2 Tintype Questions - Thanks!

Hello again,

Thank you all as always for all of your help!

Just had a few questions about two separate tintype photographs I purchased recently, was hoping to address them in a single posting! *Stop clogging up the thread* lol

First one is of a lady who seems to have chevrons on her arm, but I'm unsure if it is "fashion" or actually has meaning. Any opinions would be appreciated.

2nd: A photo of a large group. The men at the back look familiar to me. The one in the middle sorta resembles Doc Holiday lol Any opinions would be appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

 

My impression of the girl in the dark coat is that she's wearing a male relative's coat (a peacoat?) and hat - perhaps those strange gloves too. They look too big for her. I zoomed in on the closer photo and those 2 chevrons appear to have a spread-winged bird above which makes me think military of some variety. The flat hat reminds me of some naval uniform hats. Perhaps the actual owner of the outfit died?

 

Maybe they're his hat and coat.....

 

I do think those are Peacoat buttons.
If US Navy then the Peacoat (the rating badge actually), not necessarily the Peacoat or photo, is pre 1894.

 

That one guy's got the tree growing straight out of his head.

 

I am still working on this....

 

A lesser known gentleman; Bob Birch tree seed.

 

I was wondering if it was Naval, it looked to be. Like you said, the peacoat and such. Thank you so much for the help! Really appreciate it!

 

Right out of his darn head!! lol

 

I think that's totally logical! The hat def reminds me as well!

Any idea of the type of scarf or neck dealyo around the fellow on the far rights neck is? (In the 2nd photo of the group)

 

I just looked at the group pic again and finally understood the "tree growing out of his head" comments!

I really can't tell what that thing is around the other guy's neck.

 

I have not stopped searching this rank/rating badge and no luck yet. It is almost certainly US Navy but may not be real. It is odd with the border especially.

 

As to the 1st pic, could that woman be in her own WWI uniform coat? That hat may be a tam?? There were woman in the military in WWI in US and Great Britain as the following posters depict:

2nd poster down of a WWI Wave
http://www.ww1propaganda.com/world-war-1-posters/women-ww1?page=4

Note the posters on the following page. The first poster shows a woman with thick gloves that appear as thick as the gloves this woman has on.
http://www.ww1propaganda.com/world-war-1-posters/women-ww1?page=2

As to the arm patch, that does look like Navy with a left facing eagle and 2 chevrons. The 2 chevrons probably denotes a petty officer 2nd class something. If there was a bomb under the eagle between the eagle and the chevrons it would be for a Torpedoman 2nd class. As this patch doesn't appear to have something between the eagle and the chevrons like a bomb, cannons, rifles, harp, wings, propeller, ropes, bugle, etc... it probably wasn't for a man. It may have been a Wave patch for 2nd class.

BTW, posting pictures straight up would certainly help me in IDing stuff and such. As they are, I have to cock my head this way and that way. I have had to straighten up the above pictures before trying to ID them. Following is the first pic straightened, brighten and zoomed in on.

--- Susan

 

I second Susan's request to take photos straight on. Then, also crop off the surroundings before posting. Sometimes proportions are distorted in the angled shots. If you happen to have a flatbed scanner that would be even better (if you have an all-in-one or multipurpose printer, a scanner will be included). But your photos generally do seem pretty clear.

 

None of the people in the group photo seem familiar to me at all. I love the tree coming out of the head!

 

Those posters are good help and great to see anyway! Thanks!
The more I research the more I'm convinced she may not be US Navy but may be Royal Navy be it British, Canadian, Australian or New Zealand or... I've not researched other countries as are in Northwestern Europe, or elsewhere, but have seen things here and there which didn't spur me to go that way. Ireland has a navy but didn't this early and Scotland's disbanded in 1707.
The flattened or horizontal eagle is at issue as well as the badge's border. That there isn't a 'rate' between the eagle and the 2 down pointing chevrons doesn't help. The flattened chevrons are more certainly navy, or another sea service, than any other military service. I only find a flattened chevron like that on a women's left arm but later and British. It could be that women didn't have ratings at this time and were 'only' yeoman, or some similar service, and it wasn't required to note that with a rating badge. That she is almost certainly a 2nd class petty officer, as based on today's US Navy, Coast Guard, etc. and some other countries, is a good thing that this has been awarded to her as it would mean she's got her...umm...stuff together and been in service for some time... Unless this coat isn't hers as I guessed earlier though I hope I'm wrong.
At times rating and rank badges have changed arm displays but usually it was placed on the right arm earlier in time as is this photo. There isn't anything in the photo to ascertain that this negative wasn't flipped and that is her left arm not right. She could be one of the +- 5,500 WRNS (Women's Royal Navy Service) (also called: WRENS) which began in 1917. They were not without sacrifice with the first being lost serving aboard ship in 1918. This is where I lean the most but cannot find a single thing to pin that down to be certain...again...if it's her coat.
But...I will put this photo out to my connections and see what we see. I really would like to solve or have this solved by someone else.

 

Methinks that is a portrait of a proud papa of a young lady in military service of some kind. It is definitely a uniform, as the skirt is too short for the era (unless she's been playing basket ball), and it is definitely her jacket, as immortalizing such a thing in a photo if not hers would be like a man wearing ribbons and medals he had not won.

 

Sorry! Will def. straighten them out before hand!

They would be clearer but the size of the files are too large, so I have to shrink them before posting.

 

Thank you so much again for the help! When I saw this photograph, I thought it was surely unusual. I pretty much purchased it because I was so interested in what the patch meant. I have not seen many uniformed women tintypes in my searches. (granted it's not a normal thing to collect of mine) I focus mostly on collecting Circus, Acrobats, Costumes & Animals. I have a military album, but it's honestly lacking :/ lol Anywho, Thank you again for all of your help! I'm following along with anticipation and searching for similar type images, that possibly I could compare!

 

I've got one other question. Maybe people could shed some light on.

In the mans hand, it looks as though a rosary comes down and goes between his fingers. One of his fingers looks bandaged? Am I seeing that correctly?

I've added a straightened photo as well!