him wearing his gold-braided number was taken in January 1864.

Gordie

...and next is Armstrong Custer wearing this year's sensational new look - black velveteen with simply oodles of gold whorls and loops worked into the fabric, and gentlemen, please note that real gold threads are used in the manufacture of this fitted jacket......................

[BrokenSword]

GAC,

Ditto all the complimentary remarks on the photo enhancement. The colorizing process definitely adds 'life' to the well known B&W record. Whether or not the exact shades of Navy or blue or black are exactly correct, the effect is dramatic.

I could swear that the man seated across from Custer is actually sitting on a large format camera box.

BS

[bc]

bs, the box looks too thin to be a camera box but notice the round brass ornament on it partially covered by his boot.

I'd like to see some the 1877 battlefield pictures and later colorized. Maybe more detail will show along with the stakes. Especially one of the photos on LSH and one that looks towards deep rarvine from LSH. Then blow them up for a closer look.

[BrokenSword]

Bc,

I’m not so sure that that thing is not a camera, afterall. Cameras back in the day utilized a glass plate negative which you already know. Prints were made directly from the glass plates (contact prints) and there was no such a thing as an enlarger. The size of the original glass negative was the only size prints that could be produced. Each size photo - 5X7, 8X10 or larger - were made by using difference format cameras.

Photographers sometimes had quite an array of cameras for the different subjects they might encounter. Some of the 19th Century cameras used to capture the scenic grandeur of the Old West landscapes were of amazingly large size. The camera back (holding the glass plate) and the lens board were connected by accordion bellows which folded up into rather compact units of not too great a depth.



BS

[tmw3401]

I was just wondering if anyone had any info on Thomas J Stowers

[rch]

Custer's shoulder straps should be yellow. He was a 2nd Lt of Cavalry serving on as a staff officer. This is not the same thing as having local rank as a Capt and additional ADC.

Lt Jones was an infantry officer, and I think the reason Custer's yellow shoulder strap comes out dark and Jones' light blue straps comes white in black and white has to do with the photographic process at that time.

The five braids and double knot which Custer wore on the velvet uniform were the mark of a general officer. They were used on overcoats. Custer used them on his field uniform. From Taylor's Illustrations if the Shenandoah Valley Camapign Custer may have used the velvet uniform until his promotion the Brevet Major General in Oct 1864.

rch

[conz]

I think you are right on the colors, rch. And thanks for the info, Gordie! Do you think any hats, other than the kepis, were blue? Hadn't seen that before...

Clair

[Diane Merkel]

Love the first photo, GAC, because I have never seen a colorized version. It almost looks 3D.

It's so nice to see you here again!

[montea]

I agree. Very nice, and I believe Brokensword nailed it regarding what Lt. Jones is seated on.

Had seen the photo before but never noticed that Autie was holding his revolver by the barrel, or that what was apparently his kepi, or forage cap, is lying on the ground. that he is wearing a frock coat while the other two are wearing sack coats, or that it is difficult to determine that Autie's legs are simply crossed (partly because the handiest of this photo in my little library, in "The Custer Album," crops the photo above their knees). The color makes one look more closely methinks.

And bc, let me enthusiastically echo your suggestion of colorizing the 1877 Fouch photo. However, you casually include the one from LSH looking into the deep ravine, whereas "Where Custer Fell" says on p. 20 that that photo "remains undiscovered." Is it now discovered? Have you made a recent, noteworthy eBay purchase?

Seriously GAC, I would contribute to a fund for that colorization project. MA

"Ever read about those scouts and wagon train leaders who had extra good vision, could spot Indians and buffalo miles before anyone else, were legendary for their keen eyesight? Know who those guys were? The only ones who weren’t totally nearsighted."