From the Library of Congress flickr:
“In remembrance of the Union and Confederate soldiers who served in the American Civil War (1861-1865), the Liljenquist Family recently donated their rare collection of almost 700 ambrotype and tintype photographs to the Library of Congress.
Most of the people and photographers are unidentified, and we’d love to learn more about them. Please let us know if you recognize a face from your family, a regiment, or a photographer’s painted studio backdrop!”
Another benefit of sharing image collections online: identification! A photo library of unknowns would be awfully fun for a small community to tackle. I can see the applications for public libraries, many of which probably have mystery photos like these lying around, uncataloged (gasp!), and/or genealogists with sizable old family photo collections. Communities that build their cultural and ancestral heritage by helping libraries develop their collections — clearly there’s awesome value in that concept!
I quite like the photo above, titled “Three unidentified men in Union uniforms and two unidentified men, one pointing a revolver at another’s head.” Very eager to do some rebel killin’, yet unafraid to display their emotional side (i.e. rosy cheeks, hand holding). Here are some others that tickled my fancy and pulled on my heart strings, mostly the latter:
Unidentified African American soldier in Union uniform with wife and two daughters
Three unidentified soldiers in forage caps with musket
