Vintage Photo: Civil War Soldier Portrait

Photographer H.J. Brown, Essex, NY — Photographed by H.J. Brown, Essex, NY (Source: Geo Davis via Rosslyn Redux)

Every Monday we share a vintage image on the Essex on Lake Champlain Facebook page and invite our viewers to play some Vintage Essex Trivia.

The image above is the front and back of an old portrait dating to around the 1860s if I’m correct in saying that the man in the photo is a soldier in uniform (from the Civil War). Do you recognize the man or spot any local family resemblances? As the back of the photograph tells us it was taken by H.J. Brown of Essex, NY — have you heard of him? Can you tell us more?

Ann Dickinson: Wish I knew. That’s a beautiful image from the H J Brown photographer’s studio.

Perhaps someone with military history knowledge can help better identify the type of uniform and anything we could learn from that (rank? regiment? etc.)?

Please share your thoughts in the comment section below and help us learn more!

Share Your Essex Artifacts

If you want to share your old photos of Essex (or brochures; postcards; menus; tickets; any artifact) on the blog please email us at editor [AT] essexonlakechamplain [DOT] com.

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About Katie Shepard

Passionate about reading and writing stories, Katie Shepard enjoys discovering more about her home while writing and editing for Essex on Lake Champlain. Katie graduated from SUNY Plattsburgh in 2011 where she studied English literature, philosophy, and Asian studies. Her first book Essex, New York Architecture: A Doodler's Field Guide was published in 2015.