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[Union Soldier and Barber]

1861–65
Not on view
The official United States Army regulations of 1861 stated that all soldiers’ hair be “kept short, and beard neatly trimmed.” However, when Abraham Lincoln let his beard grow after his election victory in November 1860, many Union soldiers also opted to leave their whiskers uncut. Those that preferred a shave and haircut looked to their fellow soldiers or civilian camp followers for help, as few traveled with straight blades, scissors, or mirrors. This occupational portrait of a soldier getting a shave is among the only known likenesses of a Civil War barber at work.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: [Union Soldier and Barber]
  • Artist: Unknown (American)
  • Date: 1861–65
  • Medium: Tintype with applied color
  • Dimensions: Plate: 11.6 × 9.2 cm (4 9/16 × 3 5/8 in.)
    Case: 12 × 9.9 cm (4 3/4 × 3 7/8 in.)
  • Classification: Photographs
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Joyce F. Menschel Gift, 2012
  • Object Number: 2012.326
  • Curatorial Department: Photographs

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