White Wealthy Man 1865 African American Brute Enforcer Black Tintype Civil War

DETAILS: Original sixth plate tintype photograph of a caucasian gentleman along with a younger African American male. Verso has the words "Atlanta 1865" scratched into it. Note that the young African American man on the left is dressed poorly with torn clothing. He displays a menacing facial expression while he chomps at his cigar. His right fist is clinched with his left hand strategically placed behind him so that the viewer is cannot see what he is holding - the implication being that he is hiding some kind of weapon. The white gentleman standing next to him is dressed far better with multiple layers of clothing, a fine hat, leather gloved hands and brandishing what appears to be a confident smirk. Measures 2.25 x 4.0 inches.

BACKGROUND: The city of Atlanta, was an important rail and commercial center during the American Civil War. Although relatively small in population, the city became a critical point of contention during the Atlanta Campaign in 1864 when a powerful Union Army approached from Union-held Tennessee. The fall of Atlanta was a critical point in the Civil War, giving the North more confidence, and (along with the victories at Mobile Bay and Winchester) leading to the re-election of President Abraham Lincoln and the eventual dissolution of the Confederacy. However the fall of the war torn city along with a massive influx of displaced people from the rural areas of the Georgia led to a period of lawlessness and high crime in the city. Oxxbridge Galleries was founded in 1987 and specializes in vintage paper items with a large selection of historical and 19th Century tintypes, daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, cabinet cards, carte des visites and other types of early photography.