Reference to a photograph of Tumblety in the National Police Gazette

[Hunter]

Just my 2 cents. The uniform is not standard Union issue, but many officers- i.e.- Custer, did have their own non-issue uniforms made at their own expense. During the early years of the war many militia units on both sides had distinct uniforms as well... indeed at First Bull Run some Union troops wore gray and some Confederates blue.

This uniform bears no rank insignia... which would be rare.

If this photo has detail, perhaps the saber belt's buckle could give a clue.

[rjpalmer]

I went searching for these alleged 'photographs' seven or eight years ago; the appropriate issue of the NPG is not known to be extant, and is not included in any of the standard microfilm collections of the NPG, which include very few issues from the 1860s.

After a very tedious search, I finally traced the issue in question to a rather obscure collection on the east coast, but when I made contact, they claimed they didn't have it, even though it was unmistakably listed as being among their holdings.

I always felt there was more to the story than what I was told by the rather surly archivist; document thieves are everywhere, and I suspect it somehow ended up in someone's private collection.

[mklhawley]

I went searching for these alleged 'photographs' seven or eight years ago; the appropriate issue of the NPG is not known to be extant, and is not included in any of the standard microfilm collections of the NPG, which include very few issues from the 1860s.

After a very tedious search, I finally traced the issue in question to a rather obscure collection on the east coast, but when I made contact, they claimed they didn't have it, even though it was unmistakably listed as being among their holdings.

I always felt there was more to the story than what I was told by the rather surly archivist; document thieves are everywhere, and I suspect it somehow ended up in someone's private collection.

Chris Scott is discovering some great stuff recently. Maybe his luck will hold and he'll find somethink. By the way, your article on Walter Andrews in the Casebook Examiner is awesome. I can't wait for Part 2.

Sincerely,

Mike

[ChrisGeorge]

Hi Chris

There were no photographs in magazines or newspapers as of that date -- the technology of the day did not permit their reproduction. It might have been a sketch based on a photograph. I have seen before in period publications sketches referred to as photographs. I am guessing though that they are referring to the sketch of Tumblety walking with the greyhound which shows him in a military style cap.

Chris

[Wolf Vanderlinden]

There were no photographs in magazines or newspapers as of that date -- the technology of the day did not permit their reproduction. It might have been a sketch based on a photograph. I have seen before in period publications sketches referred to as photographs. I am guessing though that they are referring to the sketch of Tumblety walking with the greyhound which shows him in a military style cap.

Gee, I wish I had said that back in post #23.

Wolf.

[cappuccina]

There were photographs in the National Police Gazetteby at least the early 1880's...

[Marc]

Hi cappucina,

I may be wrong, but to me, it rather looks like a well done engraving from a photograph.
I've found yet found this kind of pictures in late 1800's or early 1900's books and had to look twice before settling on one explanation or the other.

[cappuccina]

Wow....yes, I think you are right....my eyes are not as good as they used to be....

[Livia]

On the thread, "The Last Days of Francis Tumblety" posted by Chris
Scott, the first sentence in the last paragraph says, "...He claimed to be a native of Ireland, and he is said to have had experience in the Franco German War and the Civil War..."

Maybe the uniform is from his service in the Franco-German war?

[ansonfish]

Just searched google images for Tumblety and found an actual photograph. Or as they say on this site...........but is it really him. If you guys already know this appologies.
https:/.../gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=10467

[Dr. John Watson]

Just searched google images for Tumblety and found an actual photograph. Or as they say on this site...........but is it really him. If you guys already know this appologies.
https:/.../gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=10467

For those interested, the full address is https://kaosradioaustin.org/gallery2...2_itemId=10467

It's the recently discovered photo of Tumblety in the Prussian army uniform.

[Archaic]

Why Aren't There More Photos of Tumblety?

Hi everyone.

I was just thinking about the subject of possible Tumblety photographs, and frankly I'm surprised that there isn't a larger number of them.
Carte de visites and Cabinet Cards were so popular and affordable and Dr T was so vain and fond of posing in all his splendor that it seems like there should be many more in existence.

There's even that comical old vaudeville song about collecting trendy Carte de Visites and putting them in an an album that mentions Tumblety by name (I posted the song last winter; if I remember correctly it was published in the mid-1860's and performed on stage in the Bowery in New York.)

I'm curious if people think there are more Tumblety photographs out there, perhaps in old albums, but they just haven't been recognized yet?

I wonder if his heirs might have inherited some as well.

Tumblety strikes me as the kind of man whose idea of a thoughtful gift would be to present his friends with stylish portraits of himself.

Thanks and best regards,
Archaic

[ChrisGeorge]

There were photographs in the National Police Gazetteby at least the early 1880's...

Yes, that's not a photograph but as has been noted an engraving based on a photograph. There's a similar carefully done engraving of Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1840) in an article entitled "Poe's Mary" by Augustus Van Cleef in Harper's Magazine March 1889 containing the reminiscences of a woman who knew Poe in Baltimore circa 1829-1835. See below.

Chris

[Dr. John Watson]

Correction on Alleged Tumblety Photo

The photo of the man in military garb which I posted on this thread as being a supposed image of Tumblety, is not. By pure happenstance, while leafing through the Oct 2001 issue of Ripperologist, I came across the same photo in an article on Michael Ostrog. The man in the photo is identified as Benjamin Thomas Oswell who, while police superintendent at Burton in 1873, disarmed Ostrog during an arrest for robbery. Oswell was also a Lieut Colonel of N. Staffs Regiment, and the uniform he is wearing in the photo may be his regimental uniform. Oswell's great-grandson, John Winn Oswell, supplied the photo (along with a new photo of Ostrog) to Ripperologist and provided the background information.

[Dave O]

Hi Chris,

Well, it looked promising from the catalog record, but I'm afraid that in both the microfilm and the electronic database, there's a big jump from 1850 to 1866. I was hoping that the database might have had some updated material since Stewart and R.J. looked, but came up with notta.

I looked at some issues from 1866-67, and all I saw were sketches.

Wish I could have been of more help,

Dave